First let me say that I like Tim Tebow. I admire him for his display of his faith and beliefs, especially in an arena where that is not always welcomed. Plus, he is a tremendous athlete. I even enjoyed watching him play in college, although I am an admitted Gator-hater. Tim Tebow’s athletic ability and enthusiasm for Christ make him very likeable.

However, I think too many people out there have elevated Tebow to an almost God-like status. I’ve read comments and seen social media posts that make him sound immortal. While he is an incredible young man, he is not God! Period. Please don’t make him out to be as such. I don’t think Tebow is the kind of guy who would want people to think that about him anyway. He is simply a young man trying to live his life for Christ the best he can. He is human and makes mistakes, just like the rest of us.

That brings me to my next point. I heard someone on a radio show recently talking about Tim Tebow and what will happen when he messes up. The example given was something like this. What if Tebow has a girl at his house a little too often, or someone finds “dirt” on him that turns out to be true. How will Christians handle that? What??? Come on people! He is no different from you or me. He makes mistakes. So do we. So how do we as Christians respond? We accept the fact that he is human and move on with life. Remember that Romans 3:23 tells us “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God“. That includes me, you and Tim Tebow.

I’ve also heard it said that Tim Tebow should not be praying as he does on the sidelines. Some suggest it goes against the teaching of Jesus when he talks about praying in private as opposed to doing so for all to see. I can see how one might think that, but it all depends on the heart. I think Jesus was referring to those who put on a show so the attention is on them instead of on God. Now, I don’t claim to know Tebow’s heart, but judging from what I have seen and heard from him I think he is trying to bring the attention to God. I may be wrong, but only God knows and I’ll leave it at that.

I’m curious to hear your thoughts on Tim Tebow. Do you think he is putting on a show or displaying a genuine faith? I welcome your comments.

Have you ever spent time in a valley? No, I’m not talking about a physical location as seen above. Maybe you have been in a spiritual valley or an emotional valley. I’m spending time in a rather dark valley now, and I don’t really like it there. But, I think there is a reason we spend time in valleys.

First of all let me share a song with you. Out of the blue this morning I had this song stuck in my head. I haven’t heard it in probably 12-15 years (maybe longer), so I’m not sure why I thought about it today. It, however, prompted me to write this post.

The song begins with this. Lying at the bottom, I can clearly see the top. This, to me, paints a picture of why we spend time in valleys. You see, when you are on top of a mountain you would typically look around and take in the view. You might even look down into the valley below. But rarely do we look up. Contrast that with being in a valley. Sure, you may look around, but ultimately we have to look at the way out…up. Maybe God places us in these spiritual, emotional, financial (etc.) valleys so we will be forced to look up…toward Him. If we are constantly on top of the mountain and things are going well, we often fail to seek Him and His guidance. Thus, valleys.

As I said, I’m not enjoying this valley I’m in. It has been difficult to look up and see a way out. However, I’m learning to do that more and more each day. Turn to the Bible and the Psalms tell us God is with us in the valleys.

Even when I go through the darkest valley,I fear no danger,for You are with me. Psalm 23:4 (HCSB)

As I walk through this valley my prayer is that I will keep my eyes focused up, to Him, for guidance and help. I know He is with me, even in the darkest valley. It is this Rock that tells me, that’s what valleys are for.

I wanted some juice this morning and didn’t have any at home. So, on my way to work I decided to swing in a convenience store to buy some juice and a snack. I looked in my wallet and saw I had little cash (nothing unusual since I use a debit card for most everything) and pulled out my card. The gentleman behind the counter said, “Cash only”, and explained that their credit/debit card system was down. I stated that I didn’t have cash and was ready to just forget the purchase when it happened…the random act of kindness. The woman behind me held out a $5 bill and told me she would pay. Of course I told her that was not necessary, but she insisted. In fact, she handed me the money and returned to her car to get another bill to pay for her purchase. I waited for her to return to the store and once again tried to get her to take the money back. She just smiled and said, “No, I insist”. I thanked her, paid for my items and turned around to give her the change. She refused and told me to hold onto it, again with a smile. I thanked her again and headed out, feeling better about the day and having a little more confidence that kind people do still exist.

Since that occurrence this morning I have thought a bit about it. I wondered if this was indeed a random event, or is this something the lady has done before. My guess is that she has indeed done this before. While it was a small thing to do, the impact was huge. Her simple act of kindness toward me brightened my day and helped me make some better decisions throughout the course of the day.

I may never see this woman again, and chances are good that she won’t stumble upon this post. However, I felt that I needed to share it as a reminder to myself that the words of Aesop seen above are too true. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” I was inspired by a stranger’s kindness to look for opportunities to extend an act of kindness toward someone else. Would you join me? Imagine what it would be like if we all did something like what this woman did for me. I like the way that would look.

Here’s an excerpt:

A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 3,100 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 52 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Number 3 on the list is the music from one of my all-time favorite movies, Amadeus. I love Mozart’s music…all of it, and my favorite piece is Requiem.

Number 2 is, in my opinion, the most beautiful piece of music John Williams has ever written. It is the theme from Schindler’s List. The performance seen/heard here is by the incomparable Itzhak Perlman. I think great music can be “felt”, and you can feel the pain and suffering through this piece. I get chills each time I hear the haunting melody.

Number 5 is the music from the Indiana Jones films. The piece featured here is the main theme from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Number 4 on the list is the Flying Theme from the film E.T. Anytime I hear this piece I immediately picture the scene when the kids’ bikes suddenly lift off and they fly into the forest.