The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

AllanStanglin.com

Author: Allan (Page 57 of 494)

The Other Question

January 30, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Charles Sheldon wrote a book in 1896 entitled, “In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?” The book proved to be very popular and was widely read. It questioned the thought processes and actions of Christians as they lived their lives at the turn of that century. Now, 128 years later, we express that same wonder in T-shirts and bracelets and bumper stickers:

What Would Jesus Do?

It’s a good question. But if another question isn’t given equal billing alongside it, we wind up with answers that are only half true. As we walk, we must also ask:

What Is God Doing?

Jesus tells us and shows us what to do and how to do it–and how not to do it. At the same time, he tells us and shows us what God is doing.

Jesus is God in action. Jesus is God incarnate. Jesus is God speaking. Jesus is God hugging lepers. Jesus is God forgiving sinners. Jesus is God protecting an adulterous woman who’s about to be killed. Jesus is God blessing little children. Jesus is God giving sight to Bartimaeus and giving life to Lazarus. Jesus is God calling down judgment on religious posturing. Jesus is God weeping over Jerusalem. Jesus is God living among us and showing us how to join him in living that life.

The other question reminds us that God’s Kingdom is present tense, God’s eternal will is unfolding around us in the present, God’s love and mercy, his forgiveness and grace are being poured out presently. In and through his Son Jesus. And in and through his children and followers of Christ.

What would Jesus do? What is God doing? What would we do? What am I doing?

“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” ~ 1 John 2:6

Peace,

Allan

Beltre and Pally-O

January 24, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Congratulations to Adrian Beltre on his first-ballot election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Hitting home runs from his knees, playing every day through injury and pain, creatively avoiding Gatorade showers, physically moving the on-deck circle, busting Elvis Andrus’ chops, interacting with fans in the front rows, dancing at home plate after an inside pitch or with the second baseman during a rundown, all while winning Gold and Platinum Gloves and Silver Slugger awards–there has never been a third baseman more fun to watch play, or more deserving of this highest honor. I feel like, next to Beltre’s bust in Cooperstown, there should be a little Elvis Andrus bobblehead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And, happy birthday to our little middle! Valerie turns 27 today. And she is still awesome! I love you, sweetie. If you’ll get in your car right now and drive from Tulsa to Midland, we can take you out for a late birthday dinner tonight.

Peace,

Allan

Behind the Scenes

January 23, 2024 / / 6 Comments

How did Naomi find out in Moab that the famine was over in Judah? The text says “she heard in Moab that the Lord had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them (Ruth 1:6). Who told her? The point in the story is not how she heard; the point is that she heard. The Lord made sure she knew.

The Bible tells us Naomi and Ruth arrive back in Bethlehem just as the harvest was beginning (Ruth 1:22). What a coincidence!

Ruth went to glean in a field and, wouldn’t you know it! “As it turned out,” the text says, “she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz” (Ruth 2:3). What a stroke of good luck!

“Just then,” it says in verse 4, “Boaz arrived!” Right at that very moment! Just then! What do you know? Boaz showed up! What are the odds?

It would take a couple of pages to explain the original Hebrew language here and the funny piling on of adjectives and adverbs at this part of the story. But the author is going out of his or her way to say, “This ain’t luck!” Somebody’s moving behind the scenes.

Four years ago, a young man named David proposed marriage to our middle daughter, Valerie. Several of Valerie and David’s friends were in on it for a couple of weeks before it happened. Family members were in on it. Valerie didn’t know. But that evening, somehow, Valerie just happened to be wearing a nice dress and David just coincidentally had the day off from work and incredibly they both wound up in the same friend’s backyard at the exact time and, wouldn’t you know, somebody was in the bushes taking pictures!

That didn’t just happen.

God is always moving the pieces into place and working out the timing and the details of his magnificent plans for your life. It’s a lot easier to see these things looking back than it is in the present. But the good things that happen to you are not by chance. They’re not the random events of a complex universe that sometimes produces an interesting coincidence. When you belong to God in Christ, what happens to you is by appointment, not accident.

