Traveling Update....

It is Sunday, July 18 as I sit here and write this update. It will be Monday, July 19 in one minute, and I'm in the middle of writing an essay for a history class I have. I've gotten up  a few times, checked on Liza to make sure she was covered and thought about how at the time this is posted, I will have traveled to a distant place full of what I'm sure will be new experiences and adventure for me.

My trip will have taken me to  stops at New York, London, Kuwait, to my ultimate destination of India, the state of Kerala to be exact. The reason for my going there is to accompany a friend for a very important occasion in her life, but the details will be disclosed  when I return.

This is my first time going to India, and I'm extremely excited, as you can probably imagine. I started packing my luggage since this past Tuesday (July 13), and have made sure to include the essentials (according to most people I've asked) which include the following: off (bug repellant), bathroom tissue, books, sunscreen, bathroom tissue, did I forget to mention bathroom tissue?, and sneakers. I hope I didn't forget anything, I guess I have found out by now whether or not I did. I'll make sure to take lots and lots and lots of pictures and bring them back.

If y'all remember and feel like it, please pray for me and all of us who are going to be there that God will keep up well, and also that I won't miss Liza too much -I have a feeling 3 weeks without seeing her is going to be too much for me. I have already gotten teary eyed and home sick, and I haven't even left yet ;).

Until Next Time!

    Posted on Wednesday, July 28, 2004                                                       by Llenis M

Today I went to dinner with a friend who invited me for the first time to go eat sushi, and I must say it was cooked and good.  But the point of me telling you about this friend is to say that she is a non Christian whom is a beautiful person inside out.  Into our dinner conversation I really wanted to tell her about Jesus, but how do you tell someone about God when they are Muslim?  All these thoughts crossed my mind and I asked a simple question, what do people in this world need most?  She answered and said immediately with sincerity and hunger in heart, LOVE.

As she responded to my question my heart leaped with anticipation to tell her that Jesus loved her and offered her the love she desired.  The love that I have experienced time after time, day after day.  The bottom line for all mankind is that regardless of their social status, money in the bank, luxury car, beautiful outward appearance, you will always have a desire for someone to love your thoughts, dreams, personality and what is important to you.

As I observed for a moment the surrounding that were around us, I pondered at the necessity that man has to find love in various avenues in life.  For some they may try to find it in the friendships, others obtaining a position in their jobs, for others having the approval of their parents, or even a significant other.  Thus fooling ourselves by thinking that these things can truly satisfy this empty hole in our hearts. Regardless of who accepts you or not, or who notices your abilities and talents I can tell you today that there is one notices every work and movement that you do.  And I must also add that He is deeply in love with you.

Jeremiah 31:3,”Yea I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn you.” Jesus love is what draws us close to him.  I can’t imagine what other reason why I would give my heart to God, knowing how much he loves me with sincerity, unconditionally.  Hosea 11:4, “I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love. 

This is what pulls every individual closer to God, to walk and obey his commands.  Now, the question is how we tell the world and those who seek for love in multiple paths the God is the true Love to experience, that his love is better than life. That the romance that we often seek in relationships or acceptance can truly first be experienced in knowing Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 3:19, “And to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God

It is essential for is Christians to share and live our lives for Jesus in a loving way, so that others will be attracted to the sweet aroma in our lives.  The love of God is poured out into our hearts and we must fill those empty hearts with Christ’s love.  A friend told me the other day that he felt loved by me, and he didn’t mean the kind of love between a man and a woman, but a Christian love.  I praise the Lord for allowing me to share with him, the Love that he has overflowed into my heart with showers of mercies.  I will leave you with this, do you know God’s perfect love for you, and have you experienced it? Do you serve him with your complete love knowing that he first loved us?  I pray mercy and love upon your lives!

2004 BSC Tournament Recap

Here are My Awards:

Best Backcourt: Philly Ballaz ( Chacko Brothers)                                             Best Frontcourt: Brooklyn: (Jenkins Brothers)                                           Best Defensive Team: ( Brooklyn & Philly )                                               Best Game-Winning Shot: Silby (YO) against Strong Island in Overtime      Most touching Moment: 30 Seconds of Silence for Blessan and Bro. Phillip and Bro Terrys opening prayer                                                                                Best Spectators: DC ( Soumini and Crowd)                                                 The Team that put on a Royal Suckfest: Strong Island                             Best Regular Season Ref: Sam John                                                       Most Improved Roster: Yonkers                    

Team Analysis:

Philly: Clearly, the most dominant team in the tournament.  Hats off to them. The trophy was well deserved.  For those teams looking to emulate Philly's success, Here is the key.  Assemble a team, where every player is capable of hitting an 18 footer -- including your center.

