We celebrated Heidi’s 35th! birthday the other day at a High School football game.
You would never guess 4 kids . . . isn’t she amazing?
Archive for the 'Personal Rants' Category
Took the kids to the rodeo tonight. (Can’t beat free tickets.) They seemed to have a blast. I did too. It was good to see real men and women doing something so none “innovative,” or “cutting edge” or culturally architecting anything. I am from the city, but went to school in the country and this feels right. Lots of guys named Justin or Travis, mostly all from the Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma area. It had dirt and smells and a number of things PETA would not have liked.
They even had muttin bustin. 4-6 year olds riding sheep at break neck speeds and crashing into the dirt. Half the time I can’t get my kids to touch a goat at the petting zoo. And if they get within 10 feet of them we are washing their hands with hand sanitizer. No one picked these kids up either, and I didn’t see tears. They, literally “dusted” themselves off and headed out of the arena to get out of the way of whatever was coming next. I am so ashamed of myself . . .
I don’t think any of the guys out there tonight would have been at Panera the other morning, where 4 men voluntarily agreed to meet for a “planning session” with wi-fi, and fancy coffee drinks. (You’ll be happy to know, I abstained from giving Panera any of my money.) I would not let you down that way.
I don’t know. I love the city and all, but these guys all reminded me of my wife’s cousins and uncles. Good men, who love the Lord, help others and don’t care that much about blogging or the latest, greatest conference. (And they could crush you with their forearms.) I am not even calling them backwards or anything derogatory like that, I think the rest of us may be the backwards ones.
Oh, and did you know this was the most important election ever? (I guess, FDR, Lincoln, WWII, and a multitude of other people and eras really don’t matter any more, because NOW is the most important.)
Rodeo, Panera, Election. I guess that brings you up to speed.
It is just another manic monday.
Do you say fine, when you aren’t? (Sometimes I tell people I am not fine, but leave it at that. No explanation. Just let them wonder.) Do you remember yesterday’s sermon? Do you enjoy being sprayed with hot anit-freeze on your way into work?
Not that kind of pig.
I am talking about classic basketball PIG. Lately, I have taught the kids how to play this timeless game, and we have been going at it each night down in the basement on the little tikes basketball goal. Let me just tell you that I am beating them relentlessly every time. I have even started to shoot all my shots left handed just to give myself some challenge. Because I am not getting it from them. Granted they are 7, 5, and 3 (the ones participating that is), and the 3 year old gets bounced pretty early in the game. Oh, there are tears, lots of them. Kids do not like to lose. But they are realizing I don’t like to lose either.
So I am making them beat me. No easy shots, no gimmees. I want them to feel proud if they ever win, knowing they did something great. (But at this rate its going to be a long time). So you may be reading this thinking I am headed towards a spiritual point or something, but no.
The 7 year old is getting better though. I see her really concentrating, because she wants to win bad. Sometimes she refuses to shoot, because she doesn’t want to miss. I just start counting and let her know when I get to 5 and she hasn’t shot, she gets a letter. Sometimes they want to try HORSE instead. But I am keeping them on PIG. I can beat them more times in one evening with the shorter word. (Oh, I haven’t taught them about proving it yet either, when they get that “G” thats it. Game over.)
I mentioned left handed earlier…in addition I do bounce shots, hooks, off tables, what have you. (on a side note, this is how I play with adults too. I never wanted to be THAT guy who just goes to the free throw line everytime. Maybe he can make it 100% of the time and he knows you have trouble there, so he justs camps out and you both shoot the same shot over and over until he wins. How boring. Winning is one thing. But I want to win, and win with style. Thats how I roll, don’t be so afraid to lose you never REALLY win (I guess there is your spiritual point)).
Where was I. Oh yeah. PIG is fun. Winning is fun. Make your kids beat you.
It is never to young to learn about losing.
Did you ever wonder what happens to old praise and worship songs? The ones that were cool back in the day but now you don’t hear anymore except on some late night TV ad for the latest WOW disc? Well, other than those compilation albums they become kids songs.
We took a road trip to the grandparents this weekend and right out of the gate in the old van we hear “Lord, I life your name on high, Lord I love to sing your praises . . .” And this isn’t just a normal version. We have the kids CDs going and this is some all kids choir version. So the song we used to “rock out” to back in the Baptist Student Union days is now a kids song complete with actions and everything. My kids even knew the motions. Anytime a song has “motions” you know is not cool anymore. I remember in college thinking that song was one of the coolest worship songs ever. What’s next will “Shout to the Lord” not be cool anymore? Oh, wait a minute . . . (apologies to Darlene)
So that new David Crowder song you are listening too, the one that touched your soul? It will eventually have crossed arm, love sign language added to it and be sung by 5th grade singers for a 1st grade audience. It is coming.
Oh, and a great weekend it was. The heartland is still where God is. The fields and the open sky and nature and creeks and farming and long drives continue to be God’s country. And kids still love fishing and watching cartoons and throwing footballs and grandparents and great grandparents and aunts and uncles. Yes it was a “little” church for me on Sunday, and yes they sang hymns, and yes the pastor wore a tie, and yes they love people, and yes they love the Lord, and yes God was there (even without video support).
You came from Heaven to earth . . .
It is couldn’t care less.
Couldn’t. Not could. If you could care less, that would mean you DO care and there is a level or several levels of caring below where you currently are. You are trying to say you don’t care, so for the last time say, “I couldn’t care less.” There is nothing below my current level of feelings or emotional state regarding whatever it is we are talking about. I could NOT care any less than I do right now.
I corrected my wife on this one time in the middle of an argument. That did not go well.
I like butterscotch, cold beans on a hot hamburger, John Piper, tortilla chips dipped in Ketchup, soccer, design, toffee, sun chips, stuffchristianslike.net, slot cars, the prairie, John Denver, Johnny Cash, Bill Simmons (the Sports Guy), McDonald’s, the suburbs, minivans, Louie Giglio, construction, and Mountain Dew.
I do not like watermelon, most potato salads, Rob Bell books, people who don’t tolerate narrow minded people, cats, Kinkos, foreign cars, leadership conferences, Panera Bread Co., authentic community, and skinny straws.
I struggle with anger, consistency, compassion, kindness, memory, getting enough sleep, laziness, and eating well.
There will be much more like this to come. Sorry.
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