Category: Cowboys (Page 39 of 53)

Royal Humility

July 13, 2009 / Allan / 0 Comments

We praise Solomon for the wisdom he showed in asking God for wisdom. The Lord came to the young king in a dream and told him to ask for anything he wanted God to give him. Solomon famously requested a discerning heart to govern the Lord’s people and wisely distinguish between right and wrong. And the Lord was pleased with his request.

No doubt, it’s an impressive request. Solomon did not ask for wealth or health. He did not wish death for his enemies. God recognized that those are the things most kings would desire. Those are the things that drive kings. It’s what motivates them. Instead, Solomon asked for heavenly wisdom and guidance.

That godly request came from a truly humble heart. I’m moved by what Solomon said to God leading up to his request.

“I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties” (1 Kings 3:7).

What humility. What an expression of complete dependence on God. Solomon did not rely on his schooling or his heritage or his position or his power. His special training and status for his important position meant nothing in the face of what God had appointed him to do. And Solomon recognized that. We would do well to imitate not just the request but the attitude that produced it.

Scripture tells us God was pleased with Solomon’s request. I believe God was pleased because the request showed him Solomon’s humility and dependence.

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There are 62 days left until the Cowboys kick off their historic 50th NFL season. And we’re counting down the days with the Red Ribbon Review. We’re looking at the second-best players in Cowboys history according to jersey number. Anybody can put together a list of the top players. What’s the fun in that? Those are a dime-a-dozen. It takes a blog like this one to dig deep and give you something you can’t find anywhere else.

Getting caught up from the weekend, our second-best ever #64 is offensive lineman Jim Ray Smith. The Baylor alum had played seven outstanding years for Paul Brown in Cleveland, earning five Pro Bowl berths and three first team All Pro selections. He retired and moved to a real estate career in Dallas following the 1962 season and had begun work that summer of ’63 when Tom Landry called him and asked him to suit up for the Cowboys. Smith had topped out at $18,750 annual in Cleveland. The Cowboys were offering $25,000, which would make Smith the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league. And he went for it.

Two seasons later Smith was definitely done. During his short stint in Dallas, Smith suffered through two concussions, two knee operations, two broken hands, and a cracked vertebra in his neck. He couldn’t stay healthy. But he was the second-best #64 the Cowboys ever had.

#63 in the countdown is another offensive lineman from another era, Glen Titensor, who played seven seasons in Dallas from 1981-1988. A third round pick out of BYU, Titensor became a starter at guard in 1984 and stayed there through Tom Landry’s final season in ’88. He played in a total of 92 games for the Cowboys, including two NFC Championship games in ’81 and ’82. Today Titensor owns the Timbercreek Golf Center up in Lewisville.

Today’s #62 is (cringe) Brian Baldinger. I know. Sorry. He really is the second-best #62 in Cowboys history as mainly a backup on the offensive line for 5 seasons between 1982 – 1987. Baldinger, of the Flying Baldinger Brothers — Rich and Gary also played in the NFL — is famous really for only two things. One, he’s been an NFL analyst for Fox and the NFL Network now for years. And, two, he got his pinky finger really, really, really messed up in somebody’s facemask and never had it fixed. If you’re not too squeamish, you can click on that pic and blow it up a little bit and check it out. It’s pretty twisted. Much worse than Staubach’s ever was.

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Losing three of four to the M’s in Seattle is not the way to go into the All-Star break. But if someone had told me that the Rangers would hit the halfway point at nine games over .500 and only one-and-a-half games back of the Angels I would have taken it. Whitney’s happy. I’m happy. Valerie and Carley couldn’t care less. Carrie-Anne keeps reminding me that Texas is always close at the break. Drats and double drats. She’s right.

Peace,

Allan

The Anointed

July 10, 2009 / Allan / 0 Comments

In 1 Samuel 24, in the cave at En Gedi, David’s men see King Saul, their ruthless enemy, in a humiliating and vulnerable position. Most translations say Saul went in to relieve himself. The New King James Version says Saul went into the cave to “attend to his needs.” Whatever the terminology, Saul is completely helpless. He’s right in front of them. And he thinks he’s all alone. David’s men see their enemy. And they’re ready to kill him.

By contrast, David sees the magnificent — flawed, yes — and wonderful king anointed by God. He sees the Lord’s chosen ruler. And he didn’t kill him. He submitted to him. David turns this crude scene in this dark cave in the wilderness into an act of homage to his Lord. He made it a sacred moment.

David’s motivation has nothing to do with his own pride or safety or reputation. David is motivated purely by a genuine devotion to his God, his Rock. The idea of taking Saul’s life is unthinkable. Not because of Saul. But because of God.