DC:  This Young team, studded with a few veterans and the help of  drum-banging, bleacher stomping, chant-shouting fans, made it all the way to the finals.  DC has youth on their side.  Look for them next year -- deep in the playoffs.  2 Suggestions for DC.  1) Draft a shooting guard. 2) Hire a Team Doctor. 

Brooklyn: A True underdog story. No one expected  50 year old Bro Terry and his son, to take this player depleted team to the semi's and win the #2 seed in the Regular season. But they did just that. They showed that Its not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.  They had a formidable front-court in the Jenkins brothers and a quick back-court in Roy and Ben. Mad props to Brooklyn. You showed Heart and You've earned our Respect.

Yonkers:  Like I said, Yonkers had the most improved roster, and a quality starting lineup, including, Silby, Bejoy, John and Sony among others. They also made their first playoff appearance. This team is capable of improving every year. Don't sleep on them. I can only imagine how much more damage they could have done if Tony John played.

Newark: These guys may have lost 4 games, but they sure looked good doing it. Nice Jerseys! Most of all, I applaud Newark for their great sportsmanship. These guys came out to have fun and they did;  They beat Strong Island and, like Chris said,  they gave some teams a run for their money.  Hope to see you guys again next year.  

Strong Island: As a Stunna myself -- All I have to say is, this year was a humbling experience. We were looking to waltz our way into the finals like last year, but as the Proverb says, "Pride cometh before the fall"  Next year we promise nothing. We only hope we can win more than one game.  

Stay tuned for Tomorrow's update. Vinod will have more Post-Tourney Analysis.

Mic Check:  For anyone that doesn't know, Philly defeated DC in the Championship game to secure it's second straight title.

A.  Shout Outs:  Before I get into my recap, I want to take this time to thank several people for their help with the organization and implementation of the 2004 Blessan Samuel Classic.  First and foremost, I want to thank God that everyone made it there safely and back again.  The fact this tourney was held in honor of Blessan Samuel and Bro. Phillip Cabillo Jr. is proof enough that we can't take a single day for granted.

Next up, I want to shout out  IPF webmasters, Vinod Varghese and Binu Varughese.  We spent countless hours over the phone and on paper working out the details for this thing.  Without these two people, this thing would not have gone down.

I would also like to thank Crystal George, Sheebu Thomas, Susan Kurikeshu, Blossom Moses, and my Dad, for their tireless effort in Picture Taking/Editing.  In addition, I want to thank Sam John, Eber Rosario, Vinod Varghese, Ben Harris, John Phillip, Juby Varghese, Justin Thomas and Jessu Abraham for running the scoreboards and refereeing the games.  On the local level (DC), I want to thank Soumini John for keeping the DC sidelines stocked with water/power-ups.  Also, I want to shout out Phillip Mark for making repeated trips to the mall to ensure that everyone on our roster had a DCZ Fitness T-shirt.

Last, but not least, I want to thank all of the players and spectators (loyal DC fans) that made the effort and came out, as well as anyone I missed.  You are appreciated.  Our Tournaments are not without glitches, but they are improving every year.  Let's keep this thing rolling......

B.  Tourney Pictures:  All, Batches 1, 2, and 3 have been released. Enjoy.

Please note that we are still working on the captions....

C.  Philly Ballazz:  They have made a statement.  Philly has served notice that any and all attempts at a title will  have to go through the home of the 76ers.  Philly went undefeated through the regular and post-seasons by blowing out almost everyone they played.  Don't get be wrong, Philly is beatable, but only through practicing hard and consistently.  That is the secret to their success.

D.  Honorable Mention:  Goes out to Brooklyn and Yonkers.  Brooklyn proved that they could compete back in 2002, but as of 2004, they are now in the top 3 churches bracket.  Yonkers, led by Silby Phillip (who hit a game winner in overtime against Strong Island), also gave almost every team they played a run for their money, and made the playoffs for the first time.  All in all, Newark played pretty respectably, beating Strong Island, and giving a couple of teams a run for their money.

