Josh Hamilton - Relapse and Redemption

What a great article on Josh Hamilton.... stumbling in your attempt to walk a healthy righteous life does not make you a failure. I'm amazed at how people attack him after one relapse in years.... for you Christians out there - this man's a believer and needs our prayers ... 

Contrary to popular belief - becoming a Christian doesn't make life a picnic. It usually makes it harder - way way better, but harder...


Its not that Josh Hamilton redeemed himself - Jesus did.


We've got your back Josh!


Original article here:   http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/sports_blog/2012/02/josh-hamilton-relapse-give-the-guy-a-break.html

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Josh Hamilton relapse: Show some compassion

February 3, 2012 |  8:14 am

It's time to show Josh Hamilton a little compassion. Hamilton, the Texas Rangers' outfielder and a recovering addict, drank alcohol at a Dallas area bar Monday night, according to the Dallas Morning News.

The Rangers released a statement saying they are "aware of a situation, but we do not have further comment at this time."

Meanwhile, this has brought out the worst in some commenters all across the Internet, with many laughing at Hamilton's professed belief that Jesus gives him strength, or thinking "What do you expect from an addict?"

Apparently, teammate Ian Kinsler went to the bar Monday in an attempt to convince Hamilton to leave, which shows you at least one teammate thinks he is worth trying to help.

All we know for sure right now is that Hamilton relapsed for one night. He is tested for drugs three times a week. He had an accountability partner, former coach Jerry Narron, to support him in his recovery, and it's probably no coincidence that the relapse comes after Narron left the team to become the Milwaukee Brewers' hitting coach. His accountability partner leaving is just one of a couple of bad things to happen to Hamilton in the last year.

Last summer, Hamilton threw a foul ball toward fans in the left-field seats at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, and a man fell to his death as he lost his balance trying to make the catch. The man's young son was standing right next to his father when he fell. That had to have had an effect on Hamilton. Add that tragedy to the disappointment of losing in the World Series for the second year in a row, followed by his accountability partner leaving, and it's easy to see how all those things could lead to a moment of weakness.

But this is the time for people to rally around Hamilton and support him. To understand that he is human, just like the rest of us, and while he made a mistake, it doesn't have to be the end of his world. That we have all had moments of weakness, and we have all needed people to support us during those times, not make fun of us. That we applaud his years of sobriety, and don't add "but you let us all down" to his thought process as he tries to find the right path again.

A little compassion goes a long way. Many people are rallying around Hamilton today, but for those who want to use this to attack him, look in a mirror, and ask yourself if you will ever need anyone to support you one day. 

--Houston Mitchell

Photo: Josh Hamilton of the Rangers during the 2011 season. Credit: Tony Gutierrez / Associated Press.

Child Sponsorship - Why I Chose Compassion Canada ( International)

We’ve all seen the TV ads . We usually turn the channel right away. Not because we’re heartless but maybe because we can’t stand to see the suffering… or we don’t know what effect we could possibly have on it. 

Maybe its because they seem to be begging for money – and we don’t really like that. We’ve heard the stories of so-called charities who are actually just lining their own pockets – and this is probably just another one  of those.

Of course there’s also the realities of making ends meet – this is understandable. And then there are the selfish reasons – but I’ll leave that between you and your Maker. Because this is no guilt trip folks – it’s a reality check.. its an opportunity.. it’s a reward.

Feeding, educating and loving children in the third world is all of those things and, of course, more. Sponsoring a child through a reputable organization is a wonderful thing – for you and for the child and their family.

We talk about investing our money - think about the intangible priceless returns of investing in another human being!

My wife and I  have chosen an organization called Compassion International 

( specifically Compassion Canada) for a variety of reasons. Whatever organization you choose I believe that organization needs to fill the physical, cognitive, emotional and spiritual needs of the child – if the last three are not met then its just survival.

We have been with Compassion for about 8 years now and have never once been disappointed with the way our money , our sponsor child or we, ourselves, have been handled.

We recently gave our sponsor child a birthday gift of $50 (Canadian) last July - she just wrote back and thanked us for the $441,001.00 Rupiah....  this puts things in perspective for me.  I really do have the extra money, I think most of us do if we really committed to it.... 

Whether we are teenagers, young adults, married with children or seniors.

I think one of the main reasons people hesitate to donate money to overseas efforts is that they are just not confident that their money will reach those in need and actually make a difference.


 Because of Compassion's reputation of integrity and their holistic appraoch to helping children through a local church and indigenous people of that specific country - it really works. 


 For the financials and ratings you can see below why it is wise stewardship of your money , the child's care and , ultimately, God's glory and Kingdom. 


 For a real life testimony of people who have been through the program as children and are now successful healthy adults - please see the video below - it is truly amazing.

CNN's money man, Clark  Howard , advised that if you are thinking of giving to a charity to check out their rating with two specific watchdog organizations - The Better Business Bureau Charity and Charity Navigator. You can find both reviews at the links below.

 BBB Wise Giving Alliance Both Compassion International and Compassion Canada meet all 20 standards of the BBB Wise Giving Alliance and are accredited charities with the BBB.

Better Business Bureau Review: 

Charity Navigator notes that this organization receives $0 in government support. and rates it  4 out of 4 stars.

Charity Navigator Review: 

After reading the above reviews, it is undeniable that Compassion has one of the best reputations - secular or Christian .  Now take a few minutes to watch this video. it has the unique quality of looking back at children who have grown through Compassion and the local church and are now adults...

For a further look into Compassion - visit their website at http://www.compassion.ca/index.asp

and specifically the "Why Compassion?" page here

Here is a taste of what you'll find:

Releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name

As the world’s leading Christian child development ministry, Compassion is committed to eliminating the root causes of poverty for children around the globe. Our passion and purpose reside in our unwavering commitment to our Lord Jesus Christ and the ability of His Church to execute His command to serve the poor.

In response to the Great Commission, Compassion exists as an advocate for children to release them from their spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.

Compassion is Distinctly Christian

Compassion’s ministry is distinctly Christian. Our child development programs are unique in that they are:

• Christ-centred
• Child-focused
• Church-based

" Each person is created in God’s image and bears God’s Likeness. Jesus treated everyone with respect and willingly gave His life for the redemption of all people. Therefore, all people are worthy of our respect and love."

Here's the list of the children who have been waiting the longest:    http://www.compassion.ca/child_list.asp?linkid=74