Kobe Bryant was selected 13th overall in the 1996 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets, but was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers for Center Vlade Divac. Here’s what Bryant’s Topps rookie card could’ve looked like if the Hornets would’ve kept him.

In 1986, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Auburn Running Back Bo Jackson with the first pick of the NFL Draft. He decided to play baseball instead, and was immediately a superstar for the Kansas City Royals. Here is what Bo’s first football card may have looked like had he chose to play for the Bucs.

I discovered this just yesterday. Super Junior’s “What If” in their 3rd album (2009) has exactly the same tune as Nina’s “What If” in her “Smile” album which was released in 2003. The lyrics and the message are different though. I read somewhere that the song was originally composed by Sean Hosein and Dane Deviller. Maybe Nina and SuJu’s managers bought the rights from them. Nevertheless, I love both versions. And I like Nina now.

(“What If” by Nina from the album “Smile”)

(“What If” by Super Junior from the album “Sorry, Sorry”)

BTW, Happy 21st Birthday to my friend, Gaara. Have a great life ahead. I’m looking forward to visiting your blog soon.

fhsfg

It never fails. Every single year beginning on Thanksgiving (while watching football) and running through the rest of the holiday season I have this re-occuring thought. Why are we more generous, more thoughtful, and more thankful during this time of year? Are others pain and suffering any less real the other 11 months of the year? Don’t get me wrong, I love seeing the generosity that is shared during this time of the year, but I can’t help but wonder what it would look like if we kept this same view all year around. Would there be fewer in need? Would more people know they are loved?  What would it look like? I have a feeling it would look a lot like the church found at the end of Acts 2.

I don’t know how much truth can be found in this thought, but it just makes me wonder what would happen is being thankful, thoughtful, and generous became who we are and not just something we do.

Just a re-occurring thought – Happy Thanksgiving.

No, no, not the literal jobs like the up-to-17% unemployment rate. I mean the Savior-of-Apple Jobs, el Steve-O, The Turtlenecked One, Mr. One-More-Thing. What would our world be like if (gasp) he had never gone back to Apple at all?

Mike Arrington posits that very question today, and while he mostly comes up with “no iPhone, and no Android,” I think the answer is actually more profound than that.  Jobs is responsible for HP’s “The Computer is Personal Again” campaign, for taking mp3 players from the realm of “cute little gadgets that techies and some runners used” to ubiquitous device that no self-respecting person between ages 12 and 40 would be without.

Mostly, Jobs is responsible for returning Apple to mass-market products still driven by exceedingly high quality standards.  He riskily bucked the uber-customization trend: he had better taste than you, and there wre limited options (candy-colored iMacs notwithstanding).  He was a dictator, yes, but a benevolent one.

Jobs’ hyper-controlled and often-criticized ad campaigns transformed marketing strategies not only for the computer and technology industries but across advertising clients.  Everything he touched seemed to turn into a cultural touchstone, without most of the population knowing exactly why they knew what an iMac or an iPod was (remember how revolutionary the original candy bubbles and white bricks were?).

I am, admittedly, an Apple fangirl, but I’m not blind to the many many shortcomings the company has had in product development and brand management over the years.  And Jobs is hardly the Golden Messiah he is frequently (even in this post) trumped up to be – how much more profitable could iMacs have been if Jobs had never insisted on the hockeypuck mouse?

But missteps and egotrips aside, it’s hard to argue that the man has a certain Midas touch.  More importantly, he proved that consumer-driven can also be performance-driven, and beauty-driven, and simplicity-driven, and – the king of them all – highly lucrative.

what if i say yes and you say yes then i change to say no but then you still say yes?
then i say yes but you say no then you turn to yes but i change back to no?
what if i never say yes when you say yes and i say yes when you say no or i say no when you always say yes?

let us stay in the past.
and let the past belong to the past.

we need to move on, yes?

