Not Again!

When I was just out of High School, my friend, Shawn Breeding, and I decided to take a trip to Myrtle Beach. We had a lot of fun on the trip. We hung out at the pool or beach during the day and the boardwalk at night. It was during this trip that I Bungee jumped for the very first time (actually I Bungee jumped twice). However, the Bungee jumping was not my most vivid memory of this trip.

The thing I remember most about this trip was something that happened at our hotel. We checked into our room and it was very nice. The room was clean and the bathroom was stocked with 6 towels and wash clothes on a rack over the toilet. The fact that the towel rack was over the toilet proved to be the issue. On the first night we were there, Shawn managed to, while reaching for a towel, knock every single towel and wash cloth we had into the toilet. It was embarrassing to have to call the front desk and request new towels just minutes after we checked in. They brought us new towels, we gave them our now wet towels and I thought that was that.

Unfortunately I was wrong. Shawn managed to, not one more time, but two more times, knock every single towel and wash cloth into the toilet. To this day I am not sure how he could have managed to do that, but he found a way. After two more embarrassing calls to the front desk, we decided that it might be better to just sit the towels on the counter next to the sink.

Hold on Scott!

One of my earliest vacation memories was a family trip we had to Disney World. I was around 3 years old, so some of these recollections may be my memory, others may be what someone on the trip told me, while others may just be something I made up in my 3 year old mind.

We stayed in this really cool tree house. I remember it had a spiral staircase between the first and second floor. I also remember being able to look out the patio door and see peacocks roaming about.

As part of the package, with the tree house, we had our very own golf cart. I kind of remember the golf cart, but the rest of the story was told to me. Apparently, on one of our drives in the golf cart, I was sitting in the back and decided that I didn't need to hold on any more. So, I let go and fell out of the moving golf cart. At least that is what I have been told.

My final memory of this trip was also something that was told to me. Another perk of this trip was a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant in Disney World. It was a 5 course meal and apparently took forever to be served. So, what would a 3 year old do at a fancy restaurant, after a busy day at Disney World? That is right, fall asleep. Between every course, I would fall asleep and they would have to wake me up when the next course would be served.

My first taste of Disney World was a lot of fun. At least the parts I can remember minus the falling out of the golf cart incident. I can't wait to take our boys there. I think we will stay away from the golf carts, just to be safe.

Vacation

Today is the start to my vacation! Those words are so sweet.

We leave this morning for Missouri. Our first stop will be to attend a wedding on Sarah's side of the family. I am not a big fan of going to weddings, but at least I am on vacation!

On Sunday, we will be leaving for Branson Missouri. Sarah's parents have a time share in Branson and we will be spending several days there. I am sure we will see some shows, eat at some nice restaurants, shop a little, and swim in the pool. Selleck and Slade love the pool, so I am sure every day will have at least a couple hours of swimming involved.

So, in honor of me being on vacation, I will be posting a vacation memory each day for the duration of our trip. I hope you enjoy.

Things to think about

I recently came across a list online of weird things to think about. Some of them made me laugh, while others made me, well, think. I thought it would be fun to list some of them here to give us all something to think about.

1) Can you cry underwater?

2) Why are you IN a movie, but ON t.v.?

3) If the professor on Gilligan's Island can make a radio out of a coconut, why can't he fix a hole in a boat?

4) Why do you press harder on a remote control when you think the battery is dead?

5) Do people in Australia call the rest of the world "Up Over"?

6) How is it that wrong numbers are never busy?

7) What if the Hokey Pokey really is what it is all about?

8) What was the best thing before sliced bread?

9) Why do tourists go to the top of tall buildings, then put money into telescopes so they can see things on the ground close up?

Unlimited Creativity

When it came to being creative, as it pertains to church, I always thought I needed to leave some creativity in my back pocket. I was afraid that if I would throw out all my creative ideas, I might not have any left over for the next series or program or whatever. If we used up all our creative ideas on one series or one program, the next several series or programs would be dull, because we would have no creativity left. But, I was wrong.

I truly believe, like other wonderful things from God, creativity can be unlimited. If you use all your creativity on one project, it is ok. God will supply more creativity the next time you need it. The really creative churches get this. When you take a look at what they are doing, you can't even imagine how they can be so creative. Then you check them out again the next week or the next series or even the next year, and they are just as creative.

