I scream, you scream, we all scream for

It’s summer time and as I was trying to get myself in shape (or kill myself, depending on how you look at it) the other day running in the 97 degree heat (heat index of 105 degrees), I couldn’t help but start thinking of ice cream. Summer and ice cream go hand in hand like baseball and hot dogs or peanut butter and bananas. I don’t eat quite enough ice cream, if you ask me, but when I do get around to it, I like to enjoy it whole heartedly. I’ll eat it any way I can get it too. Ice cream in a bowl or cone, ice cream sundaes, ice cream sandwiches…if it has ice cream in the name and comes in a cold form then I will probably eat it. My desire and love of ice cream has even gone to the point where when dining at The Cheesecake Factory restaurant instead of getting cheesecake (would make sense) I get a bowl of ice cream. There is no denying it, ice creams are one of the most popular frozen food items which anyone could have in the world. Ice cream is a food item which delights both the old and the young alike.

There are different types of ice cream which are produced throughout the world. The variety of flavors in which ice creams are available is one of the reasons why it is so popular. I think the most common flavor of ice cream that is made is vanilla (also one of my favorites). Some other popular ice cream flavors include chocolate, strawberry, peppermint (for the Christmas season), and apparently someone make a black currant ice cream (huh?). Let’s not forget all the combo flavors out there like cookies and cream, rocky road, chocolate chip cookie dough (also a favorite), and neapolitan (three flavors in one place, who can argue with that?). Then there’s the crazy ice cream flavors brought to us from Ben & Jerry’s and several independent brands. I won’t go into those because honestly they are less like ice cream and more like a mixture of candy pieces suspended in an ice cream like substance (who wants to eat something named Chubby Hubby?). For a purist, such as myself, the only chunks of anything in your ice cream should be chunks of the item the ice cream flavor is derived from (pieces of cut up strawberries in strawberry ice cream, for instance).

The United States is one of the countries where many of the popular ice cream manufacturing companies are located (where else than the land of the opportunity). Australia, New Zealand, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, UK and India boast some of the world’s best ice cream manufacturing companies (perfectionist foreigners). Most popular ice cream brands can be found around the world because they are the ones that people enjoy the most. Also, popular brands provide the widest range of flavors. For example, Baskin Robbins is one of the most popular ice cream producing companies and they have a presence in more than 40 countries. Ben & Jerry’s is also a popular brand along with the very reputable Haagen-Dazs and Stroh’s and Yeo Valley ice cream brands.

All of those are minor blips on my ice cream radar compared to the nearest and dearest ice cream manufacturer to my heart…Blue Bell. Blue Bell Creameries is the manufacturer of Blue Bell brand ice cream, which was founded in 1907 in Brenham, Texas. The company, which produces the third-best-selling ice cream in the USA, sells its products in only 17 mostly Southern states, although Blue Bell ice cream has also been eaten aboard the International Space Station and at Camp David. Corporate headquarters are at the "Little Creamery" in Brenham, Texas, which hosts tours (and if you haven’t been on a tour of the Blue Bell Creamery, you should). As of 2007, the company operates three manufacturing facilities, the largest (53,880 square feet) facility in Brenham, with auxiliary facilities in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma and Sylacauga, Alabama. There are also 45 sales and distribution centers spread throughout their 17-state market. These facilities employ a combined 2,800 employees, with 850 of the employees working out of Brenham. In 2006, annual sales exceed $400 million. In 2001, Forbes Magazine named Blue Bell the best ice cream in the country (and they use that as their slogan to this day).

Blue Bell produces over 250 different frozen products. Of these, 66 are flavors of ice cream. Twenty of the flavors are offered year-round, while an additional two to three dozen are offered seasonally. In addition to ice cream, the company produces frozen yogurt, sherbet, and an array of frozen treats on a stick. Blue Bell offers a "true" half gallon (64 oz/1.89 L) container, a fact it mentions prominently in its advertising. R.W. Apple, Jr. of The New York Times claims that "[w]ith clean, vibrant flavors and a rich, luxuriant consistency achieved despite a butterfat content a little lower than some competitors, it hooks you from the first spoonful. Entirely and blessedly absent are the cloying sweetness, chalky texture, and oily, gummy aftertaste that afflict many mass-manufactured ice creams." If you grew up in Texas then you probably had Blue Bell ice cream at one point or another in your life (depending on your lactose tolerance). I can remember several times looking in the freezer of my house and seeing several half gallons of Blue Bell to slake the ice cream hungers of my dad, brother, and I.

