Tag Archives: sports

Refreshment

Posted on December 13, 2013 by expressyourself4him

The average adult might associate refreshment with their favorite alcoholic beverage.  Meanwhile, a typical child will likely imagine their favorite soft drink, shake or slurpee.  After working 12 of the last 13 days, refreshment for me is laying in my hydrotherapy tub and relaxing until its time to go back to work.  As for Sunday’s, my only day off in December, God has given me a new appreciation for the day of rest.

While woman across America will shop until they drop in December, men tend be distracted by sports on the Sabbath.  Although I don’t intend to know why God chose to create the heavens and earth in 6 days, I understand the need to recharge your batteries.  Thus, if you want to experience spiritual refreshment, investing time in prayer, worship and a quiet time studying the Bible on Sunday is a step in the right direction.

At the end of Romans 11, the apostle Paul places a doxology to complete this chapter.  A doxology is a liturgical formula of praise to God like Romans 11:33-36.  By practicing worship, it appears that God rewards those who master this art with divine knowledge from the Lord, Romans 12:2.  A modern form of worship includes soaking in the Spirit, where some churches play non-stop praise and worship music as believers can rest and recline while absorbing and reflecting on the lyrics.  If you want to experience true refreshment, this is a great place to begin.

by Jay Mankus

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The Finest Things in Life Take Time

Posted on July 10, 2013 by expressyourself4him

For most of my life, stubbornness prevented me from trying new things.  As a result, I became limited in my hobbies, being contempt with being a sportsaholic.  This choice narrowed my scope of friends as I allowed myself to stay set in my ways.  A few stints of unemployment beginning in February of 2012 forced me to try new things, surprising me with several new interests.

Cover Photo

With time on my side, I took a vested interest in gardening as I began to dabble in cooking, using the crops from my garden as main ingredients.  A new ipad, a birthday present, spawned a desire for photography, downloading the latest apps which I used on our trip to California earlier in 2013.  While not a strength, I created some you tubes, with the most successful one being my home made salsa recipe.  As in cooking, the finest things take time, often relying on trial and error before you discover the perfect mixture, temperature and exact time.

As the prices of food continue to skyrocket, I have begun a new venture to start making some of my favorite dishes from scratch.  Recently, I have perfected a homemade recipe for french fries with a youtube in the near future.  Potato chips are still a work in process as a rotating system needs to be adjusted to get each row to bake at the some temps.  Pizza and popcorn are on the agenda, depending how tired I am with my new position at Amazon.  If you are like me, don’t let instant gratification get in the way of enabling you to achieve your dreams, regardless of the time it takes.

by Jay Mankus

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Phil-a-delphia

Posted on June 17, 2013 by expressyourself4him

This city’s name is derived from one of 3 Greek names for love.  Agape refers to God’s unconditional love illustrated by a father in the parable of the prodigal son, Luke 15:11-32.  Meanwhile, eros is symbolic of a sensual love, similar to King David’s feelings for Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11.  However, phila means to love someone like a brother or sister.  Thus, the nickname of Philadelphia is the city of brotherly love.

For the past 4 days, the sports fans of Philadelphia has demonstrated this love for the game of golf and their historic gem, Merion Golf Club.  While not everyone has been pleasant with a few heckling Sergio Garcia, a majority of the 25,000 in attendance daily are redefining the image of this great city.  As the 113th United States Open Golf Championship concludes today on Father’s Day, the only question remaining is will Phil be fulfilled today by winning his first Open title.

In recent years, Phil Mickelson has been ridiculed by the press for his aggressive play in this tournament,  Five times a runner up, maybe fate waited until he reached Phil-a-delphia before winning this event which has slipped out of his hands too many heartaches to recount.  Unfortunately, like the 2004 Superbowl, with the Philadelphia Eagles up at the half, Phil faded today, playing the final 8 holes 3 over par.  Wounded again, Phil will likely recover like Rocky and Philly sports fans, holding out hope to one day be a world champion!  Until the next major, kept your head up Phil, for the city of brotherly love is behind you!

by Jay Mankus

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Offense

Posted on March 10, 2013 by expressyourself4him

As the seasons turn from winter to spring, an annual commotion draws near.  This month long hysteria known as March Madness serves as a drug for college basketball enthusiasts.  When you look beyond the brackets, politics and officiating, you’ll find amazing performances, buzzer beaters and even Cinderella.  Although offense is more entertaining, defense wins championships.  If a team can possess both, their squad becomes an impenetrable fortress on their way to the Final Four.

