When a woman says, "Do whatever you want," do NOT do whatever you want.

We have DirectTV, which means that during the day we have Olympics coverage on three or four channels. If we had a more premium package we'd have six or seven, but as long as I've got Top Gear on BBC and Chasing Classic Cars on Velocity it's all good.

Because I'm still on restrictions - can't drive, can't lift anything over 10 lbs, can't raise my arm above my shoulder - I spent the day inside working on sermons and lessons and music and scheduling and.... For the more menial of those tasks I had the Olympics on TV.
I'm curious how NBC decides which events to put on which channels. Almost everyone, whatever their provider, gets the basic NBC channel. Fewer will get NBCSports, or MNBC, or CNBC. So what does it say that they chose to broadcast synchronized swimming and teenage girls throwing hoops and batons into the air on their flagship channel, and the women's basketball semifinal against Australia on NBCSports?

Truth be told, I didn't work at anything close to peak efficiency today. Felt pretty lousy. I attribute it to having none of the anesthesia left in my system to dull the pain. They prescribed pain meds but I didn't have Pam fill that Rx because what they gave me is very addictive and would make me loopy, not good for writing sermons. And the antibiotic I'm taking doesn't sit well on my stomach. Blech. But things improved as the day wore on.

I did read in several commentaries on our passage for Sunday - Romans 12:3-8. It contains some exegetical issues - nothing that makes a difference on any key truth, but which make it difficult to say with certainty what Paul had in mind when he wrote a particular phrase in this section. I enjoy reading different authors' views.

All guys remember Jr. Hi, that time when hormones start coursing through the body, wreaking havoc on everything and everyone. Part of the transition to manhood, or for some, what passes as manhood, involves establishing a pecking order, typically through faux fighting. It's no less brutal because little blood gets spilt; bruised egos don't heal as well as black eyes. Bullying is bad, but the current campaign will never override that most basic adolescent male need to have someone, anyone, below them on the totem pole.
Note: it was my ministry to my fellow male students to be that person below them.
You're welcome.

Truth be told, the ego needs of adolescent boys only gets slightly more sophisticated as they age. They learn to dress up those fights in what is euphemistically called the competitive spirit, expressed in sport competition. Even then the occasional brawl breaks out. Or regularly breaks out if we're talking hockey.

While working on music chores today I watched the second half of the USA women's basketball game against Australia and the last part of the USA hockey match against Japan for the gold medal in that sport. In each case I was struck by the reactions of both the losing and winning team's players. I don't for a second think the ladies are any less competitive than their male counterparts, or have any less drive to win. But I don't think anyone could miss the difference in post-game behavior. After the dust had settled there was a camaraderie, a (dare I say it) sisterhood among them. They had competed hard, but embraced afterward. Smiles on both sides. Certainly seemed genuine. The Japanese team, especially, demonstrated respect and joy at the American's joy. I smiled. And thought to myself, "Men couldn't do that."

Interestingly, one of our good friends who climbed the corporate ladder in banking said she would far rather work with men. Men could go toe-to-toe in a meeting, then go right from there to lunch where they'd have light, even jovial conversation. Then back into the meeting room to pick up where they left off. Women? Couldn't do it. Couldn't compartmentalize like that, and would carry the conflict to lunch. Except that they wouldn't go to lunch together.

How do you explain that??