Therefore....Victory

The minister at the church I'm apart of asked me to write a short article that would appear in our weekly bulletin today. His sermon today was about standing firm. Here is the article that I wrote: 

 I remember sitting on my couch last October nervously watching the St. Louis Cardinals play the Texas Rangers in Game 6 of the World Series. If the Rangers won Game 6, they were World Series champs. If the Cardinals won, the series would extend to a seventh and deciding game. In the bottom of the ninth, the Cardinals were down to their last strike when third baseman David Freese hit a two run triple to the tie the game and send it to extra innings. The Rangers went ahead again in the tenth inning. In the bottom of the tenth, again the Cardinals were down to their last strike when outfielder Lance Berkman hit an RBI single to tie the game. The Cardinals went on to win the game on a walk off homer by David Freese in the 11th inning and later won Game 7 to win their eleventh World Series championship.  

 Those players who were in the batter’s box with a two strike count, the tens of thousands of fans in the stands, and the millions watching at home didn’t know that the Cardinals would be able to pull off the victory. Despite that uncertainty of the outcome, the players showed excellence under pressure and ended up winning the game.  

 In our spiritual lives, sometimes we may feel the pressure of being faithful in the face of trial. Will we fail faced with what we see as insurmountable temptation or unbearable trials? In 1 Corinthians 15:58, Paul writes “[t]herefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain”. What is the “therefore” Paul refers to? In the previous verse of that chapter, Paul writes , “ [b]ut thanks be to God! He gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”. Why can we stand firm and remain unmoved? Because the victory has already been won. No matter how insurmountable the trial or difficult the temptation, the ultimate victory has already been won. Paul instructs us to stand firm and let nothing move us. The things we face that try to move us are very real and challenging, but we can stand firm knowing that we can thank God for already providing the victory.

Here's a clip of the baseball heroics I referenced:

 

 Of course, the victory through Christ is far greater than any athletic victory, electoral win, or personal achievement of any kind. It is an eternal victory that has already been won. This is something I try to remind myself constantly, but due to my imperfections and misplaced perspective often do not take to heart in the way I should. However, the verses I referenced can be a great encouragement that God is greater than any temptation or trial.

Reaction from Presidents 43-45 and Some Baseball

A round up of thoughts on the courageous actions of US Navy Seals in bringing Osama bin Laden to justice from Presidents 43, 44, and Lord willing, 45.

President Bush:

Earlier this evening, President Obama called to inform me that American forces killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda network that attacked America on September 11, 2001. I congratulated him and the men and women of our military and intelligence communities who devoted their lives to this mission. They have our everlasting gratitude. This momentous achievement marks a victory for America, for people who seek peace around the world, and for all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done.

President Obama, in part:

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda -- an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.

Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.

[...]

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

Governor Palin:

Thank you, American men and women in uniform. You are America's finest and we are all so proud. Thank you for fighting against terrorism.

As a big baseball fan, I cannot help but remember President Bush, wearing a New York Fire Department jacket,throwing out the first pitch at the first Yankees' game following the attacks on September 11, 2001:



Here is the reaction of fans at a Mets'/Phillies' game upon hearing the announcement of Osama bin Laden's death:



May God bless America.

Update:

Governor Palin posted this on her Facebook page:

Americans tonight are united in celebration and gratitude. God bless all the brave men and women in our military and our intelligence services who contributed to carrying out the successful mission to bring bin Laden to justice and who laid the groundwork over the years to make this victory possible. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of these brave Americans who relentlessly hunted down our enemy.

This is a victory for the American people, for the victims who were heartlessly murdered on September 11 and in Al Qaeda’s other numerous attacks, and for all the peace-loving people of the world.

May God bless our troops and our intelligence services, and God bless America!

- Sarah Palin

Reason # 1, 405, 403 to Love the St. Louis Cardinals

I have been a big St. Louis Cardinals' fan pretty much since conception. Actually, since the Cardinals won the 1982 and 2006 World Series, I technically have seen two more World Series victories in my 27 years than the Cubs have seen in the last 102. Note: Life begins at conception, and my mom was pregnant with me in 1982, so I count that one! :)

St. Louis has the best baseball team and fans in the majors! I've disagreed with manager Tony Larussa on many things--benching Ozzie Smith in favor of Royce Clayton, pulling starting pitchers out in the late innings even though they are pitching well, and hiring Mark McGuire as a hitting coach--to name a few. However, I was pleasant surprised to hear his support of the Tea Partiers assembling at Busch Stadium and his support of Arizona's immigration law. Thanks, Tony!