Why does the USA stink at soccer?

I believe that the United States has some of the best athletes in the world. So why is it we can't get it strait when it comes to soccer? Maybe its because our student athletes are focused on other sports like basketball, baseball, and football. It seems as though other countries are focused on one thing... soccer. Maybe it is because the potential to earn a lot of money is not found through the path of soccer. So therefore parents of student athletes want their children to play one of the big three. I do believe the USA has only one way to go in soccer and that is up. They can only get better. Slowly the United States will establish itself as a powerhouse in the world of soccer because the USA has never quite at anything. They may not rival the strong European teams for a while but they will come to the forefront eventually. I do not believe the USA will dominate the sport for a very long time because the world is so much farther ahead of us in both talent and technique. Stay tuned...

World Cup

More then ever this year there is a growing excitement in the air for World Cup soccer. I'm not sure why I'm so excited but I think its because it is a world event and it only comes around every four years. Many different cultures tune in to see what country will be crowned the king of futbol. Who will rise above their circumstances and who will fight for this honor? Luke Cyphers states in ESPN magazine "The game is big, and its complicated, and its full of brilliance and stupidity- and that's why it so often reflects the world we live in. The bottom line is that people can relate to soccer and that's why its called the world's game." That and the fact that all you need is a ball to play, it doesn't require lots of equipment to start up a game. So the poor and the rich can engage in this activity and have the potential to become stars in their own countries. The nations who have qualified for the World Cup will gather in Germany to try to make history and bring home the world's coveted prize, the FIFA World Cup. Let the games begin.

Family Resemblance

Often times we resemble someone in our family, for me people say I look like my Dad. The other day I asked myself why did God create family resemblance? This question came about because of a conversation I had with my wife. She got a chance to baby-sit our niece who is about nine mouths old. My mother-in-law joined her in this task and they made an observation that our niece had some resemblance to her great grandmother. So that got me again thinking why did God create family resemblance? There are probably several good answers to this question however I will give my point of view on the matter.
Perhaps God wants us to remember our loved ones who have passed on. It is a joyful and touching observation to see our grandparents in our children. It is the grace of God when we see our children smile and that smile reminds us of a family member who is gone. It gives us hope that we will see our loved ones again someday. Maybe another reason would be to create a sense of community in our families. Some families love to spend time together and look at old pictures and home movies and in those events and pictures there is a growing appreciation for our heritage and our roots. Along the same lines as Christians we have a family resemblance to God. We were made in the image of God. It is an honor to be a child of the living God and to bear his image. It should give believers a sense of community that sometimes our churches lack. It also should remind us of our rich heritage in the faith and give us assurance and hope that we will see our loved ones again.