Ryder Cup - Why do we keep losing?

The Ryder Cup just concluded and again, we lost... We have lost the last three times. It makes me ask the question, "With us having the top players in the world on our team, why did we still lose?"

1. I think we lost because the Americans were not adequately prepared

2. I think we lost because the American players are not team conscious, but rather individualistic in their mindset.

3. I think we lost because the American players do not know how to play match play effectively.

4. The Europeans had players that were much younger and seemed to be mentally and physically ready for the challenge, not to mention the "home-field advantage"!

Back to the drawing board until the next Ryder Cup is on our turf, maybe we can win one then?

Any thoughts or opinions as to why we lost that I did not mention

Dinner with one of the Team Pyro

Last night, my wife and I, along with our son Joseph, had dinner with the esteemed Leader of the TeamPyro Blog, Phil Johnson and his wife Darlene. We had a great time with them and had a great meal.

I wanted to borrow a graphic so that the readers will know the blog that I am referring to. This brief mention will probably get me blogspotted also.

Thanks again Phil and Darlene for a great meal and for great fellowship. I only wish we could have been in town under better circumstances. Phil, next time, lunch will be on me at Bob Morris' beach cafe in Paradise Cove!

Being in California this time really makes me want to move back, but I also realize that the cost of living is very expensive also. We have a God who is able also!

A Tribute To My Mother (1939-2006)

My mother passed away on September 20, 2006 -- these are the remarks that I made at her funeral yesterday.

Roles that my mother fulfilled in her life

1. Mother - she loved her children and her daughter in law very much.
2. Grandmother - she was a grandmother for only five months (she passed away on the same day that Joseph turned 5 months old), but she was very excited from the moment she found out and also did a tremendous amount to help us get started on our journey to parenthood. She was there for Joseph's birth and when we buried Jonathan back at the end of July.
3. Encourager - she alawasy knew what to say or what to do to encourage me or others. Whether it was a phone call, a card, or even sometimes an e-mail. She was a very good writer and good at expressing herself through the written word.
4. Provider - she provided well for us when we were kids and even into adulthood she was always looking to do things for us to help make our lives just a bit easier. She did everything in a sacrificial manner.
5. Teacher - she taught us to work hard and to do our best.
6. Friend- she had many friends and was faithful and loyal to them and that is evidenced by those of you who are in attendance today to honor her life.
7. Colleague/co-worker - most people her age were either already retired or thinking about retirement, but she was still working full-time until her illness. She knew her job and did it to the best of her ability and was able to mentor and teach others by her example and work ethic.
8. Caregiver - not only did she care for Sabrina and myself when we were growing up; she also cared for her own mother (until her death in 2000); she also cared for both of her aunts (Norrie - died in 2002; Jeanne - died in June, 2006).
9. Fighter - she fought as hard as she could knowing that the prognosis was not good. This was undoubtedly that hardest trial that she faced in her life and she fought it with grace and dignity until the very end. She died peacefully and my sister and I were with her when she passed away.
10. Christian - Mom was a follower of Jesus Christ. She became a Christian in 1993. She was not ashamed of her faith (Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:8,9)

Mom lived a full life and did the best that she could for everyone, she was not a perfect person as none of us are, but it is now the responsibility of myself, Sabrina, Heidi and Joseph along with each person whose life she touched to live out what she taught us both verbally and by her example. We loved her and will miss her very much.

With the Lord and cancer-free

My mother passed away on September 20, 2006 at 8:50 pm. I am very thankful that I was able to be here when she died and that I was able to talk with her also before she died as well.

She died very peacefully and without a struggle.

Cancer is a cruel, debilitating disease. It can take a person and make them into nothing. It ravages the body with such unbelievable force and cruelty and in such a short amount of time.

The medical community has made a lot of advances in cancer research and treatment, but there is still a lot of work to do in this area. Losing my mom to cancer has been a hard thing, but it has also increased my awareness to the disease as well.

Her funeral will be Monday afternoon at 1:30 pm. I have written a short essay that I will deliver at the funeral. I will post it here afterwards later in the week.

Cancer is cruel

I apologize for not updating this sooner. I went to CA on 8/24 to be with my mom who had just undergone cancer surgery. I was numb most of the time I was there because I was still having trouble processing the fact that my mom was as sick as she was. She had been with us at the end of July and seemed to be fine as far as we can tell.

It was hard to see my mom in a hospital bed with lines and tubes and not feeling the best, but I know that she and my sister were glad that I was there. We basically stayed at the hospital most of the day, leaving only to eat and to go home to sleep. I was there from Thursday until Monday and had to leave Monday afternoon. It was very hard to leave.

Mom was discharged just before Labor Day two days shy of being in the hospital for two weeks. They were able to get the cancer from the colon, but it had already spread to the liver. Now she will be undergoing chemotherapy towards the end of the month.

It is hard to be so far away when all of this is going on...