NFL 2019, Reflecting On Week One

Hello all,

This post will differ a bit from what I normally share on this blog, but with some spare time on my hands (rare for a Wednesday, but my truck is currently in the shop)... I shall share a few of my own insights and reflections on this past weekend's slate of NFL games. I'll call it "NFL 2019, Reflecting On Week One"

Just a couple things to get out in the open first. I've been a follower of the National Football League since 1990 (minus the 2016 season, in which I "sat out" to protest Tom Brady's suspension, and didn't watch a single snap of any of the games)... and I call myself a fan of the New England Patriots (my favorite team since 2009) as well as the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers (secondary favorites going all the way back to the early 90s).

By the way, don't expect me to post one of these every week. I happen to have some down time today, but am normally working 60-70 hours Monday through Friday. Anyway, here goes. A few thoughts on week one, with my own personal "power rankings" posted at the end of this article (my current top 5 and bottom 5) Enjoy!

1. I'm literally laughing out loud at the Cleveland Browns! Ever since I got written a bogus ticket on the Ohio Turnpike in June (another story altogether I won't get into here), I've been very much anti-Ohio (not that I was ever much endeared to the round-at-both-ends-high-in-the-middle-state to begin with) and so seeing the over-hyped "Super Bowl bound" Browns get blown out, at home (in front of their own beer-bottle-tossing fans) was delightful. Awesome. Joyful. Most excellent and praiseworthy. But seriously, I never bought into the preseason hype and in a way, I was waiting for this moment. The Browns quite literally ARE who I thought they were! They were 0-16 just two years ago, and they haven't made the playoffs in something like 247 years! Matter of fact, the last time the Browns were relevant at all... they were coached by some guy (you might have heard his name) called Bill Belichick. I expect Cleveland to lose many more games this season and I will eagerly look forward to each and every number they add to that column on the right hand side... and laugh with jubilation each and every time!

2. I was happy to see the Cincinnati Bengals lose too, but disappointed it wasn't a blowout.

3. The Patriots don't even need Antonio Brown. They did just fine without him on Sunday night. Some people are projecting the Pats to finish with another 16-0 season. Tempering expectations, I think they will lose a game or two. And as a fan personally, I'd rather that they lose those games in the regular season, not in the playoffs! As long as they don't lose to the Giants (they play on October 10th)... then it's all good.

4. Aaron Rodgers is back and better than ever! The quarterback who carried me to a fantasy football league championship in 2011 is 1-0! He guided the Green Bay offense to 10 points! Okay so he and the Packers offense didn't do much against the Bears' top defense on the opening game Thursday, but Green Bay's defense kept them in the game and their O did just have enough to win. Expect a strong bounce back year in 2019 for GB.

5. We had another tie game this weekend. Seriously?!? I hate tie games! Hello, you play to win the game!!!

6. Couple teams that didn't make the playoffs last year that I really think are worth watching and I wouldn't be surprised if they made a run this season... the 49ers and the Bills. If San Francisco can stay healthy (especially at the QB position) I think they can challenge for a wild-card spot (taking the division from the defending NFC champs is a bit of a stretch) Buffalo just made the playoffs two seasons ago on the heels of their defense, the growth and progress of their young QB in his second year will be the difference. Much like the 49ers, I don't expect them to take the division, but a wild card is not out of reach here.

Okay, finally... my own personal "power rankings" where I'll rate what I see as the top 5 teams after week one, and also the bottom 5.  Starting with the top...
1. New England Patriots
2. Kansas City Chiefs
3. Los Angeles Rams
4. Baltimore Ravens
5. Dallas Cowboys (it hurts to put them here, but they honestly appear to be the real deal in 2019)

Now, the bottom 5. Counting backward, with #32 being the worst...
32. Detroit Lions (that's not a mistake, I really do have them rated lower than Miami)
31. Arizona Cardinals (that's not a mistake, I really do have them rated lower than Miami, tie games tend to have that effect on me, psychologically)
30. Miami Dolphins (hey, at least they didn't tie!)
29. New York Giants
28. Denver Broncos (it was a tough choice here which came down to choosing between Denver, Tampa Bay, Cleveland, and Washington... if the four, the Broncos lost to the Raiders so here they are... the other three lost to teams that could at least be relevant this season, and I just couldn't bring myself to put the Redskins on this list)

Thanks for reading!

Welcome to July!

Welcome to July! Halfway through 2019, and what a year it's shaping up to be!

So... I got back to Dumfries yesterday afternoon after a brief overnight trip out to the Shenandoah mountains and am here through the weekend. This will actually be my first 4th of July in VA since 2013!

Sleep was hard to come by last night. As usual, I was up late (I almost always get less sleep when I'm on "home time" as there's so much catching up to do on real life which I miss out on when I'm on the road). And, well... my alarm went off at 3:20 this morning!

And no, I'm not referring to my alarm clock. The alarm I'm talking about is hard-wired into a 3000 pound piece of metal which is painted blue and has the Ford emblem on it.