We all should expect to experience the moments of “What IFs” that will inevitably bombard and sometimes seem to attack our lives from time to time.  We should know that there will be periods of time that cause us to expend energy pondering what is next, what could be and what should be.  We should understand they make us second guess our actions, thoughts and others.  Why then is it so difficult at times have the ability to know which “What If” is the right one to expend our energy on, and which “What If” is going to be the next one to focus on after that? Which “What If” thought process will lead us to the next step, the next path, that will ultimately lead us to that proverbial dream we all desire to reach?

I have those moments where I say to myself, “That was one of the more stupid choices you have made”.  We all and should have those moments.  There are some that I wish I could take back, get a second chance, or flat out wish, with every fiber of my being, that I never did.  Then, at that same moment, I say to myself, that I am glad I did it.  I am not glad of the outcome, that obviously was not the desired result.  More of a thank you to the fates for the lesson learned.

I am at a period of time in my life where I feel bombarded and at full fledge war with the “What Ifs”. It is almost like that proverbial dream is there on top of a hill, in the middle of the field, just feet away from me.  However the road I am on and must take, is heading in the wrong direction away from that hill.  I know I can not take the shortcut and just walk off the road, and cut through the field to get to “the hill”.  I know doing so will leave me pondering “What If” I am on the wrong hill, never mind the fact that climb there will leave me feeling empty and undeserving.

I do have one thing that is seeming to work out in my favor in the war with the “What Ifs”.  It is the knowledge that I know for now, I am on the right road.  There are many forks up head, and they all seem to lead me away from that “hill”.  The only thing I wish and pray for, is the hope, the strength, the wisdom learned and the wisdom yet to be learned, will lead me to the ability to make my way back to “The Hill”.

As sad as it may sound, I can be often times a churchaholic—it goes in waves. I read and listen to as much as I can about church strategies, etc. (I don’t recommend it—it can mess with your head sometimes). Once again I was thinking and once again I know that thought is not new, but what ministries specifically use this might be new.

Secret Shoppers! It’s being talked about more and more. Should churches pay for secret shoppers to come in and give anonymous feedback? Me? I absolutely think it’s worth it. Then, as a children’s pastor, I began to think, why don’t I set this up for our kid’s church?

Here’s my “What If…” What if children’s ministries found a way to do a sort of “mystery shopper” experiences during their services from start to finish? This would mean finding some kids—1st-5th graders—who could answer honestly and truthfully (and we all know this age group has no problem doing that! ) a few questions about their experience. This would also mean creating a series of questions for their parents.

We will never improve if we don’t face what could be the brutal truth. This isn’t a bad thing—it’s a God thing. For some of us we’ve been in church so long that we forget what it’s like to think like an un-churched person. We can become numb to real needs or minimize the need for great “customer service” because God forbid we think of the church as a company that should be run with excellence. We sacrifice relevance at the altar of giving kids a good spiritual experience forgetting that keeping order and creating excellence is a part of that experience (more on that later).

What are your thoughts? Would you ever use a mystery shopper for your kid’s church? How would you set it up?

PJ
You. Ideas. Kids Ministry. Las Vegas. February 25-26.

This one’s for Big Pelf.

I don’t think the 2010 Upper Deck sell sheets have come out yet, but after seeing the last 5-6 years of Upper Deck cards, I think it could look similar to this Pat Neshek custom I made.

I think Stephen Strasburg will get a card in 2010 Topps since he is on the Nationals 40-man roster, but I’m not sure when, so I decided to make a custom What-if? 2010 Topps Stephen Strasburg card.

…my legs in the winter?   T’is the season to snuggle for warmth, to perhaps expose my new found fuzzy legs to a member of the opposite sex… or should I shave first?  These are the months of the year when hot chocolate and love handles play an important part in our lives, cleavage gets hidden under layers of scarves and coats, and legs get hidden under leggings and boots. And the allure of bare exposed skin takes a turn for the nunnery. It is a time to regain a vampy pasty glow, drink hot toddies, and wear cashmere.

So I rest my faith in my Friday-nite clairvoyant inclination that I might get lucky, that I might get mistaken for a hippie if my legs are unkempt. So shaving in the winter is a big deal. It means I am confident and inebriated enough to show off more than my legs. It means I’m not really French and feeling sexy includes having smooth, moisturized legs. It means I’ve got better things to do than shave my natural, warm, winter fuzz for the unlikely prospects of a one-nite stand. It means the plucked-chicken effect seen on a pair of freshly-shaven winter legs is unsightly.