E.  Game Summaries:  The official game highlights from the regular season leading up to the championship, are being worked on now.  I will post a link on the board the moment they are done.  In the meantime, here are the final team records (including playoffs).

1.  Philly: (7-0) - went undefeated.
2. DC: (4-3) - lost to Philly in the Championship.
3. Brooklyn: (3-3) - lost to DC in the first Round.
4. Yonkers: (2-4) - lost to Philly in the first Round.

5. Newark: (1-4) - eliminated
6. Strong Island: (1-4) - eliminated

F.  Awards:  My awards are as follows:

Most Improved Team:  Brooklyn.  Honorable Mention:  Yonkers.

Most Memorable Moment:  Silby (YO) hit the game winner in OT to beat Strong Island.

Best Jersey's:  Newark.

Best Players:  The Chacko Brothers from Philly (Binu & Blessan).

Team that fell the furthest:  Strong Island. (one positive that they can take out of this is that they will be the most motivated next year.)

G.  Convention 2004 - Batch 3:  We've got some brand new pictures from Convention 2004 for you.  Be sure to check them out.  Shout out to my man, UnawareOfAngels.

H.  Media Clip:  2004 Brooklyn Graduation:  For anyone that missed my post on the Message Board, be sure to download a hot clip produced by Vinod, and edited by Justin Varghese.  It's hot.  Click here to DL.

J.   Submitting New Content:  If you too would like to submit pictures, articles, media, etc, etc, hit me up at chunglao@hotmail.com.  Thanks.

A.  It's Official:  Philly has 2-peated.  I will have full details/recap/pics for you Monday.

    Posted on Friday, July 23, 2004                                                                  by Greg S

So I was walking on campus the other day at the University of Maryland…my alma mater… and there was a guy pumping up a hill on a serious long-board skateboard.  We were like the only two people on campus.  He got to the top of the sidewalk…stopped and waited for me to get out of his way so he could go down the hill.

As soon as I got off the side walk he intended to race down, he started pumping down that hill.  He began a maneuver know in the boarding world as "carving"….just picture the zigzagging skiers and snowboarders do down a mountain.  He was moving along at a pretty good clip….going back and forth on the sidewalk like a pro when he got right next to me.  At that instant, he hit a big patch of sand and went down HARD….right next to me!  I immediately went to him to see if he was alright.  He played it off like everything was cool…he actually said "don't worry, this happens all the time!".

Thursday, July 22, 2004 - Benj

Leftists & ABCD's 

I find myself amazed at the ongoing stupidity of some of the leftists out there.  People who just don't GET this War on Terrorism.  People like Michael Moore who reflexively attack Bush as a liar without any substantive reason.  People who make a mockery of Tony Blair, even though he is a true liberal who happens to support Bush in this War.  People who say Bush attacked Iraq to steal their oil!  He did it cuz his daddy was a failure! (this was actually said in the last week by former Democrat GA Senator Max Cleland)  Or that Bush attacked Iraq so Halliburton and Dick Cheney could get rich!  

ABSOLUTELY ABSURD!!!  It almost seems that some people forget the horrid moments on 9.11 when the world changed.  In the post 9-11 world, a rich and crazed madman like Saddam could not be allowed to remain in power.  (Is it even worth mentioning that Saddam had an UNDISPUTED history of murderous atrocity against his own people and his neighbors?  Are these leftist wackos even listening to anything besides the deluded voices in their own heads?)

Time for a Rumble:    

If I did NOT grow up in India, I can still have appreciation for India and the Indian culture.  Can't I?  If I, as an ABCD, feel conflicted about something like arranged marriage, does that mean I don't have a proper appreciation for Indian culture?  Is my view somehow less valid because it differs from the Indian norm?   

Or suppose I feel that fish curry is just a plain nasty dish to eat, does that then imply that I don't have good taste in Indian food?  Just because most Indian natives love it?  What if I feel that your average Indian meal takes way to long to prepare, and so just skip it, and grill a cheeseburger instead?  Does that mean I am a sell-out?

