June 5, 2012

1. Last Sunday morning, I preached on temperance and particularly, how it impacts the management of our appetite for food. Consequently, it caught my attention to see a major story in Time magazine this week about “The Purpose Driven Life's,” Rick Warren, challenging his congregation to follow what he calls “The Daniel Plan”. The Daniel Plan addresses food, exercise, and spirituality from a Christian perspective. 

            I learned several things, including: Rick Warren, about a year ago, weighed close to 300 pounds; since then he has lost 55 pounds and his goal is to lose 35 more. Secondly, addressing the health concerns of our world and its diet, “by the end of this decade, there will be 50 million people per year dying worldwide from chronic, lifestyle related diseases, compared with 20 million dying from infectious diseases.”

            It's a good story, and here is the link: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2116130,00.html

2. I checked out the new book by Douglas Brinkley, Cronkite, from the public library last week. Friday night I sat down to skim through it, just to get idea about what it was about, but I became so engrossed in it that I read the book. It was marvelous.

            Part of it is probably because I am old enough to remember when Walter Cronkite was the premiere newscaster in the United States. On top of that, I enjoyed going through some of the major events in my childhood and youth through the eyes of Cronkite's reporting: the space program, the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King, Viet Nam, the energy crisis of the 70s, Watergate, the ascendance of Jimmy Carter and then Ronald Reagan. Fascinating perspective about a man who lived almost a century, and who was referred to as “the most trusted man in America.”

3. I have a new song that haunts me. Actually, it’s an old song, and I heard it again last week in a restaurant. The song is “Go Now” by the MOODY BLUES. That is one of those songs that you hear enough to recognize but have to get your iPhone to identify.

4. Last week I picked San Antonio to defeat Oklahoma City in 6 games. Now that OC leads the series 3-2, I am obviously skating on thin ice. On top of that, they play in Oklahoma City tomorrow night, where the Thunder have not lost all season. I am not going to bail out on the Spurs now. I’m sticking with my prediction.

            A. Congratulations Tiger Woods on winning THE MEMORIAL Sunday. Now, give us a great U. S. Open.

            B. I was disappointed to see Boston Bruin goalie Tim Thomas is taking a year off. He’s a great goalie and a man of faith. The NHL will miss him.

5. West Erwin, thanks for inviting me over tomorrow night. I look forward to us looking together at “The Greatest Commandment.”

*Thanks to Peter King for the inspiration for this blog's title.