Michael T. Miyoshi's Blog, page 61

WWJD

The thought behind WWJD (What would Jesus do?) is a quaint, but misguided ideal of divine guidance.

It has taken me many years to come to this conclusion. Not because I am trying to justify my actions or inactions. I just know that it is hard enough to figure out what I would do in anybody else’s shoes. And asking what Jesus would do in my situation is even more difficult. Probably even ludicrous. After all, asking what Jesus would do is asking what a perfect person, who is also completely G...

The Cuba Gooding Jr. Incident

Cuba Gooding, Jr. licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

I am not a rabid fan of anybody, but I was recently reminded of an incident we had with a celebrity. (It was not really an incident, but it sounds more exciting than a mere encounter.)

My wife, The Mindboggling Mrs. Miyoshi, and I recently watched a movie called Life of a King, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. Mr. Gooding played Eugene in this enjoyable biography of a chess playing ex-con. About a week before that, we watched the movie Jerry Maguire wi...

A Magnificent Magnanimous Month

March Magnanimous is over and it was indeed a magnificent, magnanimous month. Fun was had, attitudes were elevated, good deeds were done, and funds were raised. There was even a little madness in it as well. Pretty good for just a month’s worth of effort.

Seemingly the whole student body of our modest high school was in on the fun and festivities. People donated money to various groups for various do-gooding endeavors. Canned (and other) food was donated to a local food bank. Good will and m...

The Biggest Loser

This work is in the public domain.

I wanted to be the biggest loser. Not on the TV show or anything like that. I just wanted to have the most quarters, which would mean I was the biggest loser.

Perhaps I should start at the beginning. Or at least the middle.

Our school, the one with March Magnanimous well under way, is having a fund-raising campaign. It is called Be the Change. (Everything must have a cute little name these days, especially in school campaigns.) Anyway, the goal is for each...

Quit Editing

A friend of mine (the one who wants to be known as the green M (of M & M) in these Musings and who is known as R to the rest of the known universe) said that I ought to quit editing. Or at least that is what I think he said.

Sometimes I am not sure what Mike The Big Green M says. Sometimes it is because he does not know exactly what he is saying. But I do listen. After all, he is my friend. And one of my faithful readers. (Yes, one of the real as opposed to imaginary ones.)

While Mike did sa...

March Magnanimous

March Magnanimous is underway at Cedarcrest High School (CHS) in Duvall, Washington. No, that is not a typo. Even though March Madness takes over much of the country, magnanimity not madness takes over in March at our small high school.

If you have ever wondered what one person can do, all you need to do is look around. For better or worse, individuals have made a difference throughout history. Jesus, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King, Jr. These few and many more have turned their world if n...

A World Revival

Praying Hands by Albrecht Dürer

This work is in the public domain.

I wonder what would happen if

The world had a big revival

If we thought about just pleasing God

Instead of mere survival

If we cared about our brothers’ souls

About our sisters’ needs

If we realized God was the One

Who brings crops when we plant seeds.

I wonder what would happen if

On Christ the Rock we stood

If we learned to preach the gospel

In every neighborhood

If we understood the power of

This great big God we serve

If when we heard th...

Back-to-Back Bad Luck Days

Two back-to-back days of bad luck. That is what Friday the thirteenth followed by Valentine’s Day are. At least if you are superstitious. Or single.

I was at the store on Friday the thirteenth and noticed the phenomenon of the greeting card holiday. There seem to be more and more of them as time goes on. Greeting cards for Christmas and Easter are pretty normal. As are birthday cards. But cards for Halloween and the Fourth of July? Maybe we need president’s day cards or Thanksgiving cards or e...

So They Won’t Get Fined

A few weeks ago during the hype leading up to the Super Bowl, a friend of mine asked if I was going to write about Marshawn Lynch’s media day where he answered every question with some form of “I’m just here so I won’t get fined.” Five minutes of the same answer to every question. I read about it, but still have not watched it in any of its forms on YouTube. But I bet my son can sympathize with the amazing Seahawk running back.

Looking at the newspaper and YouTube, it appears that instead of t...

The Big Play

On Any Given Sunday by John Morgan

licensed under CC BY 2.0

Armchair quarterbacks will debate the play long after the Seahawks lost Super Bowl XLIX to the New England Patriots. And so might conspiracy theorists.

Everybody in the universe thought that the Seattle Seahawks were going to give the ball to Marshawn Lynch on the one yard line with 26 seconds left in the Super Bowl. It would have been the go ahead touchdown and put the team in position to win its second championship. Armchair quarterba...