Every time I have ever tried to come up with a creative idea, God has not failed me. He has either given me an original idea, or let me see something another church is doing that we could tweak and make our own, or let me flat out take an idea from another church that I know would work for us. God has always supplied the creativity when it is needed. Now that I don't have a regular outlet for my creativity, one might think that God would stop giving me creative ideas. But, God hasn't stopped. For now, the ideas seem to be burning a hole in my pocket, just waiting for the chance to be used. And, I know when I use those ideas, God will send more.

Jobs I would like to try for a day

Have you ever watched someone doing there job, and thought "I wonder what that's like?" I often do that. Not that I would, neccessarily, like to do their job on a full time basis, but I would like to see what it was like for a day. Here is a list of jobs that I would like to try for a day:

1) New York City Taxi Cab driver - Not only would it be interesting to meet new people, as you drive them to their destination, but it would be very exhilerating to have to manuever through the New York City streets and narrowly miss accident after accident, as the cab drivers I have ridden with always seem to do.

2) Sports Stadium Vendor - "Hot Dogs...Peanuts...Cotton Candy!" Just being able to interact with the sports fans and running up and down the stadium stairs, screaming at the top of my lungs, appeals to me.

3) Hot Dog street vendor - It seems to me you would run across a broad range of people that buy hot dogs from street vendors.

4) 18 Wheeler Truck Driver - It just seems like a manly thing to do, hauling a heavy load across the interestate highways.

5) Comedian - To be able to stand on stage and say something that makes people laugh would, I'm sure, make the adrenaline pump. I guess a good joke during a sermon is similar to this, but, as a preacher, if the joke fails you can just go back to your other points or scripture and not have to come back with another joke.

6) Background actor in a Broadway show - The excitement of the curtain opening, with the bright lights, must be so frightening, but awesome at the same time.

7) Line cook for a fine dining restaurant - I imagine this to be a bit like being on the show "Hell's Kitchen".

8) The person that guesses people's age and weight at an amusement park - If someone gives me an attitude or needs to be taken down a notch, I'd just guess there weight about 40 lbs heavier or their age 10 years older. That should bring them down a bit.

9) Toll collector - Sitting in a both and having hundreds or even thousands of people pass by for only a few seconds at a time, would be interesting.

I would imagine that all of these workers have all kinds of stories to tell. It would be cool to share that experience and maybe even get a cool story of my own, but only for a day. What job would you like to try for a day?

What in the world did you say to me?

Have you ever been in a situation where someone says something to you and you say or think, "What in the world did you say to me?" It seems that I have more then my fair share of these moments. The one that seems to top the list happened to me at a Burger King.

It was on a Saturday and Sarah and I were driving to my parents house for a get together. My mom was making dinner, but we wouldn't be eating for a couple hours after we got there. We were starving and wanted to stop and get a little something to eat on the way, to hold us over. So, we decided to run through the Burger King drive thru.

Since it wouldn't be that long until we ate, we only wanted something small. We ordered 2 small cheeseburgers, a small order of fries, and a drink to split. After paying and receiving our food, we drove off. It was at that point Sarah opened our bag and realized that, instead of cheeseburgers, we were given 2 double Whoppers. We knew that if we took them back they would have to be thrown away, so we thought about just eating what part of the double Whoppers we wanted and going on. But, since neither one of us like all the stuff that comes on a double whopper, we decided to turn around and take them back.

So, we go back and I walk inside with the bag of double Whoppers and go to the counter. There is a manager there and I explain to her that we had ordered cheeseburgers, but were given double Whoppers by mistake. She said to me, "I am sure I gave you 2 cheeseburgers." I was a little taken back, but I just reasserted that we were given the wrong thing. That is when she said it. She snatched the bag out of my hand, and as she was turning said "I don't know what type of scam you are trying to pull. I know I gave you 2 cheeseburgers." I was stunned. I didn't say it, but I sure thought "What in the world did you say to me?" As I stood there with my chin to the floor, I look to my right to see another employee looking at me with an expression on his face like "She is crazy". He even mouthed to me "I'm so sorry". She gave me my cheeseburgers and off I went. Unable to say anything from the shock of what she said.

Now that I think about it, I laugh. What kind of scam does a person pull when they pay for double Whoppers (three times as expensive as small cheeseburgers) then return them to only get 2 cheeseburgers. That doesn't make a lot of sense. My guess is that she was just having a bad day or a bad week or even a bad year.

Have you had any "What in the world did you say to me" moments?

