Price Tags

While sitting in the doctor's office recently I came across the current issue of The Atlantic magazine. (That in itself is amazing. A magazine in a waiting room that wasn't at least two years old!) What caught my attention was an article concerning our price-tag society which pointed out that almost everything is for sale. For example...
*A prison-cell upgrade in Santa Ana, California is available for $90 a night. Nonviolent offenders can pay for a clean, quiet cell with no riff-raff to bother them during their stay.
*Access to the carpool lane while driving alone for $8. Several large cities such as Houston and SanDiego offer this service to avoid congestion in carpool lanes.
*Your doctor's cellphone number in order to get same-day appointments. This costs anywhere between $1,500 and $25,000 per year. It might have been worth it to call him and ask why I was sitting in his waiting room when it was past time for the appointment.
*The right to immigrate to the United States for $500,000. It's a bit steep but foreigners who invest the money and create at least 10 full-time jobs in an area of unemployment can get their green card for permanent residency.
*In South Africa you can purchase the right to shoot an endangered black rhino for $250,000. Their logic is that killing off a limited number of these animals will give ranchers an incentive to raise and protect this species.
In short, we can buy almost anything this world has to afford. The article stated that this trend did not happen overnight but economics have worked to create these opportunities.
While thinking over this, I realized that's the way we usually arrive at whatever situation, good or bad, we find ourselves in. When it comes to falling away from God, we rarely do it suddenly. We don't usually wake up one morning and decide this will be the day that I turn my back on the Creator. It usually evolves.
Here's the great news. Even though we may realize how far away from God we've gotten, He hasn't moved! He is still there waiting for us to turn back to Him. The word is repent, or regret what we have done. And the Heavenly Father welcomes us back with loving, open arms.
Here's something else to take from this article. While we can buy almost anything today, one thing that's not for sale is our salvation. It's a free gift just for the asking. Eternity with Christ. You can't put a pricetag on that!

Oh, What Tangled Webs...

Bobby, Bobby, Bobby....(sigh)
Still trying to sift through the debris of what was the Bobby Petrino scandal/fiasco/colossal mess. This is the guy that rode into Fayetteville a few years ago and in short order righted the Razorback ship. In his third year Petrino had the Hogs in a BCS bowl. This past season he led them to an eleven win season. Things were looking good for the University of Arkansas.
Then, news of a motorcycle accident involving the coach. That was followed by news of a second party involving the coach. And (wait for the shoe to drop) news of the second party being involved with the coach. (heavy sigh)
Like many Razorback fans, I was hoping initially that things could be worked out so that Petrino would remain the Head Hog. I mean, come on, we were WINNING!!! Cut his pay, sit him out for a game or two...heck make him run the bleachers at Reynolds Razorback Stadium at 5 a.m. But don't dump because...well, because...this is football for crying out loud!!
Then the more I studied it, the angrier I got. At him, I mean, not Athletic Director Jeff Long. How arrogant was this man that he, as famous a man in this state as there is, would be out in the middle of the day, on a bright red motorcycle, without a helmet, with a very blond woman on the back for the whole world to see. What gall. What unmitigated gall!
Earlier today I saw photos of Petrino's house, well actually it's a mansion. I wonder, if after all this came out, if he didn't drive up, notice what a beautiful home he had, and realized what he had thrown away? But besides the material things he risked, there is the loss of reputation, respect, trust of a family, and disappointment from a state full of people that was giving him another chance to coach after jilting other teams throughout his career.
I pray Bobby Petrino will see the light. I pray he will wake up to the fact that God has given him the ability to do a job that can make a positive impact on young men. I pray that he can somehow salvage his marriage and earn the respect of his children.
There is a ripple effect when we deceive. Many people have suffered because of his selfish attitude. There is a lesson for us all. Every morning we should begin with a prayer asking God to direct our steps. When we veer off the path He wants to lead us, we could wind up in a roadside ditch a long way from home.

Go Bubba!

I have very quickly become a Bubba Watson fan. That's Bubba Dubya, the 33 year old Florida native and former Georgia Bulldog golfer who won the 2012 Master's Tournament on Sunday.
As a frustrated golfer, I have watched professional golf for many years. You may think it's the most boring thing on television but I enjoy watching the drama that unfolds at many of the tournaments.
Even so, I was ignorant of Bubba Watson until I noticed several Christian leaders which I very much respect, cheering for him on Twitter. It took a little research to find that Watson is a very dedicated man of God.
In fact, Watson has many followers on Twitter with many deciding to stop following him in social media because of his bold witness for Christ. Watson, however, says he has no plans to stop.
As for his Christian faith, Watson says, "For me, it's just showing the Light. There's people who want to put down Christians. I try to tell them Jesus loves you. It's just a way to be strong in my faith."
To other golfers he is simply amazing. He has never had a lesson and has no coach. Tiger Woods recently spent time with Watson to learn how Bubba can make a golf ball go pretty much wherever he wants it to. Observers simply refer to it as "Bubba Golf," with more emphasis on having fun on the golf course than worrying about mechanics.
We can learn from Bubba. Whatever you do, use it as a platform to be a witness for Christ. Tim Tebow does it and he has been vilified, made fun of and generally trashed by many in the media. But that's okay. Jesus lived a perfect life and came to love people and save them and He was hung on a cross. We aren't called to be popular, just to be faithful to the call.
Hit 'em long and straight Bubba!