I see the flawed, anointed one of God in his Church. I see it in church leaders. Flawed, but anointed by God, standing for God, representing God. And our treatment of the Church and church leaders ought to reflect that understanding.

All of us brothers and sisters in Christ are anointed by God in the waters of baptism. We’re together standing for God, representing God, working with God. And our honorable treatment of one another ought to reflect that understanding.

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65 days until the Cowboys begin their 2009 football season. And the second-best player to ever wear #65 in Cowboys history is offensive lineman Kurt Petersen. As a 4th round draft pick out of Missouri, Petersen was a six-year starter at right guard, blocking for Danny White and Tony Dorsett from 1980-85. He helped lead Dallas to three straight NFC Championship Games, all losses.

You’ve probably never heard of him. That’s OK. He’s never heard of you.

Peace,

Allan

Never See Death

July 9, 2009 / Allan / 0 Comments

Why doesn’t the roadrunner ever die? I’ve watched the coyote chase him all over the desert, I’ve seen him ALMOST caught by the coyote a million times, I’ve seen him in countless situations that look impossible to escape, but I’ve never seen him die. He always lives. Why?

It’s not because the coyote is inept. He’s a genius. It says so right on his business card.

The roadrunner never dies because the roadrunner has an agreement with the writer.

The writer has already determined that the roadrunner will never die. Regardless of how many trips the coyote makes to the ACME dry goods store, no matter how many rocket launchers and catapults and gallons of invisible paint are purchased, despite the coyote’s hours and hours of planning and scheming, the writer has decided the roadrunner will always win and the coyote will always lose.

Jesus says in John 8:51, “I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

See, our Savior holds the power of life and death in his hands. He is the Creator of life. He is the master over death. He’s defeated death in his Resurrection. Death has nothing on our Lord. He obliterated death and reversed death’s effects. And he promises us that if we believe his claims and keep his word, we will never die.

If we truly believe it, our lives will show it. Our attitudes will reflect it. The ways we deal with people and events and circumstances will prove it. The way we handle financial crises and health issues and death and disease will testify to our life in Christ. God’s Son personifies life and victory and resurrection as powerful realities for his children. Death is not the bottom line for us. Death is not the final word. Christ Jesus is the ultimate power with the ultimate authority. And he always writes the last chapter.

It’s good to have an arrangement with the writer.

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Mary Hollingsworth, one of our newer members here at Legacy, is seeing sermon illustrations in her back yard. Our focus this past Sunday on the holy stumps and the holy seed and the salvation shoot prompted Mary to email me yesterday with a couple of pictures and this message:

“Last year a tornado in Bedford broke two of our huge oak trees in half, leaving only stumps. We thought they were toast and gone forever, which broke our hearts because we’re tree huggers to the core. I’m happy to say that we were wrong. Both stumps are now growing like crazy. ‘A new branch will grow from a stump of a tree.’ It’s still happening! And even though I know the Root of Jesse has already come, he does promise to come again. Perhaps these new branches are good reminders for us to keep growing, in spite of tough times, and be ready when he appears again.”

Thank you, Mary, for the pictures and the reminders.

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There are 66 days left until the Cowboys kick off their 50th NFL football season in Tampa Bay against the Bucs. And to get us there, we’re counting it down with the Red Ribbon Review. We’re honoring the runners-up, the almost-weres, the also rans, the second-best players in Cowboys history according to jersey number.

Today’s #66 is versatile offensive lineman Kevin Gogan. A bargain as an eighth round pick (206th overall) in 1987, Gogan toughed it out through those last two horrible Tom Landry seasons and the transitional phase into the Jerry Wayne Era, resulting in two Super Bowl rings and a huge fat contract with the Oakland Raiders. Gogan spent seven years in Dallas, but he got all his Pro Bowls and national recognition with the 49ers. At one point late in his career, Sports Illustrated put Gogan on the cover of an issue dedicated to dirty players in the NFL. Again, in a 49ers uniform. Still, he beats out Burton Lawless and Jesse Baker. He’s the second-best ever.

Beep-Beep,

Allan

You Are God and I Am Not

July 8, 2009 / Allan / 0 Comments

Peter looks at the miraculous catch of fish and falls down at Jesus’ feet and says, “Go away from me, Lord. I am a sinful man!”

Peter finds himself in the presence of the holy Almighty God and he’s astonished. He and his companions are seized with amazement as they recognize clearly their place next to the Creator of the universe. Because of his sin, Peter doesn’t deserve the blessings of Christ. Because of his unworthiness, Peter doesn’t belong in the same boat with Jesus.

