Day: November 17, 2003

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Bengals Hand Chiefs First Loss. Cincinnati's Peter Warrick eclipsed Kansas City's celebrated playmakers with a 68-yard punt return and a 77-yard touchdown catch. By The Associated Press. [New York Times: NYT HomePage]

This was a great win for a team that hasn't had a great win in over a decade. For a sports crazy city like Cincinnati this shows that the roller coaster does go back up eventually. For the owner, Mike Brown, it shows that the most important decision is knowing when to let go and trust your people.

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Today our pastor challenged us to explain to the person seated next to you how God has made a difference in our lives. I told my wife that I had received great comfort from God in dealing with the animosity between my wife, her sister, and her mother. This was a stretch for me since it is volatile subject. She laughed. We are celebrating my sister-in-laws birthday today and my wife has already tried to figure out how to weasel her way out of it. Feeling a little gutsy I told her I was sure that it was not God's plan that the three of them should continue hating each other. The animosity between the women is a very difficult subject to discuss because it quickly becomes emotional and negative. It is kind of like taking a stroll through a minefield. I don't want to push my wife too much because I am afraid it will blow up in my face. Unfortunately the problems my wife has with her mother and sister are very similar to the problems we have with each other but much more serious. Each woman shares a self centered, perfectionist personality that desires to be in control. Since all three women fail to meet their expectations for each other, they end up blaming each other for the failures, and become withdrawn. For a man being remade by Christ it is difficult to watch. As I try to become more outward focused, they have become judgemental and withdrawn. They are doing everything the Bible has told me to avoid. I cannot sympathize with their problems. Although I despise their problems, I do love all three women. They can be wonderful. I just wish they would pay more attention to God's plan for their lives rather than their own plans. Please, God, grant me more patience and wisdom to deal with their pettiness. Please, God, help them forgive each others sins in the past, present, and future. Let them start over with a clean slate. Please, God, open their hearts to each other and help let those women live the lives that You planned for them. God, do something soon!