Fantasy Football Teams

I'm in 3 Fantasy Football Leagues this year - 1 on NFL.com, 1 on Facebook, and 1 on Yahoo as part of my church's first fantasy football league. Below are the players I have for the 3 leagues, at the bottom of the chart are my back-up players/reserves. Each league has different rules, for instance my Facebook league allows for 2 quarterbacks and my Yahoo league allows for a back-up defense. I can't wait for regular season football to start!!

Eli Manning, QB	Chad Pennington, QB	Kurt Warner, QB
Ronnie Brown, RB	Darren Sproles, RB	Clintin Portis, RB
Fred Jackson, RB	Frank Gore, RB	Frank Gore, RB
Bernard Berrian, WR	Bernard Berrian, WR	T.J. Houshmandzadeh, WR
Greg Jennings, WR	Santana Moss, WR	Santana Moss, WR
Santonio Holmes, WR	Andre Johnson, WR	Roy Williams, WR
Visanthe Siancoe, TE	Chris Cooley, TE	Greg Olsen, TE
Jason Hanson, Kicker	Jason Hanson, Kicker	Jason Hanson, Kicker
Redskins, Defense	Colts, Defense	Giants, Defense
	Mark Sanchez (QB)
	Andre Brown, RB (FL)
	Michael Bush, RB (FL)
Reserves	Reserves	Reserves
Chad Pennington, QB		Ben Roethlisberger, QB
Felix Jones, RB	Lorenzo Booker, RB
Chester Taylor, RB	Chauncey Washington, RB	Chester Taylor, RB
Calvin Johnson, WR	David Anderson, WR	Chris Chambers, WR
Todd Heap, TE		Chris Cooley, TE
	Patrick Crayton, WR	Jerricho Cotchery, WR
	T.J. Duckett, RB
		Chargers, Defense

The Unit

The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist


My rating: 4 of 5 stars






Interesting book. The premise is that childless individuals are considered dispensable and once they reach a certain age they go into the Reserve Unit where they participate in various experiments and donate various organs until their final donation of vital organs. The thing about this book is I can totally see this happening in the future. The way our society is headed, this is a very plausible future. As someone who doesn't have children, the book struck a bit of a chord with me in how society views those who don't procreate. Contributing to society by having children that will be useful to society is what makes you needed. If you don't, then you are considered dispensable.

Well, whaddya know?

Remember this post about wishing?

Well, unbeknownst to me, my wonderful hubby had already gotten me a book off my wishlist! I came home from work the other day and was presented with a webcam (to use with Skype when talking with my family all over the world) and this:


How cool is that? I'm also excited about the webcam cuz now in talking to my nieces and nephew in Africa they will be able to see me as well as talk to me.

Foreign Body by Robin Cook

Foreign Body by Robin Cook


My rating: 4 of 5 stars





I stayed up way too late Tuesday night to finish this suspenseful book. My favorite medical examiners are back - Laurie Montgomery and Jack Stapleton - though more in a minor role this time. A medical student goes to India after her grandmother's death and finds things amiss so begins investigating why her grandmother would have died from a heart attack when she was in great cardiac health.
This was a very interesting read and had good descriptions of India. I highly enjoyed it.

Wishing

Here's some books I've been wishing for lately:





You bloggers you! Writing such fantastic reviews on these books, now I can't wait to read them! :-)



And in the non-fiction world:




What books are on your wishlist?

Death Watch by Jack Cavanaugh

Death Watch by Jack Cavanaugh


My rating: 3 of 5 stars





This was a page-turning, suspenseful novel of people receiving death watch notices 48 hours before they die. Everyone who receives this notice dies at exactly the time the notice says they will. An LA news reporter races to uncover who or what is behind these deaths while those close to her also receive notices. Can she find the answer in time to save her friends?

The writing was good and kept me reading. The ending was a bit 'eh' for me but believable. It almost seemed to be a bit of a let-down. I probably would have given it 4 stars except for the ending.

Baltimore from the Sky

Baltimore
Originally uploaded by twiga92

On my recent trip to visit my sister, we had quite the adventure landing at the Baltimore airport because of storms. This picture was taken on our 2nd attempt where we actually were able to land. To me it looks like a 3D picture of the city. I love miniatures and this looks like a miniature 3D city.

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult


My rating: 4 of 5 stars






Jodi Picoult books are often hit or miss with me. I either really get into them or I can't get into them. This was one of the "really get into" books. I found out more about the disease osteogenesis imperfecta that I hadn't heard of before (though I noticed it mentioned on a House, M.D. episode!). What would you do and how far would you go to ensure your child's future? In this book, a wrongful birth lawsuit is brought as a mother struggles with the many stresses of having a disabled child. The characters seemed real in their struggles. Though I wasn't too thrilled with the ending, it was a typical Jodi Picoult ending.

