Archive for December, 2009
If you like to think about planning for the new year and assess last year, take a look at Michael Hyatt’s blog: http://michaelhyatt.com/2009/12/seven-questions-to-ask-about-last-year.html
I need to be done with this Tiger-thing. I was just listening to 94.5 in Birmingham. Paul Finebaum and his callers were discussing Tiger’s situation and how he needs to best couch the situation so as to save his career and maybe even his family.
Let me be clear about something. What Tiger has done to his wife and kids is heinous. Regardless of how hard his father was on him, despite that maybe he spent all his youth playing golf and never “had fun like other kids,” and no matter how many women threw themselves at Tiger, ADULTERY IS SIN. In our world there is no real – that is legal – penalty for cavorting with another woman so some people want this kind of thing to stay off the radar and go away. Fine. But God thought adultery was bad enough to warrant a death penalty in Ancient Israel. NOTE: I am NOT advocating a death penalty for this sin, but I want us to realize that adultery so serious to God that He demanded blood sacrifice for it.
I’ve heard people say, “But Jesus said that lusting is just as bad as the real thing so no one can point a finger at Tiger.” True. Jesus did say that. He also said to put your eye out if it makes you sin. Has anyone done that? None that I am aware of. Jesus did not make that statement to make it easier for adulterers. He wanted to nip adultery in the bud. He was saying that adultery starts with that second look – or that long first look.
So we’re still back to the seriousness of adultery. God put a stiff penalty on adultery. Maybe He did so because of the fallout adultery brings: A broken wife or husband, a torn-apart family, and broken and upset and blaming-themselves children. I hope Tiger gets saved, but in the mean time we’ve ALL been had by Tiger. We’ve all begun to buy into the idea that getting past sin is simply a manner of spin-control, keeping our sponsors, and a good interview on Larry King.
Sin requires what Psalm 51 teaches: A broken and contrite heart before God. Unless we each do that there is no hope for any of us. What the “Tigers” of the world have tried to teach us is that we need to get our image back to be right with the world. Yeah, but to be right with God, we need righteousness in the “inmost” place: our hearts.
Hey ya’ll, I am not a fan of Twilight, but Wired did a sometimes funny – but revealing – review of the series in their Top 20 Unfortunate Lessons Girls Learn from Twilight. They are not coming at this from a Christian perspective, but hey, if they have issues with it shouldn’t we?
I have had good people tell me that it’s “great writing” or a “good story.” Really?
I work with Singles and Singles Again folks. I can tell you from (mild) experience, this is NOT the kind of thing you want in a real relationship but somehow if it’s “good writing” then obviously it’s okay.
Check out just a few of the items on Wired’s list:
#1 – If a boy is aloof, stand-offish, ignores you or is just plain rude, it is because he is secretly in love with you — and you are the point of his existence.
#2 – Secrets are good — especially life-threatening ones.
#4 – If a boy tells you to stay away from him because he is dangerous and may even kill you, he must be the love of your life. You should stay with him since he will keep you safe forever.
#8 – Boys who leave you always come back.
#14 – If the boy you are in love with causes you (even indirectly) to be so badly beaten you end up in the hospital, you should tell the doctors and your family that you “fell down the steps” because you are such a silly, clumsy girl. That false explanation always works well for abused women.
There’s more but I think you get the idea.
Do you want your child reading this “good” material and getting these ideas?
Continuing our discussion of Tiger, let’s look at his finances. In 1997 ALONE, Tiger made almost 112 million dollars in winnings and endorsements. Before his various trysts were revealed, Tiger was on course to make over a billion dollars very soon. Back in May,Forbes estimated that Woods’ net work was over $600 million and ranked second only to Oprah Winfrey as the wealthiest African-American. This weekend we learned that Accenture has pulled their support of Woods, citing that he is “no longer the right representative for [their] advertising.” Woods’ annual compensation included about $100 million in endorsements each year. We, and I say “we,” have been supporting his decadent lifestyle through our support of companies who support him. Accenture for one has acknowledged this as a problem and decided to drop him. Other companies, such as Nike, are trying to continue their professional relationship with Tiger but indicate they are glad that he is taking this time away from the game. The problem goes to integrity, obviously, because most of us work hard for each dollar we make and when we learn that Woods is paying for liposuction for a mistress when there are those who need Christmas gifts then most of us get down right angry. By the way, if you’re going to cheat, why cheat with someone who needs lipo? I’m just sayin….
Golf is a high-profile, gentlemen’s game. Don’t let anyone tell you that it’s “American Golf” and the quid-pro-quo of the old school stuff doesn’t matter anymore. Accenture builds their business off of a good reputation and working with high-level clients. Woods also received money from Buick. That brand targets older, more established people who are going to have traditional values. Woods will not recapture the business of these sorts of businesses. Nike and others in the sporting world will slowly gravitate back. But the real money will not be there like it was.
Let’s not forget that Tiger has done some good with his money. He has supported charities and given money. That loss of income and the losses those charities will sustain are significant to everyone involved with Tiger, Inc. And there are probably other women who won’t get liposuction! That was tacky, but you knew it was coming.
