RESCUE!!!!

As I was sitting in front of the television late in the night watching the rescue efforts that were taking place in Chile, I began to think, "There must be a sermon in all this!" I even began to jot down ideas that came to me as I saw the pictures and witnessed the drama.

It had been 69 days since the miners were trapped in a pit more than 2000 feet below the surface of the earth. There was not a thing they could do to save themselves. And for the first 17days they had no way of knowing all the things that were going on above to affect their rescue. Then contact was made and it was revealed that there was a massive effort underway to bring about their salvation. It was going take time, and there would be an incredible cost.

And when the time was right, someone had to go down into the underworld to make sure the miners were instructed and equipped for the process they would have to undergo to in order to realize the rescue that was available. Each man would have to take the steps if he wanted to ascend to the joyous reunions they wanted deeply. I doubt that there were many of the miners that gave serious thought to rejecting the rescue capsule or the protection necessary to obtain release from their entombment, even though it surely was narrow. There was no other way!

Is there a sermon in there?

New Vantage Point!!!

I have been an Houston baseball fan for a long time. I first watched professional baseball in Buff Stadium, where the Cardinal farm team played through the 1950's. In the early '60's I watched from the grandstands in Colt Stadium. When the Astrodome opened in 1965, I moved indoors with them. I most often sat in the pavilion seats in centerfield, though on several occasions I was in SRO (standing room only).

For the last ten or so years of the Astros tenure in the Dome, I was able to buy a mini-season ticket. That enabled us to sit in the same seat for 27 games a season. My seats were in the Loge (purple) level.

In 2000 the Astros moved to Enron Field, now named Minute Maid Park. That year a group of six of us bought a pair of full season tickets, on the fourth level. Over the 11 seasons in Minute Maid, we have moved till we reached our current seating, fourth level front row, directly behind home plate.

I have seen almost all the important games the Astros have played, all the All Star games, the Jeff Kent homer against the Cardinals, the extra inning loss in game 6 of the 86 playoffs, Mike Scott's no hitter to clinch the pennant in 86, playoffs in each of the series in the 80's and 90's, the first World Series game!


There have been occasions when someone would give me seats in the expensive sections of the various stadia. I have sat in field boxes five rows behind the Astros dugout. I have sat in the Sky Box owned by Gulf Oil. But tonight will be the first time I have sat in the luxury box at field level right behind home plate. It is the section where the owner, Drayton McLane sits. It is the section where President Bush and his wife Barbara sit.

I will try to behave myself in a dignified manner. And I will try not to boo Carlos Lee!