NowTHINK!AboutIt

Avoiding Hackneyed...Making Sense

Ryder Cup Advantage – Think International

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Corey Pavin & Colin Montgomery

Do The Europeans Have A Mental Advantage Over The Americans In The Ryder Cup And If So Why?

Let’s face it. There is no shortage of talent in the Ryder Cup Squads. On paper the scores should always be tight and there should never be runs like Europe had before the 2008 Cup – won by the Americans only after loosing three straight.

Until European players joined the British/Irish team in 1979 for the biennial test, USA was almost guaranteed to win. Previous to that, British wins could be counted on one hand and the addition of Ireland in 1973 didn’t help much. But since the inclusion of Europe things have really changed.

The tension surrounding each cup has become palpable. The Europeans seem to have a mental edge that puts the US players on alert from the start. Whatever nerves plague the Europeans don’t last long. They are soon resolutely marching up the fairways pounding out impossible strokes that rival the shot making of any player in any other tournament. It’s unreal. It’s almost miraculous.

Why is that? What makes that happen? [Read more…] about Ryder Cup Advantage – Think International

Book Review: “59 Seconds” by R. Wiseman

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In, 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot, Richard Wiseman becomes England’s version of Malcolm Gladwell in somewhat of an abbreviated format. When challenged by a friend to come up with self help concepts that could be digested and/or applied in a minute he accepted and “:59 Seconds” is the outcome.

Although 329 pages long the book is well formatted, very easy to read and blows away mind myths that have plagued or confused us for decades…centuries…forever. Concise and clear, the book is not easy to put down.

And the book is not thin on substance. Referencing 1000’s of academic studies from many different internationally recognized educational institutions, Richard convincingly corrects culturally fixed but errant ideas regarding ten very important human issues: [Read more…] about Book Review: “59 Seconds” by R. Wiseman

Did The Rich Young Ruler Miss Heaven?

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Benefitting from graft and following Jesus are mutually exclusive.

Political Leaders
Were Like Mafia Dons

Three Gospels report an incident in which a young man approaches Jesus and asks specifically how he could inherit eternal life. Jesus’ response is a bit confusing and makes it difficult – not impossible – to achieve a clear interpretation. Because of the confusion this passage is often ignored or misrepresented.

This post is an attempt to bring sense to an otherwise perplexing situation.

The young man, who happened to be of the ruling class and therefore wealthy, approaches Jesus (Mark says he ran to Jesus and knelt) asking how he might inherit eternal life.

It’s a good question. We have to give him high marks just for asking.

The interesting thing is, Jesus did not convulsively respond with the standard “confess your sinfulness and trust in me” answer.

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Instead, in this situation, He attempted to explore the heart of this young man and in the conversation that followed, Jesus said three things that cause us to raise our eyebrows:

  • One, He asked “why do you call me good,” making the point that only God was good, seemingly insinuating that He was neither good nor God.
  • Two, He told the man eternal life could be entered by keeping the commandments.
  • Three, He directed the man to sell everything he owned and give the proceeds to the poor.

Obviously, these remarks don’t gel with our understanding of truth. They really make us wonder: [Read more…] about Did The Rich Young Ruler Miss Heaven?

Quilts And Quilting – The Next Step

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When I was about 13 my family moved from the “country” to more of a suburban setting. Our new neighbors had four daughters. Two of them were a bit older than me, one was about my age – maybe a few months younger – and the fourth was quite a bit younger. The girl about my age was also named Becky and we became good friends.

My family began going to the church started by their “uncle-in-law”. I spent a good deal of time at their house either at Youth Meetings or just hanging out.

Becky, her oldest sister, Carol, and their Mom were all great seamstresses. One of them was forever sewing something. They didn’t do crafty things, just clothes and I would sit for hours and watch them.

I did not have a sewing machine but I took Home Ec. in school for 3 years which was one of the most frustrating things I have ever done. Class time was about fifty minutes so by the time I got started on a project it was time to stop and pack things away till next class. The teachers always measured us and told us what pattern size to buy and then nothing ever fit quite right.

If it had not been for the fact that I watched my friend and her family sew and actually produce wearable clothes I might have given up before I ever got started. [Read more…] about Quilts And Quilting – The Next Step

In The Beginning – My First Quilt

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My First Quilt

Quilts and Quilting. When did it all begin for me? Perhaps it began when I was a baby. My maternal grandmother made me a quilt for my baby bed or cot as they say in South Africa. I don’t know how old I was but I remember the quilt had gray and blue in it and it was made from wool material. It was scratchy. She also made me a pillow and after almost 60 years I still have part of that pillow.

My other grandmother had lots of quilts. She was not a quilter but her sister was. I suspect that granny set herself a challenge to see how many quilts she could put on one bed. Granted we lived in Tennessee and it did get cold in the winter but I do believe that there is such a thing as too many quilts on one bed. I remember feeling weighted down, I could hardly turn over because of the weight of those quilts.

When I finally managed to get out from under the load I remember looking at them. I have always loved color and I was fascinated by all the colors and shapes. I couldn’t quite figure out how they were put together. Now that I am a quilter I am still fascinated by the way all those pieces come together, one piece at a time joined to another and then another and then another until you have the desired design. [Read more…] about In The Beginning – My First Quilt