Blue Bell introduced its flagship flavor, Homemade Vanilla, in 1969 and claims to have invented the flavor Cookies 'n Cream. Although the company at one time made Cookies 'n Cream from Nabisco's Oreo cookies, buying ordinary retail packages, today they bake their own cookies (you can see the baking process as part of the tour). As of 1997, Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla was the best-selling single flavor of ice cream in the United States. How can you argue with that? Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla is my favorite ice cream ever. If you really like vanilla then you will really like that stuff. It is jam packed with vanilla flavor due to the fact that they use real vanilla beans in the manufacturing process. This gives their Homemade Vanilla the distinctive brownish/black specks. There is nothing better than two scopes of Homemade Vanilla in a bowl that you let sit for about two or three minutes (to soften up). Man, I’d like some right now, but I don’t have any in the freezer and I am just too darn lazy to go get some (plus the Rangers game is on). I’ll put it on my shopping list.

So, that is what I was thinking about while running today. Not necessarily Blue Bell’s sales numbers and the year they were founded, but the rest of this stuff. I think of the weirdest things when I am out running. But, I guess that benefits ya’ll because I end up writing most of it down in this blog. Anyway, go grab yourself some ice cream. There’s no ice cream happy hour (though there should be) so no matter when you are reading this just get up and go get some ice cream and remember the glory of how ice cream can not only cool you down on a hot summer day, but also change your mood. It’s just that magical.

All the Stars were out, except one

Well, it’s the middle of the week, which means it is time for my sports beat. I already explained last week that my sports beat during the summer would be almost completely Texas Rangers talk and that’s where I’m heading right now. So, sit back, grab a beer and a hot dog, and relax as I catch ya’ll up on the local baseball franchise.

The latest on the sale of the Texas Rangers Baseball Club
Claiming its deal is being "derailed" and "hijacked," the prospective new owners of the Texas Rangers, including team president Nolan Ryan, filed suit against the ballclub Monday, asking that a bankruptcy judge approve the sale agreed upon in May. It was the latest twist in a messy drama being played out in federal bankruptcy court in Fort Worth. And the lawsuit is probably the most bizarre development to date…with Ryan suing his own club. In Monday's suit, the Greenberg-Ryan group accused the club of breaching the purchase agreement the group struck with owner Tom Hicks on May 23, which it claims still gives it exclusive rights to negotiate the team's purchase. Two Rangers partnerships to which Snyder serves as chief restructuring officer responded to the suit Monday night by saying the action was aimed at limiting his assigned duties, and urged Lynn to consider them defendants in the action. Separately, Lynn scheduled a hearing for 1:30 p.m. Tuesday to hear the Greenberg-Ryan group's demand that the Rangers honor its May 23 deal. But Thomas Lauria, the group's attorney, told the judge Tuesday he would not argue for that suit if some bidding procedures and other issues could be resolved. He said his clients' only goal was to buy the team. And on Tuesday the judge ruled the proposed auction would go forward with a date of August 4.

If things weren't complicated enough, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Michael Lynn confirmed on Monday that the man he appointed to determine the best course for the ballclub, business turnaround specialist William K. Snyder, has been on the receiving end of telephoned threats from over-zealous Rangers fans. Snyder declined to comment on the threats. Security was stepped up at the federal courthouse Friday, when Snyder attended a Rangers bankruptcy hearing. A Federal Protective Service vehicle was parked conspicuously in front of the entrance, and the number of guards on duty was more than doubled. Although a source close to the case said the calls were serious enough to alert federal officials, Lynn downplayed any potential danger. No one would describe the content of the threats or say how many have been received. I know for a fact there have been at least two: one from me and one from my brother (allegedly).