It if were just up to us, we wouldn’t make it. None of us would. When Ruth walked into that field that day, she had no idea that she would marry the landowner and their great-great-grandson would be David, the King of Israel, and through him God would send his promised Savior of the World. She never could have asked or imagined any of that. She didn’t know. But the Lord did. He was working. Mostly behind the scenes. But he was, and is, always working.

Peace,

Allan

And Then There Were Four

January 21, 2024 / / 0 Comments

The Detroit Lions scored touchdowns on back to back drives late in the 4th quarter today to beat Tampa Bay and advance to their first NFC Championship Game since 1991. That means now there are only four teams in the NFL who haven’t won a divisional playoff game since 1995. You know who those four teams are:

Browns
Dolphins
Deadskins
Cowboys

That’s some mighty fine company there.

No wins in a divisional playoff game for 28 years. That’s the very definition of irrelevance.

If you were to ask any nominal football fan to name the worst four teams in the NFL over the past couple of decades, three of those above teams would be mentioned out loud within a blink. Why aren’t the Cowboys perceived to belong to the company they keep? Sadly, Cowboys fans would point to the regular season wins, the sellouts at AT&T Stadium, and the financial worth of the franchise to differentiate from the teams in the NFL’s basement. Really? They also claim that Dallas is in the same strata with the 49ers, Eagles, and Packers. Delusional. Good grief, Mike McCarthy said last week the Cowboys are a championship team! Huh?

Since the Cowboys last won a divisional playoff game, the Packers have been to eight NFC Championship Games and played in three Super Bowls . The Eagles have played in eight conference title games and three Super Bowls. And next week the ‘Niners will play in their eighth NFC Championship Game and then, maybe, their third Super Bowl.

It would take years for the Cowboys to belong in that class.

The Baltimore Ravens are playing in their fifth AFC Championship Game next week and they didn’t even exist as a franchise the last time the Cowboys won a divisional game. Besides the Deadskins, Lions, and Cowboys, every team in the NFC has made multiple conference championship games. That’s 13 NFC teams! Multiple! They’ve each appeared in at least two! That includes the Carolina Panthers! Man, the New York Giants have been to three Super Bowls during this period and won two!

The Cowboys? Uh, no.

But go buy some more gear. That’ll help.

Peace,

Allan

Buy Into Us?

January 18, 2024 / / 3 Comments

Three-and-a-half days after suffering the most humiliating playoff loss in franchise history, giving up the most points ever in a playoff game, choking away the #2 seed at home, and capping the 28th straight year now without winning a divisional playoff game, here is the news out of Dallas Cowboys headquarters:

The head coach will be back.

The quarterback will be back.

The general manager will be back.

Makes perfect sense.

Until today, there was nothing more chilling to Cowboys fans than hearing Jerry Wayne say, “Our goal is to win Super Bowls and I know what it takes to do that.” But, after learning he would retain his position as the Cowboys head coach, Mike McCarthy told reporters today, “I believe that the leadership is in place. I came to Dallas to win the world championship. And that’s why I’m standing here. Buy into us.”

Buy into us?

It’s like if three days after they put out the Hindenburg, they said, “Hook up the hoses, boys; let’s try it again!” and asked you to buy a ticket.

The Cowboys fans I’m talking to are disgusted with the outcome of their season and they’re aghast at the prospect of McCarthy and Prescott running (scratch that) passing the offense and no Dan Quinn to guide the defense. They’re ripping Dak, they’re blaming McCarthy, they’re cursing Jerry. Buy into us? How can we? That’s what they’re saying today.

Give them until the combine and the draft. Give them four or five free agent signings. Let them ink a 400-pound defensive tackle. Let them find a reliable number two wide receiver. Wait for them to trade for a linebacker. Wait for training camp. Wait for Jerry to say this is the most excited he’s ever been before the start of a season. Wait for McCarthy to say this is the most talent and the most cohesion he’s ever experienced with any team. Wait for the inevitable explanation that the latest wild card disaster has left a terrible and unforgettable taste in their mouths, it has forged them into a stronger and more determined team, and they’re built now to take that championship step. And then listen to the Cowboys fans proclaim 2024 is the year.

Buy into us?

Don’t worry, Mike. Cowboys fans always do.

Peace,

Allan

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 The Kingdom, The Kids, & The Cowboys

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