Months have passed since Robin entered our home and gave it a good shakedown that resulted in a beautiful transformation for which I’ll be forever grateful.

But since she left, I have been secretly, silently mulling over a comment she made as she sat on our moss green couch and casually observed what we had already done with the place on our own . . .

“Well . . . you have a lot of lights and darks . . . but no middles.”

And, sure enough what Robin brought, among other design sensibilities, was a sprinkling of beautiful middle colors into our home, carnelian oranges, wasabi greens, and jewel-tone reds, and a splash of yellow.  We had the frame of deep browns and greens and creams, but this was not enough to give our home a vibrance that delighted the eyes when we arrived home from a hard day at work.  Her middle colors “woke up” our home.

At the time, her comment struck me as a brilliant observation about our decorating skills, but I kept this comment close to me because I figured, if I watched carefully enough, it might really mean something more, for me, and for my life.

Applications

Our office was the last piece in our redecorating puzzle for me.  And as I have engaged in a “Robin-izing” process in this final room, I have studied what has occurred through the process.

I love books.  Benson loves books.  As a result, no matter how hard we try to part with as many as we can possibly stand to release from our company, we have a lot of books.  The vast majority of our most treasured tomes reside in our office.

As part of our decor process, we bought two new large modern-style espresso wooden bookshelves.  I also picked up a small chest of drawers with a Chinese flair to it to hold things like envelopes, chargers, and other office items and found a wonderful sienna-colored club chair, throw and pillow to add an extra seating area in the room.

I thought that the addition of these pieces, alone, would help me transform the room and add structure to it.  But, hard as I tried to be satisfied, I wasn’t satisfied.

And this weekend, in a fanciful way, I cocked my head to the side and told Benson, “I think I’m going to reorganize our books by color.”  He nodded in agreement and looked at me carefully to judge my enthusiasm level and, seeing that it was at a fever pitch, refrained from asking the question that I know was on his lips . . . “Why?”

So, I took all the books out of their places and regathered them according to color, placing the lightest colored books at the top of the bookshelves and the darkest books at the bottom.  And when I finished reorganizing on Saturday morning, I was simply in love with what I had done.

Whereas before there were stacks of books that made me feel like I had entered an old person’s home, where life has been collected without rhyme or reason and has been left to sit idle and a little disheveled, now there is beauty in this final room of our home that has waited the longest for its transformation to arrive.

And Meanings

What is interesting to me now is that, when I enter our office, it’s not the white or the black-spined books that catch my attention . . . it’s the yellow books, the oranges, the burnt siennas, and the blues that make my heart sing.  It’s the middle colors that my eyes gravitate toward as I enter the space.

And the real meaning for me was that . . . perhaps, I spend too much time looking for the highs of life and even my life’s lows to judge my life’s effectiveness as it spans across its tiny course of time.

But maybe, instead, I should be repackaging up the juicy, delightful middles in a way that will help them really shine, the things that appear to be everyday occurrences that happen within the larger boundaries of highs and lows.

Maybe its the pineapple yellows and the brilliant garnet reds in the middle of life that I should be focusing on and all of this time, I have been focusing on the lights and darks.

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Please share your thoughts after reading . . . you can always come back much later after your own thoughts percolate up.

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Recent article Fresh-faced phenom must show MVP staying power by By Frank Hughes, for NBA.com, speaks out about the emergence of rookie point guard, Brandon Jennings, who is making a name for himself. His 55 point outburst was been the talk this season. Something like this has not happened since 1968. Branden Jennings, a name worth mentioning tens down the line in the record books.

Written with excitement, Hughes compares Jenning’s stat lines with the other elite candidates that he mentions in “The Race,” for the League MVP. Averaging near 25 points, 6 rebounds, 5 Assists per game, Jennings display solid numbers that will be considered. Not only his numbers are legit, the team’s winning record of 7-3 is no joke. My, my, New York can cry now.