Like any culture, the Indian culture has both its good and its bad points.  Ditto for American culture, Mexican culture, Arab culture and so on.  Those of us who've grown up in a bi-cultural context may not be able to appreciate the native culture of our parents to the same degree as our parents themselves.  But that should not be expected or demanded.  Nor should an ABCD expect his or her parent to appreciate America to the same degree or in the same way that an ABCD would.  It SHOULD go both ways, but it often doesn't.

Note * Tournament Schedule - Revised Check out the Tourney page to see the updated schedule or Click Here. This is the FINAL schedule. No More Changes Will Be Made.

[ And now on to my update... ]

Books & Music

Has anyone noticed the ever so  fading distinction  between Pop Music and Contemporary Christian.  Oh  that's right there is none.  Lately I've given up on Contemporary Christian.  Actually not all Contemporary Christian, Just certain artists who use the label "Christian" to make a profit. 

Their intentions are clearly to  transition into the mainstream; however ,  increasing Christian record sales  mixed with a highly competitive mainstream market keep them writing those songs that,  you just cant tell if their singing to their  ex-boyfriend/girlfriend,  current lover , or Jesus. 

------------------

Every now and then , during my lunchtime,  I stroll into Borders bookstore and take a look  around  (mostly in Non-Fiction).  It seems as if everyone and their mother is writing a book  and publishing it. This must be the new get-rich quick scheme.  Believe it or not, book sales are increasing despite the ubiquitous presence of TV & Internet.   

So many people have an opinion to share or a story to tell and apparently millions more want to hear that opinion/story.  However  after reading my own fair share of political non-fiction, self help,  Biography and more,   I've come to the conclusion that watching T.V is clearly the better alternative. Hah Ok I'm kidding. The point I'm trying to make is that reading like any other source of entertainment has its own dangers. 

The books  being read by our generation are  not the same quality books that were read by generations prior. Today's books are highly biased, with misconstrued and exaggerated facts. You have to be careful what you you read otherwise, unknowingly, an opinion might be forced on you -- Sort of like certain "documentaries", which shall remain nameless.   

Some of you who know me well, know that I keep a journal of accounts worthy to be written.  That pretty much includes everything from the smallest detail to the biggest occurrence.  I thought I would share with you yesterday’s entry.

As I sit on the train this morning thinking about my weekend, an Amtrak train races beside mine.  Who will win?  Not my train…it rides to slow.  My eyes move forward and stare into black glass in front on me.  I see my reflection.  Sometimes I don’t recognize myself.  Who is this girl?  Too much to think about right now,  my mind goes back to the whirlwind weekend I had.  

A.  'Ask Lakshmi Aunty':  Have you ever wanted to ask an Aunty a question, but never  quite knew how?  Well your wait has ended.  This BRAND NEW culture based column at IPF is geared directly toward that purpose.  Before I go any further, let me say that this column isn't a joke of any kind.  Lakshmi Matthew, (wife and mother of 2), has signed on as our newest columnist.  She will be writing culture based columns on her homeland of India, and how it has affected her life now that she lives in the U.S.  

Lakshmi is an extremely outgoing person that is very opinionated on a whole slew of issues.  She has written up a pretty thorough intro, so I will save it for you there.   

Please feel free to submit questions/comments to Lakshmi, and she will do her best to answer them in her upcoming updates as well as through the boards.  In addition, Lakshmi hopes to keep her column updated on a WEEKLY basis, so check in often.

B.  Website Info:  Due to the growing # of columnists, we have added a Columnist Updates section directly above the main update box in order to make them more visible and accessible.  Just scroll your mouse over and click on wherever you want to go.  More columns are in development.  Keep it locked.  Speaking of Columnists....

C.  'Dear IPF Columnists' Message Board Added:  A new message board has been added for you to directly address the growing number of columnists here at IPF.  Feel free to post Questions/Comments/Suggestions and words of encouragement.

D.  Convention 2004 - Batch 2 Posted:  56 pictures from Brenda's pre and post convention journey are now up.  BE sure to check them out.

Batch 3 is on the way, so if all goes well, expect that next week sometime. 

E.  Convention 2004 - New Media:  Check out 3 brand new clips from convention.  Irish Tenor is destined to be a classic for sure.  Also, the audio/video lag issues with the baptism testimonies have been fixed.

F.  2004 BSC - Final Preparations:  All right everyone, we're at the final countdown.  This time next week, we will know who backed up all the smack.  There will be one winner, and 5 also rans.  Who will they be.....  No but seriously, it should be a good time.

