From a Friend

God sent the following to me today through a wonderful friend. His timing is always perfect.

The Choice
by Max Lucado

IT’S QUIET. It’s early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The day is coming.

In a few moments the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun. The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm of solitude will be replaced by the pounding pace of the human race. The refuge of the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be met.

For the next twelve hours I will be exposed to the day’s demands. It is now that I must make a choice. Because of Calvary, I’m free to choose. And so I choose.

I choose love . . .

No occasion justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love. Today I will love God and what God loves.

I choose joy . . .

I will invite my God to be the God of circumstance. I will refuse the temptation to be cynical . . . the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.

I choose peace . . .

I will live forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.

I choose patience . . .

I will overlook the inconveniences of the world. Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I’ll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of clinching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.

I choose kindness . . .

I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone. Kind to the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.

I choose goodness . . .

I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before I will accuse. I choose goodness.

I choose faithfulness . . .

Today I will keep my promises. My debtors will not regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. My wife will not question my love. And my children will never fear that their father will not come home.

I choose gentleness . . .

Nothing is won by force. I choose to be gentle. If I raise my voice may it be only in praise. If I clench my fist, may it be only in prayer. If I make a demand, may it be only of myself.

I choose self-control . . .

I am a spiritual being. After this body is dead, my spirit will soar. I refuse to let what will rot, rule the eternal. I choose self-control. I will be drunk only by joy. I will be impassioned only by my faith. I will be influenced only by God. I will be taught only by Christ. I choose self-control.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. To these I commit my day. If I succeed, I will give thanks. If I fail, I will seek his grace. And then, when this day is done, I will place my head on my pillow and rest.

From When God Whispers Your Name
Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 1999) Max Lucado

Time to Re-Joyce

Jim Joyce is a good umpire. Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland's word on that is good enough for me. Now we know that he is human, and that he is also a stand up guy. His quote that he was certain of his call until he saw the replay tells you all you need to know. Put yourself in his situation. A perfect game through 26 batters, and then a close play and it all hinges on your call. He called it (though wrongly) the way he saw it. He didn't let the perfect game or any thing else bias his call. And then, when it was all said and done, he owned up to his bad call, and apologized personally to Armando Galaraga. I tip my cap to Jim Joyce.


I tip my cap to Galaraga. After the call, and after the game, he didn't gripe and complain. He took it like a man. Today, with Jim Joyce moved to the plate umpire position, it was Armando Galaraga who brought out the line up card. Such character is rare in today's game. He is a CLASS ACT. Although it doesn't show up in the record, he now has the most memorable perfect game in baseball history. It will always be remembered - thanks to Jim Joyce.


I tip my cap to Jim Leyland who came out and fought valiantly for his pitcher, and then, when it was all over had the grace to talk positively about Jim Joyce, his career and the bright future of his pitcher. The Detroit Tiger's baseball organization has also behaved with much restraint and CLASS.


Lastly, it is ashamed that the official scorer was bound by baseball rules. Instead of all this talk about instant replay (in baseball the integrity of the umpire is never in question and bad calls are a part of the game) why not institute a new rule that allows for a change in scoring. Official scoring last night? E - 10. No player is charged with an error, and the batter is not charged with an AB (like a walk). The no hitter remains intact, and the perfect game is gone. After all, his call was errant, and the "game" was not perfect.


I was proud of the participants in last night's fiasco. In my opinion, one of baseball's potentially worst moments was transformed into one of it's greatest moments.