Thoughts about the Winter Olympic Games

Over the past two weeks, I have watched the Winter Olympic games.  I have mostly had it on in the background while I am doing other things.  The Olympic games are unique and the competition usually involves people we never hear of until the games.

I have some thoughts about these Olympics:

• They like to tell us that these athletes are the “best in the world”.  I’m not so sure about that.  In reality these are the ones would could afford to train and compete.  For instance, for someone to train as an Olympic figure skater, it costs between $50,000-$100,000 or more.  It isn’t cheap and not something everyone can afford to do.  So there could be better athletes out there but just simply don’t have to money to compete.
• What’s up with this sport of curling?  It seems every time I turn on the games that there are people screaming and sweeping.  Have you tried to sit and watch an ENTIRE game?  Painful.  
• The television coverage of the games is a bit frustrating.  I have tuned in to watch figure skating and suddenly I’ve been bounced to watch skeleton or double-person luge.  With all the streaming options, you’d think we could just watch the live coverage of the sport we want to watch.  
• Speaking of television coverage, the reporter interviews have been horrible.  Last night one of the reporters interviewed a skater who was just devastated with her performance.  The reporter asked, “How did you feel when you came off the ice?”  How do you think she felt?  What a terrible question.  Just make her relive it again and cry about it.  Good grief.  
• How about some of these sports?  Can you really bounce down to your local ski lodge and decide you want to do some sloping?  Yeah, I doubt there is a place to do all those turns, flips and acrobatics.  
• Every four years we get reacquainted with terms that we don’t normally use any other time such as “twizzles” and “Salchow”.  Last night I heard some new terms such as bread and butter at one of the ski jumping events.  I’m still not sure what they mean by “butter”.  

It is also difficult to see how much pressure these athletes are under - especially when they are “expected” to get a Gold Medal.  Several have caved in under the pressure.  It is sad to see how crushed these young athletes are after a terrible performance.  They have given up so much of their lives for this one moment at such a young age.  

Some of my favorite sports to watch are: figure skating, bobsled, short-track speed skating and ice hockey.     

Life is a Vapor

Life is but a vapor. 

That’s what the Bible says about our lives. 

So what happens when the vapor is gone?  What’s next?  Is there even anything next?

If you ask 10 random people what happens after we die, you would get nine different answers (one would refuse to answer).

So what do people believe?

Sadly some believe you just cease to exist.  The end.  Nothing else.  

However, 70-80 percent of Americans believe in some form of an afterlife existence. 

Here are some other beliefs:

Islam: Muslims believe in an afterlife, where the soul waits for Judgement Day to go to Jannah (paradise) or Jahannam(hell).

Hinduism & Buddhism: Believe in reincarnation, where the soul/consciousness is reborn into a new body (Samsara), eventually seeking moksha (liberation) or Nirvana(enlightenment).

Judaism: Focuses heavily on life, but beliefs include the soul's immortality and a "World to Come".

Sikhism: Believes the soul passes through many births until it achieves mukti (liberation) and unites with God.

Secular/Scientific View: Death marks the end of consciousness, heartbeat, and brain activity, with no existence of a soul or afterlife.

Other Beliefs: Some, such as in Shintoism, see death as impure and focus on ancestors becoming kami(spirits). Others, like in some Native American traditions, view it as a return to the spirit world. 

So which one is right?  Are any of them right?

For me, I have always believed - and will always believe - that Jesus is the key to the afterlife.  He defeated death and promised that we would also do the same if we believe in Him.  Do I have proof?  Does it matter if you don’t believe?  My words won’t convince you.  I can say that I have visited the empty tomb.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very thing this all hinges on.  

Here are some things to consider about the resurrection of Jesus:

• The Empty Tomb: According to the Gospel accounts, Jesus was buried in a tomb sealed with a large stone and guarded by soldiers, yet the body was missing on the third day. The empty tomb is considered a strong starting point as even early detractors did not claim the tomb was occupied, but rather that the body was stolen.

• Post-Mortem Appearances: The Gospels and the Apostle Paul report that the risen Jesus appeared to various people, including Mary Magdalene, the apostles, and over 500 people at once. These were not mere hallucinations but, according to the accounts, physical interactions where they ate with him and touched his wounds.

• The Transformation of the Disciples: The disciples were initially fearful and in hiding. Following the reported resurrection, they became courageous, unwavering witnesses, many of whom were martyred for their faith in the risen Christ, which is considered an unlikely outcome for a fabricated story.

• The Conversion of Skeptics: James, a brother of Jesus who did not believe in him during his ministry, and Paul, a persecutor of the early church, both became leaders after reporting experiences with the risen Jesus.

• Early Church Growth: The explosive, rapid rise of Christianity in Jerusalem—the very city where Jesus was executed—was based entirely on the message that he had risen.

• Reliable Historical Documents: The New Testament accounts are supported by thousands of early, consistent, and well-documented manuscripts. 

So does this prove that there is an afterlife?  If you are looking for reasons NOT to believe then no.  You either have faith or not.  My obscure blog won’t be enough to do it.  I can’t explain it scientifically.  Some things we can’t just have every detail figured out for us to believe.  For me, there is an assurance settled within me that my life will not end at death but when I am absent in my physical body, I will be present with the Lord.  

Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

I am the "old dog" now. It is painful for me to admit that. I also work in technology but I am always excited to try out new technology in our field. If there is something which will improve what I am doing, I never shy away from learning it. I'm usually one who will dive into whatever the new thing is.

I remember when I started in litigation technology many years ago. One of the very first purchases that I convinced my office to make was a document presenter. The document presenter is like a high-tech overhead project without the need to make transparencies to use it. On the document presenter, you can place documents, photos or even objects to display on a screen and even zoom in and out.

In the first staff meeting when I demonstrated how the document presenter was used, there were audible oohs and aahs in the room. It was like something futuristic that I was demonstrating to the legal staff. Shortly after the demonstration, I was able to convince one of our attorneys to use it in an upcoming trial. I agreed to operate it and sit next to her at the table during the trial. Her co-counsel was one of our managers who was very skeptical about using the equipment. During the trial, I helped to display what was requested and he eventually warmed up to the technology. He would say "Mr. Hooper put that exhibit on that machine so we can show the jury." From that moment on, the office started using the document presenter. Everyone called it the "Elmo" since it was the brand name of the equipment. An agent once asked me if Elmo was an acronym. I jokingly said it was an Electronic Light Machine Operator. He always referred to it that way.

The legal staff eventually used it on their own without needing me to do it. I would set it up and test it for them prior to trial. It changed the way we presented evidence to the jury. Instead of passing around evidence, this allowed us to ensure that all jurors focused on what we were talking about at the same time. Even opposing counsel got onboard with the equipment asking for us to display things for them as well.

The technology has changed a lot since that beginning with the Elmo. We now have Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Elmo is just a routine piece of equipment in most courtrooms now. It amazes me how far we have come since that first experience. I have seen technology evolve over the years. I am glad that I am still a part of it.

I may be an old dog now but I still like to learn new tricks.