In life, roles are often reversed.  Arrogance, pride and over confidence lull people to sleep spiritually.  Instead of going on the offensive, many Christians resemble a goalie being bombarded with balls and pucks, trying to secure a daily shutout.  However, in the game of life, if you only play defense, you’ll never score.  This feeble strategy results in exhaustion, mental fatigue and emotional burnout, leading to a spirit of defeatism.

In the days of the apostle Paul, the residents of Corinth were avid sports fans, the host of the Corinthian Games, an Summer Olympic like competition.  This likely explains Paul’s use of athletic terminology in his 2 letters to the members of the Corinthian church.  Trying to connect with their culture, Paul addresses a lack of offensive minded individuals.  In 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Paul reveals why people are failing miserably, they’re not using the proper weapons.  The key to game planning an offensive attack against the devil is through your mind, verse 5.  As soon as you learn how to take each thought captive by making them obedient to Christ, you can begin demolishing spiritual strongholds.  Paul’s further advice in Ephesians 6:10-11 is crucial if you want to begin seeing progress.  Stop being one dimensional, play offense today!

by Jay Mankus

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From Chapel to an NBA Title

Posted on December 26, 2012 by expressyourself4him

When you watch a sporting event, either live in person, at a local establishment with friends or in the confines of your own home, certain players stick out.  Commentators like Dicky V uses the expression PTPers, meaning a person who rises to the occasion, preforming like a prime time player.  Meanwhile, professional analysts and announcers have their own unique vocabulary.  Words like ACTIVE, ENERGY, HUSTLE and LIFE are compliments to players who make their team better.  Former Philadelphia 76ers Bobby Jones fits this description, winning 6th Man of the Year Honors for his selfless dedication to the game of basketball.

However, there was an invisible force, which motivated Bobby to give 100 percent every night on the court, diving, laying out and fighting for any loose basketball.  During his initial experience in the NBA as a Houston Rocket, the team chaplain began to hold chapel services prior to each game.  This spiritual pre-game pep talk inspired Bobby to play hard every time he walked out onto the court.  In a trade from Houston to Philadelphia, Bobby only made one request, for the 76ers to start a chapel service.  Once each side agreed to this condition, the rest is history.

Sixer stars Dr. J and Mo Cheeks had come close to winning a title, but either the Boston Celtics or L.A. Lakers annually ended their season prematurely before they reached their goal.  NBA writers credit the Moses Malone addition to the 76ers prior to the 1982-83 season as the final piece to the puzzle.  In fact, like a prophet of old, Moses predicted Philadelphia would win the NBA title in 4, 4, and 4.  This meant the Sixers would go undefeated, 12-0 in the playoffs, sweeping each 7 game series.  Instead, Philly went 4-0, 4-1 and 4-0, beating the Lakers in L.A. to win their first title since the days of Wilt, not bad for a modern day prophet.

Bobby Jones disagrees with this perspective.  From outside the locker room, Moses’ play was a no brainer, a dominant figure who carried the 76ers in the playoffs.  Yet, from within, pre-game chapels began to unify this team as one body.  This spiritual bond helped put everything together: coaching, talent and victories.  While the world saw a dynamic team win a championship, to this day Bobby Jones still believes this title started with the chapels and ended in L.A.  During this Christmas season, give thanks and praise to the one who has made everything possible, Jesus Christ our Lord.

by Jay Mankus

Don’t let the NBA’s quadrople header on Christmas Day distract you from baby who was born to save us from our sins!

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