The location is set.  The official refs have been secured for the playoffs and will arrive at 4 pm.  Which reminds me, Everyone,

GET TO THE GYM BY 9:30 AM

The earlier we start the better off we'll be b/c we only have the gym from 9-7.  Believe me, time is going to fly by.  It's better we're there early than late.  So please plan accordingly. 

Know what time you need to leave in order to reach the gym before 10 am.

As a way of enforcing this rule, the games that you miss b/c of lateness will move directly into your loss column.  If we had the gym all day, things could of been different, but we don't.  We will do our best to wait till every team arrives, but if you show up at 12 noon, don't expect much.  It is not going to go down like 2002 when everyone strolled in whenever.......

Hold Back the Ruckus:  All, I know bball can get heated.  I know people have been talking smack.  But remember this thing is to promote unity, not fill up the ER at Shady Grove Hospital.

Directions: If anyone needs last minute directions, do not hesitate to CALL ME.  In the mean time, all the pertinent info has been posted in the Tourney 2004 section. 

Refreshments:  All teams should bring their own refreshments/coolers/snacks.  Our original plan was to provide these items, but when Houston and Chicago backed out, money became extremely tight.  But FYI:  There will be vending machines/water fountains at the gym.

Spectators:  To all the fans who would like to come out and support your team, or just watch some intense basketball, remember there is no cover charge and plenty of seating.  So come on out.

Again all the info you need is located in the Tourney 2004 section...

Last Minute Contact Info:  Again any issues, call or e-mail myself, Vinod, or Binu.

 chunglao@hotmail.com  - Chris

vpv1227@hotmail.com - Vinod

bpv192@yahoo.com - Binu

See you there.  Should be fun.

Thursday, July 15, 2004 - Benj

3 Big Questions, Tony Blair quote 

I've been thinking about three questions I heard at the July 4th Christian Retreat that I attended.  These were shared in the very last meeting (Sunday morning), and were an excellent, thought-provoking climax to the Retreat:

1.  Who Am I?  In other words, what should be my true identity?  The answer is:  a child of God.

2. Who am I to serve?  We ALL end up giving our lives for some cause.  Everyone chooses ultimately to serve something or someone.  Not choosing is a choice in itself.  As a child of God, my prime goal in life should be: to serve God in all I do.  It comes down to choosing between True Wisdom (God's) and False Wisdom (our own human wisdom).  James 3:13-17, New Living:  

¹³If you are wise and understand God's ways, live a life of steady goodness so that only good deeds will pour forth. And if you don't brag about the good you do, then you will be truly wise! ¹⁴But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your hearts, don't brag about being wise. That is the worst kind of lie. ¹⁵For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and motivated by the Devil. ¹⁶For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every kind of evil.
¹⁷But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere.

3.  What will I accomplish?  Every day requires a renewed commitment to accomplish God's Will and not my own.  Every single day.  It is in our nature to slide back ever so quickly into serving ourselves, doing our own will, and thereby ultimately accomplishing nothing of value for the Kingdom.    

Major shifting of gears here.... 

Regarding the Iraq War, the WMD fiasco, who lied or not, and a perspective on Saddam, here is Tony Blair from a speech yesterday: 

"No one lied. No one made up the intelligence. No one inserted things into the dossier against the advice of the intelligence services. Everyone genuinely tried to do their best in good faith for the country in circumstances of acute difficulty. That issue of good faith should now be at an end ... But I have to accept, as the months have passed, it seems increasingly clear that at the time of invasion, Saddam did not have stockpiles of chemical or biological weapons ready to deploy ... I have searched my conscience, not in the spirit of obstinacy, but in genuine reconsideration in the light of what we now know, in answer to that question. And my answer would be that the evidence of Saddam's WMD was indeed less certain, less well-founded than was stated at the time. But I cannot go from there to the opposite extreme. On any basis he retained complete strategic intent on WMD and significant capability. The only reason he ever let the inspectors back into Iraq was that he had 180,000 US and British troops on his doorstep ... Had we backed down in respect of Saddam, we would never have taken the stand we needed to take on WMD, never have got progress on Libya ... and we would have left Saddam in charge of Iraq, with every malign intent and capability still in place and every dictator with the same intent everywhere immeasurably emboldened. For any mistakes made, as the report finds, in good faith, I of course take full responsibility. But I cannot honestly say I believe getting rid of Saddam was a mistake at all." - Tony Blair. 