Michael Young’s second chance All-Star bid (and maybe third?)
The Texas Rangers are so hot they're making news even when they're not involved. American League manager Joe Girardi said Monday that Michael Young would replace Boston's Adrian Beltre in the All-Star Game. There was just one little problem: Beltre plans to be in the game. Girardi's announcement, made on national television, sent Major League Baseball into scramble mode. Beltre, who has a left hamstring strain, worked out Monday and plans to play. If he can't, Young is still on hold. He was in Texas on Monday. There are already six Rangers at the All-Star Game, and the initial news that Young had been added caught them off guard. Having Young on hold isn't unprecedented. Last year the American League added Chone Figgins to its roster the day of the game.

The All-Star Game
Josh Hamilton and Vladimir Guerrero hit back-to-back in The AL’s batting order for the All-Star game, although the order was reversed from how the Rangers use them. Josh Hamilton batted fourth and played center field. Guerrero hit fifth as the team's designated hitter. That meant an adjustment for Hamilton. Shortstop Elvis Andrus and closer Neftali Feliz were doing all they could to soak up their first All-Star experience. The other four Rangers All-Stars had their own podium during the news conference, with the first-timers sharing a stand. They didn't seem to mind.

The game was all about pitching, with the AL opening the game with five consecutive starters. The most impressive of the lot may have been Rangers left-hander Cliff Lee. Lee, who allowed six runs in his Texas debut Saturday against Baltimore, went through a much more formidable lineup. Lee came on in the fourth inning against the heart of the NL lineup and finished off Martin Prado, Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard on just six pitches. Half of those pitches went to Pujols, the two-time NL MVP, who struck out swinging. Five of the record six Rangers All-Stars saw action, with rookie right-hander Neftali Feliz the only one not playing. Josh Hamilton went 1 for 3 with a single off Roy Halladay. He was also robbed by Milwaukee's Ryan Braun of extra bases on a fourth-inning sinking liner. Hamilton was the only Ranger with a hit. Vladimir Guerrero went 0 for 2 after receiving a rousing ovation during the player introductions. Apparently fans in Annaheim are having trouble letting go. Elvis Andrus came in as a pinch runner to replace Derek Jeter, who singled in the bottom of the sixth. Andrus stole second but was tagged out by Brandon Phillips after he went past the bag. He grounded out in the eighth. Kinsler drew a walk in the seventh inning but was forced at second. That inning was also the AL's last real threat. Kinsler's walk followed a one-out double by John Buck. Kinsler thought he had a chance to extend the game in the ninth as he came up with two outs with a man on first. Ian Kinsler then drilled a Jonathan Broxton pitch to right center, but Arizona's Chris Young tracked it down for the final out. See what the American League gets for not adding Michael Young to its roster.

Odds on
The acquisition of Cliff Lee has shifted the betting line on the Rangers. According to bodog.com, the odds for the Rangers winning the American League West are 1-8. The odds of the Rangers winning the World Series are 15-2. Only the Yankees, 3-1, are more of a sure bet.

God's Love (a Catholic perspective of its efficacy)

The Catholic Church teaches that God’s love overcomes evil and causes a real change in us. This idea was a hallmark of John Paul II’s theology: "Especially through his lifestyle and through his actions, Jesus revealed that love is present in the world in which we live - an effective love, a love that addresses itself to man and embraces everything that makes up his humanity. This love makes itself particularly noticed in contact with suffering, injustice, and poverty - in contact with the whole historical ‘human condition,’ which in various ways manifests man’s limitation and frailty, both physical and moral. It is precisely the mode and sphere in which love manifests itself that in biblical language is called ‘mercy’" (Dives in Misericordia, 3). The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who is fully revealed in Jesus Christ by his mercy, draws good out of evil. Though the full realization of Christ’s victory over evil awaits its appointed time, the Resurrection is a first fruit of that victory and shines forth as the greatest evidence of the efficacy of divine love.

The miracles of Jesus, demonstrations of divine power over the consequences of sin, point to the power of God’s love to overcome sin itself. Such is the lesson of the healing of the paralytic (Mark 2:10–11). God’s love is no less effective with respect to sin than it is with respect to leprosy, blindness, and death. When he touches us with his grace, that is, his love, we are really changed. We are made holy and are justified. This consistent teaching of the Church was restated by Vatican II: "The followers of Christ are called by God, not because of their works, but according to his own purpose and grace. They are justified in the Lord Jesus, because in the baptism of faith they truly become sons of God and sharers in the divine nature. In this way they are really made holy" (Lumen Gentium 40; emphasis added). God’s love accomplishes something we cannot do for ourselves. It forgives sins, causes conversion, justifies, and makes us children of God.