You see, the closer you get to God the more clear your own sinfulness becomes. Your own unworthiness before the Lord comes into sharp focus.

The same light that knocks the apostle Paul down the ground on the way to Damascus. The same Lord who caused Job to say, “I despise myself.” The same God who caused Isaiah to exclaim, “Woe to me, I am ruined!” The same Almighty who prompted Abraham to declare, “I am nothing but dust and ashes!” The same Son of Man who caused John to fall at his feet as though he were dead. Jesus Christ, the Holy One of Israel, calls us to acknowledge our own sinfulness and our own unworthiness.

And until we do, I don’t think we get it.

Until we see ourselves as sinners in the presence of a holy and righteous God, I think we probably cheapen or devalue his amazing grace. Our tendency is to think, “Yes, of course God loves me; that’s his job!”

No, ma’am, that’s not his job. It is an unimaginable, unexpected, unfathomable, unnecessary wonder of the universe! It’s mind-blowing and earth-altering and history-changing. And, to the eternal praise of God, it’s not impossible! God has found a way — amazing as it is — to satisfy both his holiness and his love.

My Father reminds me all the time that he is God and I most certainly am not. And that continually fills me with a deep sense of gratitude. And awe.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!”

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There are 67 days left until the Dallas Cowboys open up their 50th football season. And the Red Ribbon Review is counting down the days with a look at the second-best players in Cowboys history according to jersey number. #67 turns up some very interesting characters and stories.

Pat Toomay wore the number 67 in Dallas. A backup defensive end from Vandy, Toomay barely tolerated Tom Landry and the Flex Defense for five seasons before bouncing from Tampa Bay to Oakland then to retirement as an acclaimed author. Toomay has written two novels about football classified as non-fiction. The Crunch got him in trouble with the Cowboys. On Any Given Sunday got him a movie deal.

Everett McIver was also a #67. He’s the guy who was unfortunate enough to be in the chair and in the middle of a haircut at Cowboys training camp in Wichita Falls when Michael Irvin decided it was his turn. During the ensuing argument, Irvin stabbed McIver in the neck with a pair of scissors, coming within an inch or so of killing him. There were reports in the Dallas Morning News later that summer that Jerry Wayne had brokered a deal for Irvin to pay McIver a six-figure sum to keep quiet. All parties denied it. Charges were never filed.

As for on the field football stuff, though, the second-best Dallas Cowboy to ever wear #67 is offensive lineman Pat Donovan. Donovan was part of that Dirty Dozen draft class of 1975 that helped lead the Cowboys to Super Bowl X. He took over for the retiring Ralph Neely at left tackle and played nine years in Dallas, never missing a game. Donovan played in 20 playoff games for the Cowboys, including six NFC Championship Games and three Super Bowls, earning a title ring in Super Bowl XII against Denver. He made the Pro Bowl in four straight seasons from ’79-’82, one of only four tackles in team history to make at least that many trips to Hawaii. Following the ’83 season, Donovan required surgery on both shoulders and decided to retire. Donovan was certainly not as colorful as Toomay or John Gesek, another Cowboys #67, but he is clearly the second-best #67 in team history.

Peace,

Allan

Power In The Blood

July 7, 2009 / Allan / 0 Comments

Some of the earliest Christian writings we have concerning the weekly observance of the Lord’s Supper come from Hippolytus’ Apostolic Tradition, written in 215 AD. I want to share with you this morning part of a communion prayer from those writings. Keep in mind this is a prayer to God prayed by the community of faith as they’re gathered around the table on Resurrection day.

“When he was handed over to undergo voluntary suffering, to destroy death and to break the chains of the Devil, to crush hell beneath his feet, to establish the rule of faith, and manifest his resurrection, taking bread he gave thanks to you and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body broken for you.’ In the same way, taking the chalice, he said, ‘This is my blood which is shed for you. When you do this, do it in memory of me.'”

These are powerful words. These words thunder with the very powerful image of the saving work of God in Christ. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection served a history-changing, earth-altering purpose. Christ’s work did something huge and eternal. It won a great victory over a mighty opponent. And it will stand forever.

Destroy. Break. Crush. Establish. There is great power in these words. This is the work of the Savior of the World! And we celebrate the eternal benefits of that work when we commune with our Holy God. We rehearse the story, we remember the work, with words and images of power — “his incomparably great power for us who believe.” This is the picture and message of power that we celebrate together around the table. This is the picture and message of power that needs to be shared with a lost and dying world.

“That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age, but in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the Church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” ~Ephesians 1:18-23

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We’re counting down the days until the Cowboys kick off their 2009 season with the Red Ribbon Review, a list of the second-best players in Cowboys history according to jersey number. There are 68 days left until Cowboys season. And today’s #68 is offensive lineman Crawford Ker.

