El Classico

I'm not reading the review I want of el Classico on Sunday, so I am going to write it. And yes, I am a Real Madrid fan, so this will have a bias.

Real Madrid and Barcelona played a fantastic game of football for 63 minutes on Sunday night. At that point, an possibly offside Neymar went down in the box with minimal contact, winning a penalty. Sergio Ramos, the defender who clipped his heels, was given an immediate red card. With that decision, the game stopped, and although fantastic football was still displayed, there was not a fair demonstration of both teams abilities.

When a game with so many goals is kept so even, it shows that the teams are evenly matched. These teams have played each other so many times. They know each others' style and weaknesses. They are the best in the game. And they bring out the best in each other.

And it would have been nice to see it continue to be played.

Referees are allowed to make mistakes. Part of the players job is to not only get the ball to go where they want it to, but also get the call they want. It is a physical game and the balance between physicality and too much physicality is a fine line. So to blame the referee for bias isn't fair, but one does wish that the needless penalties (both of them) weren't given, and the undeserved red card was not shown.

I am not saying Real Madrid are a perfect team. They simulate and celebrate and take advantage of the the situation, just like every other team. But they are also a really good team and they were playing really well. They were unfortunately unable to really play while they had 10 men against 11. It almost seems to me that any spectacular play by Barcelona after Ramos got sent off shouldn't really count, because they had the (unfair) advantage.

Much has been made of the fact that this was Ramos 19th red card for Real Madrid. Much has been said about the way Real always blames the ref not crediting the good play of the opponent. Both might be true, but no one seems to be mentioning the fact that bits of sportsmanship were shown on the pitch, and often by Real Madrid players. Nor is it mentioned that Barcelona players never admit that they were helped by the ref, only crediting their style of play and their little "Phenomenon."* (Or that they don't mind hitting a person when he is down, or their "in your face" celebrations.) In the other hand, they have played amazing football for several years now and have often left Real Madrid fumbling around on the field, committing fouls out of frustration. But Sunday night was not one of those occasions.

If Ramos hadn't been unfairly sent off, it would have been more clear how amazing both teams are. The entire game would have been more enjoyable to watch - for everybody - just like the tension and excitement in the first half. But the referee's call tipped the game and the league in Barcelona's favor. And that is just a little hard for a Real Madrid fan to take quietly.

*I am reminded of a Champions League game last year against Manchester United, where Nani was questionably sent off, which turned the game. I was very glad we won, but I did admit that it the sending off did alter the game and was probably unfair. But Real Madrid players pretty much admitted the same thing.

Pictures

Some of this month's pictures. 

He managed to scoot himself under the highchair, but was unable to get out.

 We played Color Find one day. Eamon took this picture with a little help.

 There is even less snow now, and we drew pictures on the sidewalk with chalk.

 One day, when we went for a walk, Eamon stomped in all the puddles.

 

This isn't the normal monthly picture, but I felt that it captured a lot of his personality - 

smiley and on the go.

I love these boys!

Church

Last January, we stopped attending the church I grew up in. We have been attending our new church since February, but now, finally, we will become members there. This, and several books and articles I have recently read, has caused me to reflect a bit on the Church - what it is and what it is supposed to be.

I have read many blog posts and articles about how churches have let people down, how people have been hurt by expectations, and why you should work through your church hang-ups and not leave. I read a book marveling at the comparison between the physical body and the church as Christ's body. I am rereading a book about what it means to be part of a church, and have perused the material we will be using for our New Membership Classes. From all of these things and personal experience, I have come to the conclusion that Church is a Big Deal. But I still have many questions.

When is it good to leave a church? What if that church is a good church? But just not a good church for you? Is church then subjective to my personality and preferences? Is the local body so important that I should attend a place that I can minister, but not be ministered too? Or what about the other way around, a place where I am ministered to, but don't have a place to minister? What is the church's role in helping me discover where I fit? Or is that my job and I offer to help in those ways I feel most comfortable? And that brings up another aspect, what about comfort? What if I am not comfortable recommending my church to my friends, simply because I know they would be weirded out by certain aspects of the service? But I am perfectly comfortable recommending my church to a stranger because I know they will hear God's love both in the service as well as in the fellowship? And what about church attendance and membership and tithing? These things I have grown up with, so I have assumptions about them but does God really think all the things I have been told he thinks about them? And...

What I do know is this: each day I live in faith before God. I make mistakes and I am forgiven. I pray and do my best, and leave the rest to God. I want to know, but God says that loving is more important than knowing. So I go to a church where I am weekly reminded of His love for me, His acceptance of me, and His blessings on me. And I look for where I can serve that church using the gifts God has given me.

When Fat Tuesday Became Sick Wednesdy

with guest title by Matt S. and inspiration by Nicole

I have written before about friendships and communities. We have friends and acquaintances. They have friends and acquaintances. We like to get together with our friends. They get together with their friends. We like sharing our lives and we are edified when we share our struggles and triumphs. Unfortunately, we sometimes share things that we don't intend to.

On Fat Tuesday, we traditionally get together with our "Matt's House" group because Matt makes fastnachts with his mom. This year, he was unable to host it due to his house being repaired from water damage, so another of the families offered to host it. That morning, the hosting wife became ill, so we offered to host it.

There is a nasty stomach/intestinal virus going around, but when we all arrived, no one felt ill and those who had been exposed, felt that they were out of danger. Can you guess where this is going?

Some one ended up bringing the bug to a gathering where food was the purpose. We all shared germs that fateful Tuesday night. Wednesday, one of the families who had been previously healthy, came down with the virus. It started going through our family on Thursday. And it hit my good friend and select members of her family too.

So the moral of this tale is, "Friends that hang together all get sick." Or perhaps, "Friends share - good things and bad things - and we love each other through good times and hard times and even when they get us sick."