   Posted on July 14, 2004                                                                                 by Liza B

Convention Rundown

This year's convention was definitely a new experience for me, as I'm sure it was for all of you, due in large part to the new location. After so many years of attending convention in Ashland, it is hard to not base our opinion on the new place  relative to all those conventions. I was a bit distracted by the different atmosphere in the stadium for the first  few meetings, but then I partly adjusted. I'm sure if the convention continues to be held in this place we'll all eventually adjust to it.

Anyway, here is a little rundown of convention for me. More pictures will be coming up later, they are being worked on right now. Thanks for your patience.

Tuesday - Left from Houston in a bus.

Wednesday - Arrived in Lynchburg after 24 hours of hitting the road. Registered, saw a few people I'd been looking forward to see, got drenched with rain, and got lost trying to find my building. Went to the meeting.

Thursday and Friday - Meetings in the morning, seminars in the afternoon, choir practice and night meetings. Close call on one of the steps in the stadium, thankfully  caught myself in time. Attended the seminar titled "Signs of the End Times," very enlightening.

Saturday - Spent some time with my little cousins, went to the meetings, 4 hour long choir practice, night meeting. Saturday night's worship service was beautiful because many understood the true meaning of worship, which is to bless God and not necessarily a time in which we get blessed. Reminded me of when David danced before the Lord. Sorry, I have no pics of that meeting.

Sunday - Packed and got ready to leave. Teary eyed good bye to my brother, goodbyes to all I was actually able to find. Enjoyed Pastor Don's few words on the importance of the Word of God and Pastor T.U.'s very practical message. Left around 4 to Maryland with the Avendano family. Went sight seeing a little in D.C. when I arrived.

Monday - Caught an early flight to Houston.

As I mentioned already, a lot of pictures will be going up shortly, so stay right here with us. Until next time.

A.  Convention Pics:  Sup all, I'm back from Lynchburg, VA.  Before I get into my full recap, we are going to release our first batch of pics either tonight or at the latest tomorrow via Brenda's update.  Also, FYI:  Over the next 2 weeks, we will have more pics floating in, so keep it locked.

B.  Convention  Recap:  Ok, I'm not going to sugar coat it.  I think the new place was average at best.  If you came to convention with no expectations, or if this was your first time, then you would have liked Lynchburg b/c you had nothing to compare it to.  (Let me stop here and say that I do think we should be grateful that we even have a place to meet, which I am.)  But other than the A/C in the dorms and the additional space............................................................................

Messages:  There was nothing wrong with the messages per say, as is the case most of the time in life.  Basically if you wanted to listen you got something out of them.  But if you were tuned out, which I was at times, then you didn't.  Simple as that.

Food wise:  Well......me and some other people were em.....fasting...cough.

Where is Everyone??:  I know it wasn't just me.  It was so hard trying to find people at convention.  I saw some people for the first time 5 minutes before I left on Sunday.  I think b/c there are so many EXITS from the stadium, people would just roll out, never to be seen again until the next meeting, if at all.

Special Moments:  I thought the group from Guadalupe sang really well on Friday.  Also, anyone who saw what Pastor Don went through just to deliver a sermon left the stadium inspired.

Thursday, July 8, 2004 - Benj

Way to go, John Kerry 

The VP pick of John Edwards, while predictable, was still an excellent excellent move on John Kerry's part.  He could not have selected a better team-mate.  Time alone will tell if Kerry can win the whole shebang, but Edwards will definitely give him a strong boost in a few ways:

Charisma Deficit:  John Kerry has about as much charisma as a flowerpot.  But John Edwards exudes it.  Ronald Reagan had that mysterious "it" factor, Bill Clinton has it, and Edwards has got it too.  It's not something that can be acquired, or John Kerry would have sold his soul to get it - decades ago.  But Edwards has it down to the bone, and it's going to help.  

Southern Strategy:  The Democrats are weaker than a sick baby in the South.  Weak, I tell you.  Edwards, born in SC and raised in NC, gives the Democrats a fighting chance down yonder.  And not just in the Presidential Race, but in congressional and senatorial races at national and state levels.  

