Coach Henry being restrained by staff
after his player was attacked by a parent

If we thought the incident last week where Ashani Walker having suffered a serious head injury with no ambulance or doctor available to treat him was serious, then yesterday's action by a parent from Calabar on a Jamaica College (JC) player was just disgraceful. ISSA has again failed to protect the schoolboys in this year's competition. Apparently the parent, after seeing his son receive a strong tackle from the JC  player invaded the field and punched the boy in his face. After reading the details I was totally shocked and speechless.

It seems that these incidents always happen when JC is playing. It is also clear that ISSA is not accountable to anyone. After the incident they stated that they had enough security and that they could not man every area.  This excuse does not fly with me. First of all, apart from the security, the Constant Spring management is responsible for the compound, they should have ensured that the venue is properly fenced and that every precaution was taken. They have failed miserably, and this is the result. As coach Henry rightly stated, this young man could have been seriously injured even killed by this parent.

My own view is that the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) should take over schoolboy football. Until this is done, there will continue to be problems in these competitions. Let us hope that the JC team will feel comfortable playing at Constant Spring in their next match..

The only good thing is that JC won the match 2-1..

The last 18 months have been a real challenge for everyone in the world. Some have lost their jobs, homes and families, due to the economic fallout globally. It has hit the poorer countries harder than the first world and developed countries. It is very easy to lose hope in the face of a recession, as it seems that every turn you make there is a road block. At these times it is also easy to doubt God, and to even say there is no God. Why would God allow us to suffer under a Recession? This question would be in mind, when a person loses everything.

It is clear though that if people don't learn from this recession, then when will they learn. All the people with common sense have stated that the current recession has been caused by greed by a certain elite group, that even in the face of minor recovery continue to exploit the poor. It is also evident that even if the world recovers from this recession, one is sure to emerge again within the next 5-10 years. The parameters remain the same, the powers that be continue to strive for riches, by their greed.

Greed like so many other sins continue to rule mankind. Colossians 3:5, "Put to death therefore your members which are upon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry;" Our evil desires and coveteousness are mentioned as idolatry. My belief is that these two more than anything else are the reason we are now faced with an unprecedented recession.

For Christians we must not fall into the trap of the world. We have seen where persons you invested heavily in investment clubs, like myself have been veiled by greed to make lots of money. If we don't learn from those mistakes, then like a mule falling into a ditch, so will we.

God has promised to save us from this evil world. 2 Peter 3:13, "But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."  The problems of this world will never end, and as we recover from this recession, mankind will continue to want to reap more and more at the expense of the poor and the weak.

"Blessings abound all around us, we just have to open our eyes."
DCA

"Blessings abound all around us, we just have to open our eyes."
DCA

Often times when we decide to take a trip via bus, train or plane we never really consider the consequences. We pack our bags and we assume that all will go smoothly. The thing is that when we say our goodbyes to our love ones that day before our trip, it could actually be our last goodbye. Since 9/11 travelling has become even more scary for many. You can never know what the journey will bring.

When I flew out last night on my 7 hour trip it really made me think about life. You see when you are 39,000 feet in the air, you have alot of time to think about life. The reality is, your life is now in God's hands. The truth of the matter is that at all times this is the case. Each day that we awake that is the reality.

The point though is that everytime time that we leave our loved one, we should always consider that it could be the last day we might see them. When we travel, we should not only pack our earthly things, but we should carry God with us always. We should endeavor to tell those we care about our true feelings. As James 4:13-14 reminds us that our life is just a mist, here now and then gone.

Over time I have developed the habit of telling my parents how much I love them and how much they mean to me. We often think that we will outlive our parents, but no one knows tomorrow. That is the same principle I have applied for my wife and all those I love dearly.

Even though I enjoy travelling, the more I do it is the more I realize how trivial I take life. I've now learned that daily I must put plans in place for all my journeys, so that if it is my last I would have been prepared for any outcome. Life is so short, we never truly accept that....

Its been over 100 years since the Walker Cup, and Jamaica College (JC) had not won it before, until Friday October 30, 2009 when they added this trophy to the many won before. It was a great feeling when I read via Facebook that JC had achieved this feat. While a student at JC I witnessed many losses to St. George's College in the Walker Cup Final. It was definitely a proud feeling to see the guys win. It was especially proud to watch boys that I had actually helped in one way or another rise to the occasion. Ashani Walker is a standout in all of this as I watched him play in the Manning Cup Final in 2007, when we finally won that trophy again after some 30 years. He has really blossomed as a young man and captain of the team. He has shown that you can balance football and school work.

It is now on to the Manning Cup second round. The feeling in the JC camp must be very high right now, and if they can get some needed rest before their next match, then they could also be in contention for that title also. Whatever happens they are the Walker Cup Champions, and that is what matters most. Congrats to Mr. Forbes, Coach Henry, the outstanding players, and of course the many old boys who have contributed to the success of many teams over the years.

Fervet Opis In Campis "Work is burning in the fields."

"Some time compromising can devalue your outlook on reality."
DCA