Evidence for the Effectiveness of God’s Love
Without entering into detailed documentation and development, there are several considerations that support the claim that God’s love is effective.

1. This is the clear teaching of the Church. The texts we have viewed stress the real change in us that constitutes justification. We cannot justify ourselves. Even though there is a genuine cooperation on our part with God’s grace; that grace (the term as used here is synonymous with God’s love) is the cause of this change.

2. A love that was not effective wouldn’t correspond to our poverty and suffering. Either we would not be saved, or we would save ourselves. When people are wounded, they do not need a doctor simply to cover up the ugliness. They need a doctor to stop the bleeding and prevent a life-threatening infection. When people are sick, they need a real cure, not a sympathetic bedside manner. What good is love that does not bring about a real healing, a real change?

3. Many of Christ’s miracles changed people physically. Would it make sense if God’s power was less effective in the spiritual and moral realm? The liturgy captures this parallel between the physical and spiritual in the prayer before Communion: "Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word, and my soul will be healed." This prayer is based on the words of the centurion who believed in the efficacy of Christ’s word to heal his servant (Matt. 8:8). This is the kind of faith the Church desires to arouse in us as we approach Holy Communion.

4. God’s word is effective, as we see in Genesis: "Let there be . . . and so it was." We see it also in Isaiah 55:10–11: "For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and return not thither but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and prosper in the thing for which I sent it." Should God’s word be any less effective when it is the Word Incarnate of the New Testament?

Catholic Doctrine Reconsidered
Let us now consider several elements of Catholic doctrine in light of this efficacy of divine love.

1. The sacraments as real instrumental causes of grace. In and through the sacraments, God loves us efficaciously by sending the Holy Spirit as the fruit of Christ’s paschal mystery. "‘Sacramental grace’ is the grace of the Holy Spirit, given by Christ and proper to each sacrament. The Spirit heals and transforms those who receive him by conforming them to the Son of God. The fruit of the sacramental life is that the Spirit of adoption makes the faithful partakers in the divine nature by uniting them in a living union with the only Son, the Savior" (CCC 1129). The sacraments operate in virtue of the efficacy of God’s love in the same way that the sacrifice of Jesus results in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

2. The nature of Christian morality. We saw that Paul’s moral exhortations invoke the principle that action follows upon being. We must be renewed in our being if we are to conform our lives to the demands of the gospel. We cannot become Christians by keeping commandments. In the covenants God has made with his people, commandments specify what is required in order to be good stewards of the gift of new life. But life comes first: God first touches us with the power of his creative and redeeming love; only then does he give the commandments, as in the case of Adam and Eve. Further, we are admonished that our love must be effective (see 1 John 3:18 and Jas. 1:22–25). Only an effective love is a participation in God’s own love, which is also effective.

3. The role of witness in evangelization and holiness in apologetics. Witness unites power to the proclamation of God’s word: "The witness of a Christian life and good works done in a supernatural spirit have great power to draw men to the faith and to God" (CCC 2044, quoting Apostolicam Actuositatem). It has been said that holiness is the greatest apologetic for the Church. Now we know why: Holiness shows the active and transforming presence of God’s love in the Church, despite human weakness.

Conclusion
The principle of the efficacy of God’s love is important for several reasons. Since catechesis is by nature systematic, presenting the faith as an organic whole, our discovery of the connection between the efficacy of God’s love and the elements of Catholic faith presented here serves this goal. The efficacy of God’s love is also important for apologetics and ecumenical dialogue. As we have seen, several elements of Catholic doctrine related to the efficacy of divine love are points on which Catholic faith differs from that of many non-Catholic Christians (though I know many non-Catholic Christians who would not argue anything said here). Understanding that divine love is effective also helps us understand the irreplaceable role of witness in evangelization.

This is a time of renewed evangelization in the Catholic faith, and it is crucial that those who respond to this call place more confidence in the power of a Christian life to reach people’s hearts than in programs, techniques, and arguments. Apologetics and evangelization intersect precisely at this point: presenting to the world, through our changed lives, concrete evidence of the efficacy of God’s love made manifest in Jesus Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.