Head football coach (above) is deaf and has two deaf sons on the team.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The athletic program at the California School for the Deaf, Riverside, has suffered its share of humiliations and harassment over the years.

There was the time that a visiting team’s volleyball coach mocked the deaf players.

And another time a hearing coach for the girls’ basketball team listened as opponents discussed how embarrassing it would be to lose to a deaf team.

It did not help morale that the varsity football team, the Cubs, recently suffered seven straight losing seasons, leaving the school with the sinking feeling that opposing football teams came to the Riverside campus expecting an easy win.

No one is disparaging the Cubs anymore.

This season, they are undefeated — the highest-ranked team in their Southern California division.

Through 11 games, they have not so much beaten their opponents as flattened them. (NYT)

Let us be inspired by these kids to LIVE AN UNDEFEATED LIFE!

If not today, when?

An interesting thing happened in a local high school recently.

One of its students wrote racist graffiti on a hallway wall.

The administration found the perpetrator and gave him A ONE DAY SUSPENSION.

The student body was so outraged at the light punishment that they walked out of school in protest.

I think we can all agree that the younger generations are much more INCLUSIVE than ever before.

That’s progress and a hopeful indicator of a better tomorrow for America!

If not today, when?

“Our Daily Bread’ is not happening for millions around the world.

How is that possible?

And believe it or not, many families in our own community won’t get enough to eat today.

But this is America, the world’s strongest economy, the land of plenty.

The reason we have hungry people living in a prosperous society is the decision by the ‘HAVES” to ignore the “HAVE NOTS!”

Will it ever be so?

We all have regrets.

They are the result of bad decisions or missed opportunities.

So, what can we do about them?

I think most regrets break into two categories: Those that can be repaired & those that can’t be repaired, but can serve as reminders not to repeat them.

Let’s focus in on those that CAN BE REPAIRED! 

RELATIONSHIPS?

Peaceful, loving relationships among and between family members must be a priority.

If some are in need of repair, what steps can you take to make them right again?

CAREER?

Is your career on the wrong track? Three million Americans walked off their jobs last month.

So, there are plenty of opportunities to consider when making a change.

If not today, when?

Reine is Norway at its most picture perfect.

You want: a cute Norwegian town — remote, tiny, and waterside. You need Reine, the joy of the Lofoten Islands, whose pretty red cabins sit at the base of craggy mountain peaks.

 

This is one of the most spectacular spots in the Lofoten archipelago — with a jawdropping viewpoint of the islands and the village, Reinebringen, just outside.

Giethoorn, Netherlands

Giethoorn is often called the Dutch answer to Venice.

But, Giethoorn lacks one crucial thing that the Italian city has in spades: overtourism.

As in Venice, life revolves around the water, here — there are no cars in the center so the only way to get around is on foot or on the water.

Take a boat tour around the thatched houses.

Hungry? Stop at the Michelin-starred restaurant Hollands-Venetië.

I met a man yesterday who was reciting all the things that are wrong with our world.

He then asked me a question, “Why is all this happening?”

He then answered his own question, “Because there is no God!”

I begged to differ!

I replied that I believe in God because there have been too many blessings in my life that can’t be written off as a coincidence.

I’ll bet you have too.

Although God has taught us how to live, he still allows us the freedom to make fools of ourselves.

I believe this life is a gift from above and we can choose to use or misuse it.

The choice is yours.

We all know the RIGHT PATH is: Loyalty, Trust, Honesty, Forgiveness, Love, Patience and Faith.

Are you on the RIGHT PATH?

If not today, when?

A layer of toxic foam coated parts of a sacred river near India’s capital on Wednesday as Hindus gathered on its banks to celebrate a religious festival and some devotees bathed in the waters.

The white froth, a mixture of sewage and industrial waste, formed over the last week in sections of the Yamuna River — a tributary of the holy Ganges River.

The pungent foam contains high levels of ammonia and phosphates, which can result in respiratory and skin problems, according to experts.

Its arrival coincided with Chhath Puja, a festival dedicated to the sun god Lord Surya.

Earlier this week, some Hindus were seen wading through the toxic foam to bathe and pray in the river.

Devotee Gunjan Devi said Tuesday SHE HAD NO CHOICE but to bathe in the polluted waters. (CNN)

We must clean up the earth.

It’s our only home.

If not today, when?

The US jobs recovery finally picked up steam again in October, but not everyone is benefiting: Many women who were forced to drop out of the labor force during the pandemic are still on the sidelines.

The number of women NOT in the labor force was nearly 3 million higher than before the pandemic.

“Additionally, women took on the majority of caring responsibilities, for older relatives and children alike,” noted Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell.

In September last year, hundreds of thousands of women dropped out of the workforce, which was attributed to their children’s remote schooling needs. (CNN)

So, the women TAKE IT ON THE CHIN ONCE AGAIN!

They continue their role as our nurtures and care givers.

Their self-sacrificing for the benefit of others is HEROIC in the truest example of heroism!

If you have a woman in your life, get down on your knees and THANK GOD!

If not today, when?

A REVELATION OF WHO YOU ARE!

What are the values of those you admire?

What is the quality that attracts you to them?

Do you attempt to imitate them in your own life?

If so, will your imitation of them lead you to a gratifying life or one of regret?

As for me, I most admire those who have had a terrible childhood and yet have risen to make a meaningful life for themselves.

I also admire those who dedicate their lives to the service of helping others.

Those you admire are a revelation of WHO YOU ARE!

Who do you admire?

The streets of Madrid were filled with sheep and the clanking of bells on Sunday as shepherds guided their flocks through the heart of the Spanish capital, following ancient seasonal herding routes.

Locals lined the route to welcome back the spectacle, which was canceled last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The annual event, which started in 1994, allows shepherds to exercise their right to use traditional routes to herd their livestock from northern Spain to more southerly pastures for winter grazing. (CNN)

What a great photo and an even greater tradition!

Do you have traditions in your life?

It is important because they are an occasion for celebration.

They also provide you with something to pass onto the next generation.

We have a birthday cake for Jesus on every Christmas day.

Begin a new tradition.

If not today, when?