What About Church? Part 3

"And when God's Spirit chooses to do something far more important than making us happier..."

Church is not about my feeling good. It's not about what I can get out of it. In Real Church, Larry Crabb talks about the marks of a church that he would want to be part of:
-Hungers for the truth that sets addicts free (and by addicts, he means all of us, for we are all addicted to ourselves and what we want)
-Respects the necessary ingredients in the remedy for addiction
-Finds contentment in wanting what Jesus wants
-Is mission-energized
The church that he is looking for is one that knows we are all not okay, but will meet us where we are with the truth.

"A gathering becomes a church when people meet for one supreme purpose, not to enjoy life, not to help others enjoy life, not to persuade others to find life in Jesus, but to become like Jesus in their motives, thoughts, and appetites - all for the pleasure of the Father."
"When people gather to relate like Jesus - to God and to one another - they take on a challenge that will expose and confront every drop of self-centeredness in them."
"And I want to go to a church that won't give in to my natural appetite to use Christianity to give me blessings-dependent happiness."

Often what I look for in a church is a place to make friends. A place where I can worship through music that I like. But church is more than that - it's where I see the truth of who I am and my need for God. Not for a happy, trouble-free life. But a life that desires God more than anything else.

"Discerning sees what either fosters or blocks godly living - in me and in you - and feeds on the hope of our maturing together."

"I want to follow Jesus in His crucifixion by dying to self-interest so I can resurrect with Him into a new way to live, loving God and loving others, loving myself for God's sake by loving others for their sake."
"My addictive tendencies are fueled by the appeal of immediate gratification that, thanks to my foolishness, the world's encouragement, and the devil's cunning, feels deceptively complete."
"A hunger for truth in our culture has been replaced largely by a hunger for entertainment, for meaningful experiences, or for knowledge that lets me feel superior."
"We've become church shoppers more than truth seekers."

"Addiction to self is universal. It's the essence of sin. As nothing else, it gets in the way of what God wants to do in us and through us."
"God intends for us to lead unsatisfied lives in this world to deepen our thirst for the satisfaction that only He can provide."
"...my addiction to pleasure gets in the way of becoming addicted to a God who makes me thirsty for a kind of pleasure He won't let me fully experience till later."
"Only truth that reaches deep into my being with the power to reveal my subtle, relational addictions and to arouse my desire for God will make me a disciple."
"The problem is that we often live to avoid feeling that unfilled space. We hate feeling empty. So we never learn to want God out of that void."

"I want to be part of a church that is hungry for truth."

How about you?

What About Church? Part 2

Real Church: Does it exist? Can I find it? by Larry Crabb









I can't say enough great things about this book. It caused a longing in me for the kind of church and the kind of relationships that we are created for.

"Learn spiritual theology; hunger for spiritual formation; gather in spiritual community; move into the world on a spiritual mission. Make this into a formula, and the vision dies. Let it be what it is - a rhythmic cycle..."
(1) "...an interest in knowing what's true, whether we're committed Christians or convinced atheists."
(2) "...would like to become truly good people, more loving, more patient, more discerning, more settled and secure, more aligned with truth in how we live."
(3) "...you value friendships. We both long for close, meaningful, satisfying relationships."
(4) "...would like to do our part...in making this world a better place..."

"Church as I know it usually leaves deep parts of me dormant, unawakened, and untouched. Maybe it's familiarity, the predictability of pattern and content that I find boring, superficially exciting at best, where emotions sometimes get stirred that get unstirred by the time I reach my car."
"...the change in people and the influence in culture that God most longs for...best happens through Christians-in-community, not through religious organizations disguised as churches."

Probably my favorite quote in the book: "My soul aches to be part not of man-made systems, buildings, programs, and staff, but of a living, listening, loving, longing community of people who share life together as participants in divine life, people who are learning to live loved and who, therefore, are profoundly changing."

"...whatever good work the Lord has done in my soul over these many years has been done increasingly outside the organized church, not outside community."
"Worse, what I can see in myself that still needs growing...doesn't seem to be affected much by church - by community, yes, but not by the organization we Americans usually call church."

"...I'd want...an experience of spiritual community, where we could join together in the dance of the Trinity, where divine life could be poured back and forth through all the confusion and complexity of developing relational intimacy with preglorified saints, where we would actually become more like Christ in our attitudes and choices and motives because of our time together."

