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.
I saw this come across my desk and it reminded me a little of the story in the Bible of David and Goliath. This old gentlemen is radically surgical with slingshots which he makes himself out of dogwood, but doesn’t carve one once of dust. He started mking them in mass quantities after the price of rubber dramatically dropped after WWII.
The coolest thing I heard throughout this interview is he doesn’t take aim, and hits the target every time! Quarters, Walnuts…you name it. See for your self:
We just finished a show on choices…let me tell ya’ somethin’…The one whom you marry is the most important decision you will make, second only to the reservations you schedule for the afterlife (smoking or non-smoking) My brother played this song for me while I was visiting in New Orleans…and I couldn’t stop laughing. I’m sure you’ve probably heard it all before…but to those who are seeking a mate for life…take some notes, my fellow brethren…cuz life can be a long, long, time. Fortunately for me, I found the love of my life while I was in college. There were 45 beautiful ladies, and the only other guy in class was 40 years old, and married. I was set. And, God brought my bride-to-be to me whose beauty both inside and out, is unmatched.
The above is half of the video we shot, if you would like the full version including behind the scenes commentary and interviews with the cast of the impact this drama had on them, the part they played, an more click here
Danger awaits us around every corner. there are many who choose to cross the road and avoid the corner all together…andthere are others who go directly into the belly of the beast, pull up a chair, and face their fear. Where do you stand? Do you control your fear of getting outside yoru comfort circle? or do you allow your fears to control you.
I found this video and thought to myself, “Self…this is one of them kinda’ people”
We had been invited by some of our friends to join them on the lake this past weekend. It was a blast just being out there on the boat, wind in the hair (what’s left of it) sun on the face, the kids being beat-up on a tube behind the boat, and seeing the world go by. We had switched positions just a few minutes ago. You see, I was the one on the water and my boys were inside the boat watching Daddy try to stay above water on two boards, which under a man this fat…I imagine looked a little more like an apple hobbling around on a couple of toothpicks, but I digress. Now, it was there turn.
I had asked the driver about the best way to position my body while skiing. It seems no matter what I do, within 15 minutes of skiing, my back is killing me and my legs just want to call it a day. ”What am I doing wrong?”
He said that most of the time, we over complicate the whole thing. If we just stand up, lean back a little, and allow the boat to take us for a ride…we’d be a lot better off. I thought to myself…”self, why didn’t we think of that?”
At the same time, God decided to whack me over the head with a big…”Duh!” I believe we do the same thing with faith and our way of living. We as people, let alone as Christians, accidentally over-complicate things to the extent we need someone to whack us upside the head and say…”All you gotta’ do is stand up, lean back a little, hold onto Jesus, and let HIM take you for a ride. HE said, “Love me with all your heart, soul, mind, and your strength. And then love others as yourself. Upon these rely the laws of the prophets.” Seems simple enough, doesn’t it?
In my head I was traveling at full speed. I needed to handle some banking, stop by the grocery, make a drop off at the church, make a pickup at a business, meet with a client, phone calls, and be home in time for the kids to get off the bus…I need to switch lanes, ‘cuz this guy in front of me is traveling slower than my grandmother, on a Sunday morning, in her wheel chair, I need to change the channel ‘cuz this guy just isn’t cuttin’ the mustard…just a feeling of being overwhelmed, underconfidant, and as if I wasn’t getting anywhere. I needed some support, encouragement…that I was on the right track and I just needed to keep pressing forward.
Suddenly, the world sort of…stopped. I saw a flock of Ducks in “V” formation flying overhead and in my head I was immediately zapped to my gym, working out, and listening to a speaker talk about the basics behind the flying “V” (and the Disney movie, “The Mighty Ducks”) He spoke of them with such elequence. You see, ducks are fearless. They fly together. And when they get into a “V” formation, science proves they fly many times farther, and longer, and faster than when they try to do it on their own. The duck in the lead at that time heads up the pack. He’s in front leading the way and at the same time streamlining through the air making way for those behind, while those behind cheer on the leader. Let me write that again. The qucking you hear overhead…is them cheering on the duck in front. They take turns leading the pack, and thus take turns giving and receiving that ever-so-needed amount of encouragement.
You can do it!
Your in the lead!
Take us there!
We’re right behind you!
We’re right here with you!”
What an incredibly picturesque model for us as Christians to follow, but I ask myself…how good of a job do I do in the building and encouraging of others…when they absolutely need it. I ask you the same. How many words of encouragement fall from your lips as opposed to those which tear others down. Are you conscious of it?
Can I encourage you to this? Be like the ducks. We should be fearless. With God for us, who is against us? believe that God is in control. Place it in his hands. And rally around others. Help lift them up! Be an encourager to others, because there will inevitably come a time when you will be out front needing others behind you to help lift you up. Of this I am certain in a World Gone Mad.
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.