Meijer - Spinach

Here in the midwest, we have a local store chain called Meijer. For those of you not from the midwest, Meijer is a lot like Super Walmart. Meijer trys to compete locally with the big chain stores. In doing so, they often have some very clever marketing. My favorite is their commercials. They seem to put out some of the funniest commercials. Today, I wanted to share what has been my favorite. Enjoy!

I and My Car are One

I have always heard people say that the kind of car you drive says a lot about you as a person. I never really believed this. To me, I don't really care what car I drive. I am not the type of person that needs a fancy sports car or a rugged truck. All I need is a car that gets me from point A to point B.

This is how I would describe my car. It is a little bit sporty, without being a sports car. It has some really nice basic features, but nothing too flashy. It has proven to be very dependable, without much need for maintenance.

After thinking about how I would describe my car, I realized that I was almost describing myself. How I view my car is very similar to how I view myself. So, what I am saying, is that what I drive does seem to reflect on me as a person.

What car are you driving?

50 First Dates

One of my favorite movies is "50 First Dates". If you haven't seen it, you should. It's not just the standard boy meets girl, romantic comedy. It has a twist. Henry, played by Adam Sandler, meets Lucy, played by Drew Barrymore, in a coffee shop. But, what Henry soon finds out is that Lucy has lost her short term memory. Every night, when she falls asleep, she loses the memories of what happened the day before. It leads to some unexpected twists and turns to their romance.

Memory is something we seem to take for granted. But, could you imagine life without memory? Obviously not being able to remember how to do every day tasks, like feeding ourselves or walking, would make life almost impossible. And, things like not being able to remember where you live or work, would make things extremely difficult. But, beyond all that, not being able to remember all the special moments in life would be quite sad.

The fond memories I have of seeing Sarah walk down the aisle on our wedding day and the births of our two boys, are memories that I hope to never lose. The day I walked the aisle and accepted Christ in my life is still such a vivid memory. There are countless other moments I want to hold onto forever in my mind. The unfortunate thing is that many people, especially as they get older, may start to lose part of their memory. I pray that God preserves my memory and gives me even more wonderful moments in life to remember.

The Wonder Years

The t.v. show "The Wonder Years" is one of my all time favorites. The showed followed Kevin Arnold as he grew up and experienced life. It was a show I could relate to. Kevin was going through all the things that I had gone through when I was growing up. Everything from trying out for a sport to school issues to girlfriends to everything else a teenage boy goes through.

There was a girl in Kevin's life that was his "it" girl. Her name was Winnie Cooper. It seemed that no matter where life took Kevin, he would always come back to Winnie. The more you watched the show, the more you realized just how perfect Kevin and Winnie were together.

As the series came to a conclusion, I remember anxiously awaiting the last episode to find out what happens to Kevin and Winnie, in the future, with their great Love affair. The entire last episode was, more or less, showing how Kevin and Winnie both realized that they were meant to be together and how they would always be there for each other. Then, during the last few minutes of the finale, it happened.

As the show was concluding, the voice over of Kevin told us what happened in the future. He went through each character and let us know how their life unfolded. When he finally got to Winnie and himself he said, "Winnie left the next summer to study art history in Paris. Still, we never forgot our promise. We wrote to each other once a week for the next 8 years. I was there to meet her when she came home, with my wife and my first son, eight months old."

What? Are you kidding me? Kevin and Winnie didn't end up together. I had watched this show for so long and was invested in these characters so much, that it hurt to find out they wouldn't end up together. On the other hand, as much as it hurt, I also loved this ending. To have a series not end up with the "fairy tale ending" was refreshing. It also proved that The Wonder Years once again mirrored real life. Sometimes, things don't always turn out exactly as we expect them too.

Dr. Evil

One of my favorite movie characters of all time is Dr. Evil, from the Austin Powers movies. What makes him so funny, is that he just doesn't get it. Do you ever have those days where you just don't get it? I do. Sometimes it feels like I have been cryogenically frozen and just recently thawed. Everything is new or different and I just don't get it. In honor of me not getting it, and Dr. Evil, I share with you some of my favorite Dr. Evil quotes.

"When I get angry, Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset. When Mr. Bigglesworth gets upset...People Die!"

"Because you're not quite evil enough. Well it's true! You're semi-evil. You're quasi-evil. You're the margarine of evil. You're the Diet Coke of evil. Just one calorie, not evil enough."

"Mini Me, if I ever lost you I don't know what I would do. I'd probably move on, get another clone but there would be a 15 minute period there where I would just be inconsolable."

"It's Doctor Evil. I didn't go to Evil Medical School for 6 years to be called Mister."

