As the NFL Draft approaches this week, ESPN has been increasing its news coverage of the NFL, and as I was on the treadmill this morning, they had a story on JaMarcus Russell. JaMarcus Russell was the number one overall pick in 2007 NFL Draft and signed a contract with the Oakland Raiders for $32 million dollars of guaranteed money. After two disappointing seasons, he was fired by the Raiders and has not played a single minute of football for any NFL team since.

I have been following JaMarcus Russell’s story in the news, partly just because I am a sucker for the underdog. I love to see people overcome challenges, especially if the challenge is from their own mistakes. Stories of redemption are inspiring, but even more than that, they tell the story of Scripture. The Bible is one massive story about redemption and the lengths God will go to for His own children.

The story on ESPN showed JaMarcus’ efforts to improve his game, including losing 45lbs. and working with former quarterback Jeff Garcia and other experts to improve his throwing motion and decision-making on the field. The story also included quotes from JaMarcus’ family, who mentioned how much JaMarcus has matured and realized how much he does not want to fail in his goal of playing football again.

Many people will judge JaMarcus based on his results on the football field. If he never plays football again, he will be remembered as one of the biggest draft busts in history. Even if he makes it back to the football field, it would take years of exceptional play to erase the past. But in many ways, the journey is just as important as the result.

Don’t misunderstand me: results matter. If you are consistently failing to achieve your goals, there is something going on in your life that needs to be addressed, but don’t focus so much on the goal that you deprive yourself of the journey. Whether or not JaMarcus Russell ever plays football again, if his journey leads him develop a stronger work ethic, kick his codeine habit, and become a deeper (and hopefully Christian) man, then those are huge gains that are worth more than his ability to play football.

Once his comeback attempt is over, his journey will not be chronicled on ESPN, but whatever he gained during the process will still be with him.

Author’s note: This post is also available at Fridley Covenant Church.

Ah, Google…what looked like a lasting marriage is turning out to be a torrid love affair that meets a tragic end, like a space probe that crashes into Mars because the engineers mixed up meters and feet in their calculations.

Anyone can use Google search…no account needed.

We started off slowly with Gmail. I was never wild about it and it was not my primary email address, but over time, your new interface and excellent spam filter won me over. The next step was Gtalk, an excellent IM client, which has been woefully underused. Of course, the irony is the lack of advertising was one of the reasons I loved it. Finally, we made the big plunge with Reader. I admit I was late to the game on that one…I was born two weeks late after all. Once the setup was complete, you were a daily, sometimes hourly, part of my existence. We still had room to grow. I was just starting to check out Blogger for my running commentary needs, and who knows where we would have gone from there.

Then you killed Google Reader, and as I posted on your own product you did it “with all of the class of someone spray-painting obscenities on your front lawn.”  I visited Reader one day and a pop-up told me Reader would no longer be a part of our relationship. No explanation whatever…just a one sentence statement in a pop-up window.

An edict from the high priest.

Since then, our relationship has been spiraling downward. Obviously not content with the havoc you are wreaking in my life, you removed the quick link to Reader from the Google home page, so I would no longer have quick access to the dying service. Why you could not have waited until the bitter end is beyond me.

I just don’t trust you anymore. Our relationship could have survived the end of Google Reader if you had told me the truth. You claimed my readership and attention wasn’t enough. Never mind the fact I give more time to Reader than Google+…you know, the social platform for which you have all of five people using regularly.

Now, I am just wondering what the next service to be removed is.

I am not going to wait to find out. I am sorry Google, but it is over, and to be honest, I have been expecting this.

You said “Our motto is don’t be evil”

To be more specific you felt the need to say you weren’t going to be evil. Something that is usually only said when your degree of evilness is precisely in doubt.

I knew that day our relationship would end. I dealt with it in the predictable way: I denied it. I did not have to take action that very day. Perhaps in the future, changes would be made so I would not have to make the agonizing choice. In the back of mind, I knew the game I was playing and I knew how it would end.

Friends who know me well will probably question my commitment. They have seen the cycle and know it better than anyone. Hurt as only a jilted lover can be, I will swear off Google services. Time and distance will dull the pain. Then I will want to try Google all over again, like all the previous attempts didn’t matter. It might be triggered by a new product or a slick interface, for which Google will get the “newsies” (reporters, bloggers, etc.) to report without a critical word about it, as if Google was really just a division of Apple. It might just be triggered by remembrance of things past and questions of why it did not work out the first time, as if the hurdles might be overcome with a renewed insight and enthusiasm. So many things look so tantalizing when you are standing on the outside looking in.

Perhaps I should write myself a letter to read in those times when my courage is failing and my will is weak. If I spend the time to write about this, I should at least be honest about our relationship. The truth is we were never that into each other. I always held you at arm’s length; I never really let you in. As for you, we both know you were only interested in one thing anyway.

It is time to reduce my digital footprint.

Facebook: You have been warned. That is all.