"Church is more than a weekly spiritual meal to nourish you for the week ahead, and more than a convenient place to serve others...It's more than social opportunities in a Christian atmosphere. And church is more than spiritual distraction from boredom."

I've felt sometimes that I grow more spiritually outside of church than in it. Then again God uses all types of circumstances to draw us to Himself. The point of this book seems to be drawing us back to a hunger for truth and a desire to know God and want Him. Realizing that only He truly will satisfy the unfilled space in us.

(to be continued)

What About Church? Part 1

Church has often been an issue for me - throughout my growing up years and particularly in college and young adulthood. Even today I still struggle with the concept of church, how church is done and what I wish church could be. Part of my struggle might be the constant moving around that I did growing up, going from church to church without really having a home base. Another part for me was being required to go to church and not having a choice in the matter. Then there was the going to churches in another country where either I sat through a service not understanding what was being said or having to listen to everything being interpreted and often losing the train of thought between the languages. As a result, church can sometimes be a hot topic for me and one that I try to see what I really think and what the Bible says about it. Thus books about the meaning of church and why we do church are interesting for me.


Real Church: Does it exist? Can I find it? by Larry Crabb


My rating: 5 of 5 stars





This book is really striking a chord with me. So many of his statements are things that I feel as well.
"I don't want to go to church. I've lost interest."
"What is church all about? What is it supposed to be all about? Why do people go to church?"
"My soul aches to be part not of man-made systems, buildings, programs, and staff, but of a living, listening, loving, longing community of people who share life together as participants in divine life, people who are learning to live loved and who, therefore, are profoundly changing."

This wasn't just a book about what is wrong with church, but a book that brought out what church ought to be and what to look for in a church. The goal is growing in our addiction to God rather than our addiction to ourselves. Tons of great quotes from this book! Highly recommended.

Another book that I recently finished was a re-read of When God's People Let You Down by Jeff VanVonderen. This was a good reminder of the dynamics of church relationships and how similar they are to family dynamics. For those who struggle with hurts from past church experiences, this is a great book to help work through those issues in an effort to learn to trust again.

(to be continued)

Less Than Dead by Tim Downs

Less than Dead by Tim Downs



Tim Downs has done it again! In the 4th Bug Man novel, Nick Polchak investigates the discovery of double graves. The property where the graves are found is owned by a congressman with a lot of political influence. As a result, Nick runs into various obstacles in his search to find out the murderer. Suspenseful and page-turning, a great mystery read!

Weekend-ness

I had a fabulous weekend visiting my sister and parents in Pennsylvania. Flight delays and weather troubles aside, it was a fun time. On Saturday we did some shooting and I got to shoot a 9mm Glock for the first time.
That was pretty fun!

Utopia by Lincoln Child - another re-read

Re-read for me and once again this book was a page-turning, suspenseful thriller set in an amusement park. Loved the detail of the different rides and how the theme park was set up - made me wish it was a real park that I could go to. Terrorists threaten the park and demand some crucial and expensive technology or they will start blowing up rides. Really great read!

Utopia by Lincoln Child


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Flights and Weather

Well, I had an interesting day yesterday! I was scheduled to fly from Detroit to Baltimore as I'm visiting my sister in PA for the weekend. My flight from Detroit was scheduled to leave at 12:35 pm but when I got to the airport it had been delayed until 12:45 pm. Then as I was waiting at the gate they let us know that our plane was just leaving Chicago and wouldn't even arrive until almost 1:00. So we didn't even get on the plane until after 1. As we started taxiing, they then made the announcement that there was some problems with landing at Baltimore and they weren't sure if we were going to go back to the gate or wait on the runway for about an hour. I had already called my sister to tell her I was going to be late and now it looked like it would be even later. Well, then they made the announcement that they had re-routed our flight in the air to come at Baltimore from a different direction and were letting us take off. Not really sure what time it was at that point, maybe after 1:30.

As we approached Baltimore, they put us in a holding pattern due to weather problems. They then closed the Baltimore airport to incoming flights due to extreme weather. I found out from my sister later that while she was sitting in the cell lot waiting, the winds were so bad they were rocking her car. We then were sent to the Washington-Dulles airport to land rather than holding indefinitely and concern about fuel. At first I thought they were going to have us get off at Washington and Dawn was going to have to drive there to pick me up. But then they announced that we would just be re-fueling and sitting on the ground there to wait for the weather to clear and then take off again back to Baltimore.

After sitting at Washington-Dulles for a while, they let us take off and go back to Baltimore. We landed in Baltimore around 5:30 pm - 3 1/2 hours after our originally scheduled landing! Whew! What a day! Glad I had lots of books to read.