Hughes writes, “One coach to whom The Race spoke about Jennings pointed out that he not only dropped a double nickel on Golden State – which is a little like boasting you beat the crap out of a one-armed man – but that he had 32 against Denver the previous game and 28 against Dallas the game after. The Bucks’ upset against Dallas was thwarted only by Dirk Nowitzki’s (notes) buzzer-beating shot that banked high off the glass in overtime – after which The Race saw way more of Dirk’s tongue than was necessary.”

My take on this is…Has there ever been a Rookie who has won both Rookie of the Year and the League MVP in one Season? Brandon Jenning’s maturity and skills has grown even beyond my expectations. His speed combined with his ball handling skills are already amazing. Coupling with a greatly improved jump shot and play making skills, he is beyond some point guards in the league. I don’t want to hate, but fellow lefty Mike Conley has not been productive since after college. Comments are greatly appreciated because I would like my opinions challenged.

I am a fan of Jenning’s game, and maturity. he is able to balance his stardom with poise and does everything right. He is the face of performance apparel UnderArmor. He is the face of the Milwaukee Bucks. However, he is young. The season is early. And his test will begin when he hits the rookie wall. How he pushes through and handles it will be his greatest challenge. Teams will be adjusting, they will double team him and push him around. But you know what? Brandon Jennings is ready.

With the rate the Bucks are going, the rate of Brandon Jennings is developing and adjusting, I can truly see Jennings as the Rookie of the Year. Now as for the MVP of the league. He has to lead the Bucks to the top of their division along with all around stat lines that will just blow you away. I’m talking averaging 28 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists. Then……you will hear “The 2009-2010 NBA regular season MVP….BRANDON JENNINGS!!!!”

Hey this is the What IF section. Enjoy it, and don’t forget to leave your comments.

Without a doubt “family ministry” models are the talk of the town and for good reason. It’s kind of crazy to think that this “new” concept of family ministry is the buzz since this is exactly what America was doing 50 or so years ago, but that’s for another blog.

As I think about family ministry I think how can I as a children’s pastor connect with parents so they feel equipped to feed the spiritual growth of their children? This got me thinking of my “what if” scenarios. I know some of this may not be new to you, but pretend and make me feel good.

What if our weekend experiences were simply an hour-hour and a half review experiences for kids from the previous week? In other words families are equipped with the tools they need to minister to their kids during the week and then the weekend is nothing new—it’s review in a fun high-octane way!!! What if we put more focus and money on equipping parents than making sure kids have a fun time for an hour a week?

We could equip parents with handouts, DVD’s, booklets, etc.—whatever it is that your church does well. It can literally be anything. Starting at the beginning of 2010 I have committed to spending more time and money than ever on parents and volunteers. I believe that if I spend the time on parents then they will begin fulfilling the Deuteronomy 6 model where they are raising their kids the way God wants—not just dropping them off and have the church doing it.

How are you connecting with parents? How are you equipping parents to feel confident enough to feed their kids spiritually? Can’t wait to hear from you.

PJ
Reserve your spot at Napkin for just $10!

Good Old Times

Dieses Bild ist stellvertrenden für die guten alten Zeiten zu sehen. Da haben wir zum einen den Griechen, der sich mit anklagender Geste über Schüles Waffe beschwert, während dieser mit seiner Waffe mit drohender Geste Tim bedroht. Tim lässt das offensichtlich kalt – er hat ja Kaugummis. Otti, links im Bild, ist am zufriedensten und ist nur vom Fotografen geschockt.

Und jetzt die Wahrheit: Dies entstand während unseren Dreharbeiten zum Blockbuster und Oskar-premierten Film “What if…?”.

peace out, Der Fink

By Eric Abney

I was enjoying a walk not too long ago and I came across an area that
was covered completely with Kudzu.  I happened to be with a friend of
mine and I asked him, “How much money would it take for you to walk through that kudzu?”  He replied, “Money! Ha, I would do it just to do it.”  Not me.

I kept wondering what might be underneath all of that green leafy madness.  The “what if” game began in my mind.  What if I step on a snake and it bites me and I die laying in a bed of kudzu.
What if I step in a hole and break my leg, and can’t get out of the
bed of kudzu.

