Two "Olympic" Weeks!

Late nights...lots of excitement...some real fast living--no, I've not lost my senses nor my religion; I'm talking about the Winter Olympics and my near addiction to same. Addiction to watching them on television, that is. Any other sleepy-eyed fans out there?

I have always been enthralled by the Winter Olympics. The exotic locations well-profiled by the television crews and commentators, the "beauty" of the falling snow (as long as it isn't being replicated here), and the profound talent of the sliding, skiing, snow boarding, skating, jumping, and sweeping (for those curling fans--all five or six of you) athletes all make for riveting viewing. My thrill this year was heightened by being able to watch in "HD," which really made it feel like we were watching through a newly "Windexed" window! I think another lure for me to these games is the regret I feel for never having learned to ski. I know, "it's never too late," but at this age, I fear breaking something that I'm going to need for at least another 25 or 30 years. If I had life to live over again, though, I'd learn to ski (and play piano). That's about it, the rest has been great, really.

These Winter Olympians are a blast: Apollo Anton Ono--WOW, how amazing; Shawn "The Flying Tomato" White--the smiling blur; and Steve Holcomb and his "Night Train" crew--it just doesn't get any better! I don't mean to leave out all of our other outstanding athletes, but these are the ones that I would rearrange my schedule to watch. This year, watching the ice skating with my roomie and in "HD," I learned a new appreciation for the sport. I got so caught up in it, in fact, that while at Wesley Woods on a Confirmation Retreat a couple of weeks ago I did my own "single lutz" on a patch of ice. I think I got a deduction for the instantaneous keister landing at the conclusion of the move. And while I enjoyed the medals the U.S. won in the various skiing events (especially the Nordic Combined), I did get miffed when so many of our standouts "skiied out" in subsequent events after winning a medal. It just reminded me they are human--SUPER-human, but human, none-the-same.

Don't you wish you had even a smidgen of the discipline these Olympians display? I don't know if any of the "prizes" (crowns?) the Bible talks about for the well-lived Christian life are like Olympic medals, but if so, how are we doing? Boy, I'm shooting for a bronze, but most of the time, I'm fighting just to keep from skiing off the course. God is good, though, and I'm learning. How about you?

Well, it's a long wait until the next Winter Olympics, but I'm so happy the powers-that-be haven't given in to the media-driven "culture of immediacy" by scheduling them any closer. I think a little anticipation is good for the soul. Shalom, yunz!

Dr. Jeff