Eye on Faith

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Jose Fernandez: Brief heroic life

Fernandez in 2016 (Photo by Arturo Pardavilla III)

After unsuccessfully defecting from Cuba three times, with resulting prison terms, Jose Fernandez finally made it to freedom.

Nevertheless, love of family trumped love of self. When he and his mother were dangerously crossing turbulent waters, Jose’s mom fell overboard. Without hesitation, Fernandez dove into the maelstrom and saved her life.

After settling in the United States, he became a well-known baseball player. Fernandez was awarded Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the Miami Marlins in 2012.

During an historic 2013 rookie season in the National League, Fernandez was chosen to represent the Marlins in the All Stars. After becoming injured and requiring surgery, he made a great comeback.

Fortune and fame aside, Fernandez continued to call his grandmother Olga “the love of his life” - a life as inspiring as it was brief.

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Fern%C3%A1ndez_(pitcher)

Monday, September 26, 2016

Arnold Palmer: Flying high

Palmer in the U.S. Coast Guard (PD)

Because he once had a fear of flying, Arnold Palmer took up piloting aircraft.

He had taken up golf with that same determination. This was back in the day when golf was considered a rich man’s sport. Palmer’s only “in” was a father who served as greenskeeper for the local course in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

Agent Mark McCormack later listed five attributes that greatly worked in Palmer’s favor: athleticism, a handsome image, a somewhat modest upbringing, emotional

intelligence and affability. He literally grew up in “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood,” graduating just a year ahead of Fred Rogers from Latrobe High School.

A Freemason for decades, Palmer rose to the degree of Master Mason. May he continue to soar as he did during his sojourn on Earth.

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Palmer

Sunday, September 25, 2016

White Wild Cats: 4 plus 3 equals Lucky 7

(Photo by Petar Milosevic)

During this past week, seven white wild cats (four lions and three tigers) were born at a private zoo in Borysew, Poland.

White lions are extremely rare, with “at most only a few hundred… in the world.” Ancient African folklore explains that these beautiful animals are “children of the Sun God, sent to earth as gifts.”

An accompanying legend states that more than 400 years ago, “a shining ball of metal” fell to earth in the Timbavati region. This “fallen star… rose back into the sky” after a few days. “Animals with strange deformities” (such as two-headed cattle and white lions) then began to appear. Some now wonder whether that legendary “star” was actually a radioactive spaceship.

These white/blond lions are not albinos, but rather “the expression of recessive (hidden) genes through inbreeding.” Scientists theorize that these recessive genes harken back to the days when lions thrived in snowy and desert regions.

Resources

http://messybeast.com/genetics/lions-white.htm

https://www.yahoo.com/news/4-white-lions-3-white-tigers-born-zoo-121937700.html