MONDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS - BROOK'S FOTOS, YANKEES GO DOWN, HAITI WOES AND PERSONAL TIDBITS

Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand

Here are some totally awesome photos from a missionary friend of mine, Brooke Michael Sarver in Thailand (his blog twoteneleven is in my blogroll.)

Wat Phra Kaew. Thailand's home to the Emerald Buddha. Bangkok.

 Sometimes in our nationalistic focus as Americans (we are not, however, the only nations guilty of this) we fail to see the beauty of another culture, These photos remind me that there is fascinating world beyond our borders ... and of all of it we can sing, "This is my Father's world ..."

Friday night the Yankees were beaten by the Texas Rangers for the American League pennant. It will be the Rangers very first appearance in the World Series.  For fans who have been waiting so long, it could not have ended more fittingly. Alex Rodriguez, a Ranger of the inept bygone days of the franchise and someone to whom the team owes 25 million dollars paid to him in hopes of a pennant he could not produce, took an insane curveball from young Neftali Feliz for strike three. Rangers Ballpark erupted. The Rangers defeated the Yankees 6-1 Friday night to clinch the AL Championship Series in six games.

"It hurts," said Rodriguez, who took nearly an hour before speaking to reporters. "It's going to hurt for a while, it should. We're expected to win the World Series every year, the front office puts a team on the field that's supposed to win and I'm part of that. We didn't achieve our team goal and I'm one of the leaders. It's a failure."

Brian Cashman and the Steinbrenners continue to spend a fortune to have a grip of the Series. In the end we see once again, not every thing can be bought and tons of money is never an assurance or insurance for success. Maybe that's what makes baseball America's game ... because the little guy with heart and determination can still prevail over money, power, tradition and position.

Word comes to us this week that Haiti now suffers from a cholera outbreak.   Early reports of a cholera outbreak in Haiti were confirmed today by medical authorities. At least 140 persons have died and more than 1,000 have been hospitalized by the illness, which causes diarrhea, acute fever, and severe dehydration. Officials believe the outbreak was caused by people drinking infected water from the Artibonite river. The worst cases are around Saint-Marc. The young and the elderly are more vulnerable to the disease. With many Haitians still in refugee camps where the sanitary conditions are not very good, the disease can quickly spread.       
             

Natalie plays the tuba for the Howell marching band

And now we bring it on home with some tidbits from Steve.


In Howell MI the Dunns are quietly building a political dynasty.  Both of my granddaughters ran for student council and now Natalie is now president of her student council and Ashley president of her elementary school council. Could I be the first grandfather of a woman president of the United States? It'll have to be Ashley, Natalie wants to be a Park Ranger. (Frankly, I'd rather be a park ranger that the President of the US). The scenery is better and your constituents don't believe they are entitled to perks or preferences.

People are always telling me that they are the exception to the rule (which usually means they want not to be held accountable for doing what they darn well please).  But in God's universe there are all kinds of rules about the way things work. We can celebrate the exceptions but we need to learn to live by the rules.

People who text and drive are a menace to society.  Hey all you out there ... keep your thumbs on the steering wheel and your eyes on the road !!!! I gotta share the same street with you.. Although I want to go to be with Jesus some day, I'd rather go because he said, "It's time" than because you were texting "Spencer has been flirting with Susan."

Ryan Howard watched a third strike and the Phillies lost an exciting NLCS to the Giants.  K-zone showed clearly a knee high strike. Why, with everything on the line Howard "took" such a crucial pitch, is beyond me. The fact is that a hit would drive in a run, a walk would not.  Well, Phillies fans can watch the Giants face the Rangers in the World Series and try to figure out the mystery.