Yesterday the National Football League (NFL) held their annual all-star game known as the Pro Bowl.  Players are voted into the Pro Bowl by the coaches, the fellow players, and the fans through an online ballot. 1

The Pro Bowl has different rules from other NFL games to make the game safer. 2

No motion or shifting by the offense
Offense must have a tight end in all formations
Offense can’t have 3 receivers on a side
Intentional grounding is legal
Defense must run a 4-3 at all times
No press coverage except inside the 5 yard line
No blitz
Not allowed to rush a Punt, PAT or FG attempt
No calls can be challenged

My friend Jimmy Cooper has one of those experiences that you want, and don’t want to have. I’ll let him explain. 1

 On January 19th, 2012 -  I was with my wife Christiane in our apartment in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. We had been out on a date and we had just gotten home. Actually, I guess we had been home for an hour or so and it was pretty late at night, about 1:30am. I started having an overwhelming feeling that I needed to lie down. It was out of the blue and I couldn’t fight it, so I lay down in bed and closed my eyes. I wasn’t feeling well and it came on so quickly, I just had to close my eyes.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry dropped out of the race for the Republican presidential nomination yesterday. His dreams to become the next president, done. 1

Most of us do not have such exclusive finite dreams; only one in 312 million people can become president. 2

Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum remain to oppose President Obama in the 2012 Presidential election.  They dream on.

Dreams Deferred

Ezekiel, like us, lived in a troubled times. A war had divided his country, politics were a mess, economic hardship, and religious confusion.

Dreamers Dream

Forty-eight years ago Martin Luther King, Jr welcomed the crowd assembled at the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington D.C. 1

He began, “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.” 2

Unless I’m mistaken, he was right.

Dreamers Deliver

“I Have a Dream” is a 17-minute speech in which Martin Luther King, Jr. called for racial equality and an end to racial discrimination. The speech became the defining moment of the American Civil Rights Movement.

Broomball has always been an equalizer sport. Unless you play on a club level or a national level like my friend Paul Thyren, most of us play broomball for fun.

Fun racing around on slippery hockey rink with street shoes or boots wielding awkward brooms; then in a moment of hope you swing the broom hoping to connect with the ball and send it into the opposition’s goal.

Broomball Buddies

Broomball is a great sport to enjoy wintery fun with friends. Here from the winter of 1996 is my dear friend the late Adam Bieringer. Adam passed away in April of 2010 much too young.

I’ve read a couple of Stephen Arterburn books. Since I believe that Healing is a Choice I chose to give tHealing is a Choice a read.

The author explores 10 choices that he believes we need to make if we are to experience genuine and lasting healing.

1. The Choice to Connect your life
Lie – All I need to heal is just God and me.

2. The Choice to Feel your life
Lie – Real Christians should have peace in all circumstances

3. The Choice to Investigate Your Life in Search of Truth
Lie – It does no good to look back or look inside

Christmas is over, but the new year is here.
You enjoy Christmas presents, it’s time to enjoy a New years gift.

I don’t believe on New Years resolutions I believe in doing. Yesterday I challenged you to give yourself the gift of ambition.

This year apply that renewed ambition to give yourself the gift of learning something new.

The Gift of Learning

Everyone I know wants to learn something.
Everyone I know pushes aside some of those dreams.

I know, you’re busy.
Fight off your excuses.

I know you’re tired.
Fight off your laziness.

Christmas is over, but the new year is here.
You enjoy Christmas presents, it’s time to enjoy a New years gift.

I don’t believe on New Years resolutions I believe in doing.

Give yourself the gift of ambition.

Dream.
Make plans.
Believe in yourself.
Go for what you want.
Find a way to do it.
Get someone to help you find a way.

What gets in the way?

Do you get distracted from your goal?
Find a reliable accountability partner.

Do you get lazy?
Find a goal with a benefit that is better than your excuses.

I sat down in a coffee shop today.  A young professional to my left.  Another man to my right.  One sat with a beverage, a laptop and fine clothes.  The man to my right sat wearing shabby, unkempt clothes, with nothing in front of him.

Those of you who know me well probably laughed: a) that I noticed; and b) that someone dressed less “casually” than I did.

I thought I’d be nice.  After setting down my stuff, I said to the man on my right, “You don’t have a beverage, can I buy you one?”  He said, “No, thank you.”  I walked to the counter.  Five minutes later he left. 

Welcome to all the new mysilentscream readers who joined us yesterday!

Here are a few holiday stress-busting suggestions:

Take a warm bath or a long relaxing shower.

Take a walk. Bundle up with a buddy and get your body moving.  Walk outside. Look around.

Take a five deep relaxing breaths. Exhale slowly.

Take a nap. Nap – not to hide from your responsibilities, but to retreat, recharge and recover.