On Hollowed ground

So, it was skate night for part of the Baker Fam, and I had been looking forward to this since I heard about it last week.

I asked my eldest son if I could borrow my skates once again…he had been using them for a few events.  I was a little unsure as to if I could still fit into them, however I had not changed foot size for a while, and fortunately I could still squeeze into them. (these are skates from 8th grade…nearly 20 years ago)

We arrived at the rink and we slid to the back where they were shoveling out what I hoped to be skates which had ran through every cleaner, steamer, and sanitizer known to man before my kids feet were about to be shoved into a shoe only God knows into which how many other kids’ feet have been pushed.

I sat down with Nichlas, our youngest, and began to help him get the boots on…loosening the shoestrings, pulling the tongue, and as we are going through this process his eyes gaze over at the large rink, and the floor, and the other skaters.  A bright smile begins to emerge from what once was a scared and stiff upper lip.  His eyes widened with a soft glow emitting excitement and wonder and anticipation for the fun which lie directly ahead.  He had only been skating a couple of times and was a real trooper, falls down, seconds later…he is right back up.

We finished double and triple knotting the strings (I’m a worry wart…sue me) And he was off like a shot.  He inched his way to the rink floor, and being careful to not step into he way of any kids…slowly began to skate.  As many beginners do, at first he stuck close to the wall, and then ventured to the middle, and soon he was all over the floor…still inching his way around, but with a smile that shouted “fun”!  I quickly threw my skates on so that I could join him in his careful trot around the oval rink…I wanted so much to be a part of that moment.

We joined hands and strolled up and down the rink paying no mind to the speed skaters, the music, or anything else really, but rather tuned out the world and simply enjoyed.  I felt the Lord asking me to remove my skates…for I was on hollowed ground.

Spanking as discipline…a good thing or a bad thing?

The Nicky Fixers

There’s this great game we play.  My youngest son will act as if he has just gotten hit, or smacked, or boomed, or shot by the aliens or mean guys, or enemies…or whatever he chooses to call them at that moment in time.  He does this fantastic academy-award w

inning death scene where he bangs into the kitchen counter (laughing of course…for crying out loud the kid is only 5) t

hen he’ll nip the corner of the hallway, and then grabbing his injured arm/shoulder/stomach…he flops to the ground, laughing his head off, and awaits me to come to his rescue.  I shout and yell, “Uh-oh!  Gonna need the Nicky fixers”.  And if I don’t yell it in time, he’ll bell out, “Dad!  Where’s the Nicky Fixers!”

I reach behind me as if I am g

rabbing a couple of defibrillators, clap my fists together while making an electrical surge type of sound effect, and Nicky begins to smile…cuz’ he knows what’s comin’.  I increase the volume of the sound effect as I grow nearer to his belly, and

Nicky’s laugh quickly turns into giggles as he attempts with all his energy to hide his growing smile with one eye open in grand anticipation of the tickling which is quickly creeping upon him.  All the sudden the defribillators magically turn into 10 fingers furiously tickling this giggly young man, tickling him in every last crook and granny spot on his rib cage and belly as he enduringly tries to yell through all the laughing, “I’m alive!  I’m alive!”  I’ll place the imaginary

defr

ibillators behind my back and moments later the aliens attack once again…and there’s my son…lying on the ground with e grin the size of Brad’s mom waiting for me to come and revive him with the Nicky Fixers.

Innocence

My youngest son just came in about 5 minutes ago and asked, in a hush-silent manner, “Dad…can I come in your office and play?  I’ll be very quiet.”  Whatcha’ gonna say?  The thought of my own son wanting to be near me while he plays with his cars and little action figures…?  I had to loosen my tie and unbutton the top buttons while my head grew a couple sizes bigger.

A moment later he is explaining to me that the vampire is going to be hard to verse (vs.) while fighting the ghosts.  I couldn’t help but chuckle…for I had no idea where he gets this stuff.  We have no video games about vampires and ghosts…and what 5 year old walks around saying stuff like “The vampire vs. the ghost”?  Funny stuff if you ask me.  With respect to staying focused on the task and getting the job done?  I believe it is still very possible, if not more so knowing that your kids are right there by your side.  Yes, sometimes there is no substitute for silence…and it is extremely difficult in this world to find such a commodity, however I prefer without hesitation, the sounds of action figures battling…or in this case…versing imaginary ghosts in far away villages and the clash of cars with sound effects that only a 5 year old imagination can dream of….sing it, Louis!  What a Wonderful World

I need stuff for Christmas

Christmas time has certainly arrived in full swing, nearly before Thanksgiving was over.  It was apparent to me that the stores were not necessarily sure that there was a holiday in between Halloween and Christmas.  What’s a Madhatter to do?

I was reading through a list of items to be auctioned in an estate auction and began thinking to myself that this person had spent his/her life accumulating all this STUFF and will now be auctioned off after the relatives, like vulchers, pick through what they want to keep and what they don’t want, won’t need, or can’t give away as an elephant gift in an upcoming gift exchange.  I wondered if the recently deceased had stayed up late at night into the wee hours of the morning finishing a project for work to pay for the TV set, or perhaps the person had sacrificed vacations for the family to help pay for the new sets of tools.  I wondered how often they awoke in the middle of the night, afraid a burglar would sneak in and take their prized, hard earned, family time sacrificed, STUFF.

Is it ok with you if I quote scripture here?  Matthew 6:21 reminds us that we are not to store up for ourselves treasure on earth where moth can destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but rather store up for ourselves treasure in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust can destroy and where thieves can’t even reach it…for where our treasure is…there will our heart be also.

I would like to encourage you this Christmas season to invest your time into your family and friends.  Giving them the gift of your time is more prescious than gold, silver…and perhaps even a fresh bag of Black Forrest Gummy Bears (emphasis on perhaps)  They can get a video game or a toy another time.  What I believe they truly desire is that which once spent…we can never get back…and that is our time.  They will remember the time you spend and invest with them far after the luster of the new,  shiny transformer, or the pretty little dolly seem to fade away.  In a world gone mad, we would like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas!

The Spiritual Side

There is a spiritual side to life which people tend to disregard.  Learn from a few poor, humble, youth workers how to keep it in check.

Spiritual Balance

Balance everything out…

This is a show we did a while back and is just now making it into the Blog.  Is your life in balance?  Would you like a couple of suggestions?

Physical Balance