Ker was a third round pick out of Florida in 1985 and became the highest paid offensive lineman in Cowboys history. He played six years in Dallas. But he never was a starter for a winning Cowboys team. The Cowboys won the NFC East with a 10-6 record in Ker’s 1985 rookie season. Tom Landry would later say that was probably his best ever coaching year because the team really wasn’t very good. And they proved it in subsequent seasons.

Ker became the full-time starter at right guard in ’86, the year the Cowboys went 7-9 and ended the longest consecutive winning seasons streak in NFL history at 20 in a row. Clint Murchison died in ’87, another dark moment in Cowboys history, and the team finished 7-8. Steve Pelluer was named the starting quarterback in ’88 and led them to 3-13. Jerry Wayne came in and Jimmy Johnson held on to Ker for two more losing years before shipping him off to the Broncos before the ’91 season. Ker was a starter on the Cowboys line for five seasons during which the team went 25-54.

Ker’s success has come since his retirement from football. He owns and operates Ker’s Winghouse, a Florida-based chicken and burger joint with 22 locations and 1,700 employees, that raked in almost 60 million dollars in revenue in 2007.

It’s only fair to mention that Ker did taste some success before he left the NFL. It wasn’t all gridiron failure. In his one season in Denver, he got to block for John Elway and made it all the way to the AFC Championship Game.

Peace,

Allan

Our God Is So Big!

July 6, 2009 / Allan / 0 Comments

Our younger children sing a fun song — one of those with hand motions and everything — about the enormity of our God.

“My God is so big!”

That about sums it up. Simple words. Broad concept. But, what else could we possibly say? Those who’ve actually seen God and then tried to describe him didn’t do much better.

Isaiah saw God and says, “…the train (literally ‘hem’) of his robe filled the temple” (Isaiah 6:1). If just the hem of his garment fills the whole temple, how big is that throne? Better yet, how big is the One who sits on that throne? In other words, human words fail to describe the greatness of our God. They can rise no higher than the hem of his robe.

It reminds me of the leaders of Israel returning from a communion meal with God on the mountain. They had just shared food and drink with God. And they tell the people, “Under his feet was something like a pavement made of sapphire, clear as the sky itself” (Exodus 24:10). See how our words stop at the pavement.

God is completely outside our categories. To try to describe him in human terms is always to fail. It’s futile. That’s why it was necessary for God to translate himself into our terms by coming to the world as one of us in Christ Jesus.

“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9).

And the song’s pretty good, too.

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There are 69 days left until the Dallas Cowboys kick off their 2009 season against the Bucs in Tampa Bay. And we’re counting down those long summer days with the Red Ribbon Review, a look at the second-best players in Cowboys history according to jersey number. We’ve got to catch up today on what we missed over the holiday weekend. While you were in the pool and grilling out and watching fireworks with friends and family I was considering…

…the second-best player to ever wear silver-and-blue number 71: Willie Townes. An original member of the front four of the famous Doomsday Defense of the late 60s, Townes played only 2-1/2 seasons in Dallas. But they were meaningful. Townes anchored the left tackle position from 1967-68, helping the Cowboys advance to two straight NFL Championship Game losses to the Packers. Heart-breaking losses, yes. But he was a critical part of those “Next Year’s Champions” teams. It was his hit on Bart Starr in the Ice Bowl that forced the fumble George Andrie ran back for a score. Backup offensive lineman Andy Frederick deserves honorable mention for his reserve role on the Super Bowl teams of the late 70s. But Townes gets our second-place nod today. He only played 32 games in his super-short NFL career. But it was foundation-type stuff.

Our Also-Ran at #70 is a guy who made a successful NFL career out of deep-snapping for punts and kicks, the very likeable Dale Hellestrae. Drafted by the Bills out of SMU, Hellestrae came to Dallas in 1990 and stayed for 11 years. He snapped in 176 games, 21 of them in the postseason. And he collected three Super Bowl rings along the way. He was a novelty, for sure. But he revolutionized the deep-snapper position. You can probably only name one deep-snapper in NFL history. And only one who ever had his own radio show. Helle’s the guy!

At today’s #69, I give you backup center Ben Fricke. Fricke came out of Houston and played in Dallas for three seasons, 1999-2001. He only appeared in 16 games for the Cowboys. And I can’t find a picture of the guy to save my life. Here’s a link to his stats. Go ahead and click it. It won’t take long.

Peace,

Allan

Category: Cowboys (Page 39 of 53)

Royal Humility

The Anointed

Never See Death

You Are God and I Am Not

Power In The Blood

Our God Is So Big!

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