Baseball and WW2

I love baseball. I love American history. Recently I read something that combined the two. Many baseball players walked away from their careers to serve in World War 2.

On December 8, 1941, the day after Pearl Harbor was attacked, Bob Feller, arguably the best pitcher in baseball at the time, walked into a recruiting office to volunteer for the US Navy. He was the first of many pro baseball players who signed up, including such famous names as Ted Williams, Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, and Stan Musial.

If potential statistics for what some of these men would have done had they not gone off to war are added to their career totals, the numbers can be stunning. Makes singing the national anthem at the beginning of a baseball game take on added significance, doesn't it?

By the way, Bob Feller became a gun captain aboard the USS Alabama. He was decorated with five campaign ribbons and eight battle stars. Play ball!!

Twitter & FB john316marshall

Playing Catch-up

Times have changed. Not too long ago I scheduled at least one hour of office work for every day away from the office. That's no longer the case. Smart phones changed everything.

Everywhere I go I am able to do office work: telephone calls, emails, text messages, sermon editing, etc. When I return to the office, there is much less stacked up to do. That's the good news.

Now the bad news. You never totally escape work. A full day's Sabbath rest seems elusive. You feel yourself torn between taking time to rest while away, or whether you want a smaller stack on your desk when you return to the office. It's a trade-off I struggle with daily.

As you know, I love my iPhone. It is my traveling companion at all times in all places. It allows me to stay connected, but I have to admit, somedays I think I would be better off disconnected for a while. Please don't tell my phone I said that.

Twitter & FB john316marshall

Headed Home

Ruth and I are leaving a restaurant in West Plains, heading home from a family wedding I officiated in New Albany MS yesterday evening. Josh Hill, the groom, attended Second for four years when he attended MSU.

Josh, my first cousin once removed, went to Law School at Ole Miss, and now serves as a lawyer in the Marines. He is a Captain.

When he left Speingfield, he told me he wanted to find a beautiful, Godly Southern Belle to marry. His wish came true. I'm happy for him and his bride Lauren.

Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

The Chess Game

For some unknown reason, today I remembered an event from before Ruth and I married. We would play chess occasionally in those days. I always won. But one time Ruth had me in a trap, yet let me win.

Today I asked her, "Why did you let me win?" She said, "You were whining about what an embarrassment it would be if you had to tell your friends a girl beat you at chess."

As she told me this, I apologized profusely. What a dunce I was. My consolation is, Ruth wasn't going to lose me over my stupidity. Thank You, Lord.

By the way, Ruth and I have not played a game of chess in forty years.

Twitter & FB john316marshall

Titanic Mania

This weekend marks two ominous events in world history.  President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, and the mighty Titanic, the ship that not even God could sink, sank.  I can certainly understand our fascination with Lincoln's death, but I marvel at our continued obsession with the sinking of the Titanic.

It for sure rocked the world.  Ruthie's grandpa Varble, even fifty years after the sinking, would often sing a song about the Titanic that was popular in his generation.  The hysteria that followed the sinking changed the maritime world.  It is said that the safety changes that came about from the sinking of the Titanic actually saved many more lives than it took down.

I guess it's the tragedy of 1500 lives that holds us captive.  Every story, to be spellbinding, has to have a tragedy in it.  The Titanic has 1500 spellbinders connected to it.  I would like to know what you think.  Why does the Titanic continue to control our collective consciousness?

Twitter and FB john316marshall

Dr John Yeats

I am watching leadership personified in our new Executive Director of the Missouri Baptist Convention. For three hours this afternoon I watched him unveil page by page, step by step, a blueprint for the future of our state convention that is nothing short of brilliant.

I have the spiritual gift of teaching, not leadership. But I know good leading when I see it, and I saw it today. We should all be thanking God for sending our state convention a man of vision, and a man who can articulate specific methods to achieve that vision.

Ruth and I have enjoyed Dr and Mrs Yeats since the first moment we met. Enjoyment has grown to love, and love has progressed to respect. Today certainly multiplied the latter. The first thing I did after the meeting today was to call Ruth and tell her my excitement. Thank You, Jesus, for blessing Missouri Baptists.

Twitter & FB john316marshall

Prayer Walking Insights

This morning I finished my third trek of prayer walking in my neighborhood. We're asking all our Second Baptist people to do this for Holy Week. I'm finding it helpful.

I've never been a huge fan of prayer walking. I remember when I first heard the phrase, "walking on site with insight." I thought is was a bit cheesy. Time, though, can soften an attitude.

Here's what I'm learning. Walking does help me stay focused in prayer. I have a serious problem with my mind wandering while in prayer. Prayer walking lets my legs, rather than my thoughts, wander.

Prayer walking also lets me have a chance to mingle with folks. Here's what I've learned thus far. If you want to interact with your neighbors, 7:30pm is too late to prayer walk, 7:10am is too early, 7:30am is just about right. This morning I had opportunity to tell a neighbor I am praying for her. She said thank you, and I think she really meant it.

One more benefit of Prayer walking is, I'm becoming more burdened for my neighbors. What can I do to help them? How can we all become better acquainted? My son John and his wife Amanda are having a block party for their neighborhood this Saturday. I need to do likewise soon.

Twitter & FB john316marshall