The real issue here seems to be the fear of what is underneath.  How
many times does this get to us in real life situations and it seems
paralyzing and we can’t respond, react, or do anything for fear of
what we might find as truth.

You would love to take that job promotion, but underneath are you the man that really has what it takes to do the job?  So instead of taking the dream job you’ve always wanted, you let it slip by because of the fear that people might really see who you are underneath it all.

Maybe you would love to have a child or another child, but the
thoughts of being a mother are painful because you feel as though
you’ve made mistakes in the past, and you don’t want to be “that mom”.

There are some people reading this and you have gone through a
tremendous battle in a relationship and the thought of ever trusting
someone again seems very elusive.  The question of having what it takes doesn’t lie with just you, it also lies with the other individual in
the relationship.  We fight and we struggle to see what is underneath the other person, but maybe we should start by looking within ourselves to see what is underneath us.  When you are healthy you have a much better chance at having a healthy relationship with someone else.

Underneath it all there is a person you think is the true you and then
there is the person that is the true you.  God wastes nothing.  When he made each of us He made us wasting nothing.  Chances are that
underneath it all you really do have what it takes.  Why not ask God what He thinks about it?  You might be surprised at His response about you and your life.

Be Challenged and Live Adventurously,

-Eric

New Name Blog

Written by J. Won

Allen Iverson would be an addition to the Kings roster. He would bring perimeter defense and ball penetration for the stagnant offense the Kings have during the 4th quarter. Allen Iverson can play at his height of 6 foot , distribute the ball with 6 assist per game, and score with 27 points over his 13 year career. His leadership would be a big plus to the young Kings, with his defensive mindset and all-star talent.

Sacramento Kings fans think negatively of the trade, as posted in the Sacramento Bee Comments. Critics say that Iverson’s career is over. But look at the position he’s been in over the last two years. He was traded to team up with Carmelo Anthony and J.R Smith, both scorers, where he didn’t fit. He was then traded to the Detroit, where a new coach and 8 year system was already in effect. The only reason Iverson hasn’t been a great fit for any team is because he wasn’t their number one option.

Iverson is a “me” kind of guy, meaning it’s his team. The Kings have the ability to make him the “Me” guy, with supporting role players like Tyreke Evans and Jason Thompson. I’d rather have him be the team leader and scorer over Kevin Martin, someone who hasn’t produced in clutch moments. The Kings lack the leadership a team needs with such a young roster, something Iverson could help with. I’d rather have Allen Iverson be the starting point guard and distributor than Beno Udrih, a reserve player in my book.

Overall, the Kings shouldn’t think about the free agent as a downgrade. In reality, it’s an actual upgrade. Iverson can still play. Maybe not the 27 career point average, but somewhere near there. Remember, he’s only 6 foot, and he ‘s better than 80 percent of the players out there. Memphis dropped him because he was unsatisfied coming off the bench. I would be too if I had the accomplishments he had, and saw 3rd year player Mike Conley starting instead. Memphis made a big mistake starting him instead of Iverson.

As for the Samuel Dalembert trade for Kenny Thomas, I would oppose it. The King’s defense is already decent enough that they don’t need a shot blocker. On top of that, the Kings held Kenny Thomas and his 4 year contract, which would be up by this season, for so long that it’d be stupid to waste it now. It’d be a waste of salary space for this 2010 free agent bidding, accepting Dalembert’s 24 million / 2 year contract. He’d be an upgrade to the defense, but not for that price. But just think , Iverson would be playing alongside Dalembert again…

Why the Kings won’t sign Iverson…

The growth of Tyreke Evans might be altered. It’d no longer be the rookie’s team, but Iverson’s team. Tyreke would learn a lot from a leadership veteran, but it’d also hurt him too. It will take the ball out of Evan’s hands during the fourth quarter, a time where the rookie could learn from making his own mistakes. It is also a risk for the roster and the team chemistry. The roster has accepted their youth and growth, but bringing in Iverson would ruin the foundation. The only reason the Kings fans will strongly disagree right now is their four game winning streak they just had.