VP Contrast:  Just visualize, for a moment, the October VP debate to be held in Cleveland (which was, by the way, the very first city to get electricity).  Speaking of electricity, think about Cheney: bland, gray, almost boring, but very capable.  Now think about Edwards: just as slick and charming as El Maestro himself - Bill Clinton, youthful looking, upbeat, and also very capable.    

I don't buy the argument, though, that Edwards is gonna smoke Cheney just because Edwards was Mr. Super Trial Lawyer in his pre-political career.  Cheney cleaned Lieberman's clock in 2000, and he did it without breaking a sweat.  This VP debate will be much better than the inevitably boring Bush-Kerry slugfest.  

Optimism Sells:  Edwards is reportedly a sunny kind of person all the time.  I.E. the great Ronald Reagan.  Even if he doesn't have much political experience, such cheerfulness will help carry him (and the ticket) a long, long way.  Add such optimism to his charisma, southern roots, and his speaking ability and you have a bona-fide political force.  This is going to be a tough ticket to beat, but I think Bush & Cheney can pull it off.  It's gonna be close.  

A.  New Columnists:  IPF has signed on a new group of columnists, to be added to the rotation.  This new group will touch on a variety of topics, varying from culture based musings to weight loss management.  

The first column, entitled, "Ask Lakshmi Aunty" is set to premiere next Monday.

Be sure to look for it.  This is IndaPhatFarm.  You know how we do.

B.  Tourney 2004:  So again, the rules and regulations have been posted, the schedule has been posted, etc, etc.  All other pertinent info has been posted online for you to view at your convenience.  On July 24th, there shouldn't be anyone who doesn't know what's going on.

Which reminds me.  All teams, PLEASE  finalize your rosters.  

Also, on July 24th, all players will have to sign a waiver form in order to play.  You cannot play in the 2004 BSC without signing off on this form.

For additional info on the tourney, including the new security force, please scroll down to Vinod's update.

C.  Convention 2004:  I'll get there Friday afternoon.  New place, should be good.  I'll have a full report for you after convention.  REMINDER:  The IPF seminar will not be held in Kilhefner this year.  Stand by for re-scheduling....

D.  Happy July 5th:  Yeah that's right, July 5th.

This is the best I can do on such short notice.  Enjoy.

Thursday, July 1, 2004 - Benj

Summer Retreat, What will you do without freedom?

This weekend, we head to the metropolis of New Freedom, Pennsylvania for the annual summer retreat that I've been going to for the last 10 years.  ( New Freedom is just a short drive north of Baltimore ).  I hope to see some of you readers there.  There are few things that I look forward to like these retreats that I attend periodically.  They are just the right blend of Christian fellowship, chilling with old friends and family, playing sports, and late-night runs to the local fast food joints.

John 12-21 is the focus this year for the meetings, and there is a LOT to meditate on in these chapters.  I am especially blessed by the entire 17th chapter, which focuses on the passionate prayer of Jesus for Himself, his disciples, and for all believers.  Verse 3 reads "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ..."  How incredible that each one of us can get to know God, personally and intimately!  That the great Lord of the Universe would be interested in us peons!  And through such knowledge of God, we are assured of living eternally.  How humbling, and how amazing.  

At Christian gatherings like this upcoming retreat, I am always reminded of the incredible freedom that we have here in the USA.  Freedom to worship as we see fit, pursue whatever careers we want, freedom to go hither and yon without fear, etc.  

Which brings me to my July Fourth Reflections:  

Monday marked the official turnover of power in Iraq.  Whether or not you agreed with going to war in Iraq, there are three things that stand out:  1.  Several hundred of our troops sacrificed their lives in the cause of liberation.  2.  The Iraqis have a much better future now than they did under Monster Saddam.  3.  Al-Zarqawi and his fellow terrorist thugs demonstrate more clearly than ever what we are up against (i.e. the brutal, senseless slayings of Nick Berg and Paul Johnson).  

An entire country has been liberated.  Through the actions of the USA, Britain, and several other nations.  So this is a great time to be reminded of the magnificent blessings that we have in America, primarily because of the liberty that has been here for over two centuries:  liberty in the marketplace, liberty in religious life, liberty for families to live according to the best undersanding that they have.      

As William Wallace asked, "What will you do without freedom?"

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