“Breakdown, Resurrection” – “Set Aside a Day” – “Given Work and Peace” – “All I Need” – “My Yoke” – “Gentleness, Understanding” – “Worship”

I sat to write this and wanted to look at how the Astros from last year (who aren’t Astros this year) are doing. It is sad. Maybe the new guy knows what he is doing. (See way below for details.)

 

Have you ever wondered how a person could be so stupid? Have you ever wondered how often someone asks that about you? When in my car, I do not like to see people violate the rules by not signaling or running stop signs or other such stuff. When I am on my bike, people might see me violate the rules by not signaling or running stop signs or other such stuff. I know it is a double standard, but my cars weigh thousands of pounds and my bike weighs about ten. Something about momentum gives me all the motivation I need to act differently.

 All that to say that when we encounter others, we need to do so with “Gentleness, Understanding” as their perspective may make their behavior perfectly rational. Maybe their signal light is out, maybe their arm is in a cast, maybe that phone call was more important than my life.

The sabbath is a day set aside for “Worship” in most interpretations. I think people have a tendency to only worship on the sabbath and miss out on the true meaning of worship. Our whole waking life can be in worship of God if we learn to make that happen. I would like a day set aside by my kids to do daddy stuff, but having time with them every day is good too.

“Set Aside a Day” is a phrase for my friend, lets call him peanut butter. I once was so scattered that I finally broke down and took time away from life to organize my wants and align the rest of my life with them. I am not sure it made a visible difference, but I was a lot more comfortable living it. My friend peanut butter needs this. He knows he needs this. And He just keeps on pushing through. I hope he reads this.

“Breakdown, Resurrection” reminds me of the new life I saw in a friend when she transitioned from not a Christian to being a Christian. Resurrection is not just for the afterlife, but it is to be a characteristic of our own lives as we live. Before resurrection needs to come breakdown, we must die to ourselves, our old selves, and be made new to live for Christ. Sometimes, we die to the things we do not like and cling to the ones we do. We never truly breakdown and rid ourselves of the old. I understand Emerson (Ralph Waldo) suggested we live with no more than we can carry. I certainly cannot carry all I have. I might not even be able to carry all my yearbooks at once.

I am not sure how this happened, but three days had “Given Work and Peace”, “All I Need”, and “My Yoke” all together. Christ tells us our yoke is to be light (to believe). Christ tells us He is all we need. The Bible tells us we are given work to do and peace. So, all I need is my yoke that is work and peace. It is a short phrase with countless interpretations and meanings in each combination of words.

Work may be overwhelming. Meeting our needs ourselves may be impossible. We may be trapped in a situation where are burdens are too heavy to carry. In reality, there is no may be to it. We cannot get through life the way God intends on our own. We are put in situations where only He can get us through.

This afternoon I have to prepare for a meeting tomorrow. I have to prepare for a potentially life changing phone call (and not just mine, but many others). I have to balance where to put my effort. How? Only through the clear guidance of God. It should be a glory worthy afternoon.

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Back to the Astros.

 

One month in: a review of the Astros offseason “losses”.

Jack Mayfield (Waivers) – To Braves, Angels (3 AB), Mariners, in ATS

Rogelio Armenteros (Waivers) – Arizona, Washington – in ATS

Humberto Castellanos (Waivers) – Arizona – in ATS

Carlos Sanabria (Waivers, FA) – minors with Kansas City

 

Cionel Perez (Trade) – ERA of 8.31 with Cincinnati, now in minors

Brandon Bailey (Trade)– on 60-day DL with Cincinnati, tommy john

Miguel Padilla (Trade) – minors with Baltimore

Fredy Medina (Trade) – minors with Cincinnati

 

Chris Devenski (FA) – Era of 9 with Arizona

Josh Reddick (FA) – minors with Arizona signed after season started

Chase De Jong (FA) – minors with Pittsburg

Dustin Garneau (FA) – minors with Detroit

 

Brad Peacock (FA) – still unsigned

Robert Osuna (FA) – still unsigned

Cy Sneed (FA) – unsigned

 

All in all, no big loses. Even Springer has done next to nothing.