Which got me thinking... that's another thing to add to my list. Replace the Ford Escape... eventually. It's now 12 years old and has over 193K miles on it... 32K of which I put on it since acquiring it early in 2016, only a little more than 3 years ago. I swear I think it's possessed. It will be quiet for several days/weeks, even months at a time... and then will sound off every day or every other day for a little bit, then go quiet again! Been like that ever since I first got it. My new neighbors are going to hate me when I do actually get moved in somewhere here, if I don't get rid of it. Rarely does it go off in the middle of the night like that (this is only the 2nd time I know of that's happened) but I'm pretty sure the blue beast is loud enough to wake the dead!

Speaking of which... I have so much to do, but am really starting to get excited about what I expect to be a permanent move back home, hopefully completed by the end of summer. It has been such a long and brutal road to get back here, and I'm needing all the prayers I can get that it all works out... I really think the time is right to make this move and it's going to be so awesome to call Virginia my official home once again!

Now... still looking for a local "day job" around here in addition to the apartment search. I expect to return to my current job next week and so... praying for strength to endure the road life for just a little while longer.

Anyway, this is long but thanks for reading and thank you all for your prayers! 2019 is shaping up to be another great year and I am blessed! When life changes... God is good!

May all have a happy and safe Independence Day!

Mike

When Life Is Unfair

Earlier this week, we (that is, our church... more specifically, our VBS team) had our 2nd official volunteer meeting in anticipation of our upcoming Vacation Bible School program. All of us were given a "crew leader guide" and while it is probably unlikely that I will be doing any teaching during the week (and I say "probably unlikely" as I never really know for certain if I may be thrust into that role last minute due to unforeseen circumstances such as a staff shortage, a much higher than anticipated enrollment number, or any other matter that comes up as a result of "opening day adjustments")... but I digress... while it is unlikely, the theme for day one caught my attention.

The theme for day one of the week long VBS is "When Life Is Unfair... God is Good!"

Let me say that again. When life is unfair... God is good!

Wow. This message is one I can certainly take to heart... and it's true, too! Jesus Himself warned us "In this world you will have trouble" (John 16:33) Not "you might have trouble"... "you WILL have trouble."

Jesus goes on to say (still in John 16:33) "But take heart! I have overcome the world." Nahum 1:7 says... "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows those who take refuge in Him."

A few years back, I went through an incredible amount of adversity. Things got so bad I seriously began to wonder where God had gone, or even if He cared. I struggled with deep depression, and it was so bad at one point (actually at several points) that I all can say is that I'm blessed that I made it through and am still alive.

It was not fair. None of the things I went through were fair, and most of them were not even my fault. I didn't think I was ever going to make it through.

But God... is good! I'm on the other side of the valley now. And while I would never in a million years want to repeat all the trouble I went through... there is still a lot of good that came out of it.

Folks... do not give up, no matter how hard things get... no matter how unfair life is... do not give up, the Lord is good. Focus on what is good in life. "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." (Philippians 4:8) "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God." (Romans 8:28)

When life is unfair... God is good!

Blessings to you all,
Mike Kinnaly

Work With All Your Heart

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, and not for human masters." -Colossians 3:23
This verse came to my mind earlier in the week as I reflected on these past two years. On where God has lead me, and where He is taking me to.
It's been so long since I updated my blog, so first let me give you a "brief" (I use the term "brief" loosely, as I doubt I'll be able to keep myself from getting a little long-winded here)... a "brief" rundown on what's been going on these past two years.
In a nutshell, I've been working. On March 22nd 2017... I embarked on a new journey. I left behind the cold and bitter northeast and took off for California. I had nothing to lose, so I figured... why not? I drove cross country, a road trip, alone... arriving in southern California on April 9th. This was it. I was going to begin my new life here, in sunny Los Angeles. I'd made plans to enroll in LA Valley College, with the long term goal of breaking into the entertainment industry.
I had been out of trucking for two years at that point. I never imagined I'd ever get back into the industry. But yet, that's exactly what happened. I went to California to begin a new career, instead I returned to my old career, as I landed a new job with a national trucking company working out of (one of their many) terminals located in Fontana CA.
To make a long story short... I made my way back east later that summer, transferring to their terminal in Carlisle PA. Bounced back and forth between PA and Tulsa OK (actually spending the majority of 2018 in Oklahoma)... and now I am back on the east coast again.
As I mentioned, never... not once... not in a million years... did I ever imagine I'd get back into trucking. The lifestyle (it's a lifestyle, not just an ordinary job)... is brutal. It's lonely out on the road. The hours are long. It bounces back and forth between being extremely boring and extremely stressful, sometimes several times in a day. It's a dangerous job, and in many ways... an unhealthy lifestyle as well. According to studies that have been done, the average life expectancy of a truck driver in the United States... is 61 years. 61 years! So, basically, if I continue in this line of work, I'll live only another 20 years!
Still, it's been an adventure. There are places I've been, and things I've seen... that may never have been possible if I wasn't trucking. I've even reunited with a few old friends that I knew from my hometown in VA (now living in various other parts of the country)... including (this past October)... my best friend from middle school for the first time in 27 years!
Anyway, to get back to my main point. Trucking ain't easy (and that's putting it lightly), and I most likely will not be in this industry for very long, but while I am... I will think of this verse. I will work with all my heart. Because, in the end, I'm working for the Lord, not for men. I trust Him to guide me through, as He has in every way through this journey of the last two years.
I encourage you all, whoever may be reading, to do the same. Whatever you do. Work at it with all your heart. As if... you were working for the Lord Himself.
Blessings to you all,
Mike