DING...DING...DING!!

IT'S BEEN ALMOST 40 YEARS SINCE I'VE BEEN INA A BOXING MATCH. 1972 OR 1973 WAS THE LAST TIME I STOOD IN A CORNER IN THOSE SATIN BRITCHES.

YOU KNOW THE FIGHTS WORK LIKE THIS: MOST OF THE AMATEUR FIGHTS WERE
3- 3 MINUTE ROUNDS. IT USUALLY HAPPENED LIKE THIS:
ROUND 1- FULL OF ACTION... BOTH FIGHTERS WOULD COME OUT THROWING EVERYTHING THEY HAD. "HIGH HO FROM THE GET GO"!. LOTS OF FIGHTS ENDED IN THE FIRST ROUND. THE DUDE WOULD JUST OVER WHELM YOU! SO THERE WERE A LOT OF 1ST ROUND KNOCK OUTS.
ROUND 2 WAS DIFFERENT. IF BOTH COMBATANTS MADE IT THRU THE 1ST ROUND THINGS SLOWED CONSIDERABLY IN ROUND 2. THIS IS THE ROUND FOR TRYING TO ADJUST STRATEGIES, MAKE CHANGES AND TRY TO FIND SOMETHING THAT WORKED. EVERY NOW & THEN YOU COULD FIND SOMETHING SO EFFECTIVE THAT YOU COULD END THE FIGHT IN THE 2ND ROUND. BUT MOST OF THE TIME THE 2ND ROUND WAS THE ROUND OF ADJUSTMENT. THEN COMES THE 3RD ROUND, BUBBA!
ROUND 3- THE PACE OF ACTION PICKED UP JUST LIKE THE 1ST ROUND. BOTH OPPONENTS HAD DECIDED ON THEIR BEST CHANCE TO WIN AND WERE BLOWING FULL SPEED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. THE INTENSITY OF 3RD ROUNDS WAS ENORMOUS. THE FIGHT EITHER ENDED OR YOU WENT TO A JUDGES DECISION. THAT 3RD ROUND WAS SOMETHING ELSE!!

YOU KNOW LEUKEMIA AND KEMO ARE A LOT LIKE THOSE 3 ROUND FIGHTS.
ROUND 1- LEUKEMIA, CANCER, OR WHATEVER DISEASE YOU HAVE TRIES TO TAKE YOU OUT. IT TRIES TO OVER WHELM YOU AND KNOCK YOU OUT.... AND LIKE THE AMATEUR BOUTS A LOT OF THEM END IN THE 1ST ROUND. I JUST FINISHED THE 1ST ROUND OF THIS BATTLE AND I ALMOST DIDN'T MAKE IT. IN MY CASE LEUKEMIA ALMOST GOT THE 1ST KNOCK OUT. BUT NOW WE ARE IN ROUND 2.
ROUND 2- JUST LIKE THE OLD AMATEUR FIGHTS. IN ROUND 2 YOUR DOCTOR WORKS OUT HOW TO BEST TREAT YOU... YOUR MEDICINES AND YOUR BEST PROGRAM. THE DISEASE IS DOING THE SAME THING. MAKING MUTATIONS AND CHANGES OF IT'S OWN. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME NOW. SOMETIMES THE FIGHT ENDS IN ROUND 2 BUT NOT VERY OFTEN. BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME THERE IS THAT 3RD ROUND, BUDDY!
ROUND 3- BOTH SIDES GO WITH A FURRY! AGAIN THE INTENSITY IS UNBELIEVABLE. ONE IS EITHER KNOCKED OUT OR THERE IS A JUDGES DECISION...NOT MANY DRAWS IN THIS WORLD. BOUT YOUR ONLY HELP IS YOUR CORNER MAN. IN MY OLD AMATEUR BOUTS RAYFORD COLLINS BROUGHT ME HOME TO VICTORY ALL BUT 3 TIMES. IN THESE OTHER FIGHTS IN LIFE THERE IS A BETTER CORNER MAN. HIS NAME IS JESUS AND HE HAS NEVER FAILED TO DELIVER!

..........as dictated to Chili Pepper from the bed side of BIG ROCK.

Hang in there Big Rock. It gives me peace to know that you have put your trust in Jesus Christ to see you through... Soli Deo Gloria!!..... Chili Pepper

FROM THE SON OF THE MEDINA MYSTIC

One of the worst butt-whoopin's I got was at a football game when I was 11 years old. My dad was coaching offense from the pressbox and his team was outmatched that day. On this particular offensive possession, they'd had two rough downs deep in their own territory and found themselves in a 3rd-and-17 situation. Dad figures it's best to get what he can on 3rd down, punt, and let Leland and the defense try to stop them; so he calls for the draw play (a run up the middle). They get crushed for a loss on the play. 4th down. So I stand up, turn around and yell toward the press box "Dad, on third and long you're supposed to THROW the ball!!!" The crowd goes nuts...as does Chili Pepper, who promptly takes me behind the stands and wears my tail out. Sometimes I wonder if she did that out of embarassment or on account of my public disrespect of Dad's playcalling? Either way, I deserved it.

Dad's had a pretty rough go of things since his last post. First off, he suffered one and maybe two heart attacks. That put him in the hospital where they found out that he has Acute Myloid Leukemia. Turns out that the heart attack was a good thing. Without it, the doctors probably wouldn't have caught the leukemia in time. Since he had both a heart attack and leukemia, he's in ICU receiving the best care the hospital can provide. We're told that if you're going to have leukemia, the kind Dad has is the best one since it's the most responsive to treatment.

In a way, it's third-and-long again. So, Dad, are you going to run or throw? Whatever you do, just don't take a kneel-down. Now's not the time to run out the clock. It's never too late to put a few more points on the internal scoreboard. Providence has dictated the outcome, so give it your best shot and, run or throw, I'm proud of you.

Thanks for reading. The Mystic appreciates your prayers!

"What is fate? Fate is this—Whatever is, must be. But there is a difference between that and Providence. Providence says, Whatever God ordains must be; but the wisdom of God never ordains any thing without a purpose. Every thing in this world is working for some one great end." - C.H. Spurgeon

TURBULENT AIR

**** Long ago my Son & I took a plane trip . This was back in the day when the airlines gave away Cokes & peanuts .

Well , my Son was as excited as a ten year old can be over the prospect of free Cokes & peanuts . He began to put them away as fast as they could bring them .

I warned him about the danger of consuming large amounts of watery Cokes & peanuts but he chose not to heed the advice .

We were sailing along at 30,000 feet when he said " Dad , Dad ".
The distress was clear in his voice as well as in his expression .

Then I heard four faint rumblings that sounded like air being released from a balloon . A toxic vapor seemed to fill the air .

Then things began to happen quickly . The passenger in front of us yelled for the stewardess. He hollered, " We have an electrical fire '.

The Lady across the aisle said ," I smell it too . Oh Lord We are on fire " . The stewardess called for all hands on deck as they franticly searched the over- head compartments for the fire .

The stewardess could not find the fire but did calm the alarmed passengers that the danger was past . The toxic smell was fading & most passengers were able to put away the oxygen masks .

The pilot announced that they could find no evidence of a fire but would have the plane checked out when we landed .

My Son did not have anymore Cokes or peanuts for the remainder of the trip .

**** Picking Games

LSU over Tennessee

Ole Miss over Kentucky

Bama over Florida

Memphis over Tulsa

NFL - Pick 4

Ravens over Steelers

Packers over Lions

Colts over Jags

Eagles over Redskins

Last Week 7 - 2 Season 18 - 9

Thank you for reading !!!!