The Third Station
Jesus Falls the First Time
All the Heavenly Host look on in wondering sorrow as You fall under the weight of the cross. It presses on Your stinging shoulders and dares you to rise.
It is my callous, spiteful, lustful, wrathful, envious, faithless heart, ingrained in the wood of that cross, that crushes Your bleeding body. Oh Lord, it crushes me too, but I haven’t the strength to lift myself.
And so, You struggle on, carrying it and me, to Calvary. For You know that it is only on that bloody hill, that I will finally be released from this heavy burden.
You are determined that I should live free, despite what it costs You.
And now, I can hear You call to me, “Pick up your cross and follow Me.”
Gracious Lord, I cannot carry it myself. Help me!
A Word of Advice
That didn’t take long. The media has my blood boiling over their coverage of 
the Pope’s abdication and the upcoming conclave. I’m not surprised, but it still rankles. Well, Mother always said, “If you can’t say something nice about someone…”
So instead I’ll rant about Customer Service.
Companies spend fortunes on sophisticated computer systems and training for their customer service representatives, all with the aim of easing the task of helping their customers with a variety of problems.
Here’s a little word of advice: cut it out! I don’t care what company you are, or what you sell, your customer service system is mostly composed of FAIL.
Having worked in IT for many years, I know the horrors of wearing a headset. Later, when I ran my own company, the lessons I learned in the trenches were invaluable in keeping my customers from wanting to kill me. Let me share them with you:
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Meet the New “Chesty”
(Photo by Sgt. Dengrier M. Baez)
Chesty stands on the door step of Home of the Commandants during the puppy’s visit to Marine Barracks Washington, D.C., Feb. 14.
Chesty, a 9-week-old pedigree English bulldog is soon to become the future Marine Corps mascot after the completion of obedience and recruit training with a ceremony scheduled for March 29.
After completing training, the young puppy will earn the title Marine joining the ranks of his well-known predecessors.
I hope he didn’t piddle on the Commandant’s shoes. That could be a career ender! His predecessor went after the Sec Def’s dog while on parade. Good boy!
h/t marines.mil
Happy Birthday Mr. President!
…Having thus imparted to you my sentiments as they have been awakened by the occasion which brings us together, I shall take my present leave; but not without resorting once more to the benign Parent of the Human Race in humble supplication that, since He has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquility, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness, so His divine blessing may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend.
~ from the First Inaugural Address
NFL Across the Pond
For the past couple of years, the NFL has been trying to get Europeans interested in our national pastime by playing a regular season game overseas. They’d like to do this in Germany, Canada, and other countries, but not on the scale of NFL Europa, the league’s last sorry attempt at exporting the sport around the world. Thankfully, the NFL euthanized that monstrosity in 2007, but hasn’t completely given up it’s plans for world domination.
Lately, the Brits have been hosting the game. From what I’ve observed, they don’t exactly know what to make of it. They applaud politely when something happens. They dress up in team colors to enter more deeply in the fan experience. They find the game fast and loud, which is fun, but in the end they don’t get it.
Well, if the NFL should decide to base some teams across the pond, Dave at Dave’s Art Locker has already been working on it. The rest of the NFC North is below the fold…
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The Second Station
Jesus Takes Up His Cross
This is why you took on human flesh. This is the instrument of my salvation. How you welcomed it! How I run from mine.
My hard and darkened heart cannot understand a love that would surrender a Throne to live with me. Or one that willingly suffers a horrible death so that I can live.
You see my broken soul in the wood of that cross, and you embrace me.
Music Break
I need a break—how ’bout you?
This is the point in the afternoon when my eyes start to cross (more than normal). I’ve ingested enough caffeine to keep a platoon of Marines awake for a week. I can’t go outside cuz, well, it’s February. There’s only one other solution…
We need some tunes up’n dis hizzie…
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