Another DVR ailment

In a previous post, I discussed a common ailment called DVR guilt, an emotion that you feel when you have shows saved on your DVR for a long time and never get around to viewing them.

Today, I want to talk about another ailment that is directly caused by my DVR. I am not sure what it is called, so let me describe it's symptoms. The first symptom I noticed, started when I would listen to the radio. As the radio show's host would say something, and I missed it, I would find myself wanting to hit a button and rewind what he said. Not being able to do this, I became frustrated with the radio.

The other symptom is similar to the first. It seems that in real life situations, I am often wishing I could rewind something that just happened, so that I can see it again. It becomes very frustrating when I can not rewind reality.

Further stages of my second symptom seem to be my agitation with not being able to pause something, like a conversation with a friend, until I do some task, like going to the bathroom. The most extreme sign of this ailment is when I become angry when I can not fast forward a boring or uncomfortable situation to get to a more pleasant one.

Whatever this ailment is called, I am not sure if there is a cure. I am resigned to the fact that this may be something that I am forced to live with for the rest of my life. (Or until someone invents something better then the DVR)

I'm with Stupid

Do you ever feel that you should be wearing a shirt that says "I'm with Stupid" with a big arrow pointing up. I will admit, sometimes I do. Some days it just seems that, for whatever reason, my brain isn't turned on and I just feel stupid.

Through talking to many different people, I have found that one of the biggest areas that may cause someone to feel stupid, is their knowledge, or lack their of, the Bible. If you are one of those people, you are not alone. There are huge amounts of the Bible that I don't have the knowledge or understanding of. Sure, I try to continually gain more undertanding, but it is a slow go sometimes. Here is a little secret, even Pastors or Preachers don't know everything about the Bible. Sure, they reasearch the Bible to gain understanding and knowledge of what they will be speaking about, but, I am sure, they will admit that they don't know everything, and that is ok.

I say all of that to say this. Many people use their lack of knowledge or understanding of the Bible as an excuse to not share their faith with others. "What if they ask me something I don't know the answer to?" or "What if I try to explain something to them and get things wrong?" These seem to be the concerns that may keep someone from talking to others about Jesus. Let me just say that , if you don't know it all, it is ok. When you share your faith with others, they will respect you if you tell them you don't know an answer to something. Tell them you will get an answer for them. Then, find the answer in the Bible or discuss it with someone that you trust to steer you to the answer.

For many of us, we may always feel stupid that we don't know as much as we should. I do believe that we should always strive to gain more understanding of the Bible. But, if you don't know all the answers, that is alright. God will still use you to speak to others about his love for them.

40 Years

Today marks my parents 40th year of marriage. That is awesome! I know that they will be the first to tell you that a successful marriage often takes hard work and patience. The greatest thing that I can take as an example from my parents, and apply it to my marriage, is that no matter what has happened in their lives together, they have always put God first. It is with that, that their marriage has been successful and God has truly blessed our entire family.

Mom and Dad, thanks for providing such a great model of God's plan for marriage. I hope you have a great and happy anniversary!

My First Job

My first ever job was at the fast food restaurant, Hardees. I was 15 and applied for the job, mainly because a girl I liked worked there and suggested I apply. I was hired to work in food prep. My job was to make salads and put together a few other items to be ready for the line workers.

My first day on the job, after I did all my paperwork, I was told to help one of the line workers take out the grease from a fryer. We roll the fryer to the back and start to lift it up to pour the grease into this huge container to take it outside. Someone should have warned me that the fryer was still hot. As my finger started to burn, I let go of my end of the fryer and spilled grease every where. It was all over the floor and the walls. We tried to clean it up, but all that the water, from the mop, did was make the grease spot even slicker. As soon as I finished mopping, my boss came around the corner. Not knowing that we had just spilled the grease, he slipped and fell on his butt and slide across the floor, stopping under one of the sinks. I was mortified. My first day on the job and I killed the boss! Ok, he didn't die, he was just a bit bruised and a little mad. The good news is that my first day wasn't my last day. I am sure my boss knew that hiring teenagers would come with it's fair share of moments like these, so he let it go without giving me too much grief. And with that, I will always remember my first day on my first ever job.

Do you have a first day on the job story? If so, please share it.

Things I'll Never Be Able to Do

As I have gotten older, I have been forced to come to the realization that there are some things that I will never be able to do. I had always been of the mind set that "I can do anything that I set my mind to". It hate to say it, but that isn't always the case. Here are 5 examples of things that I'll never be able to do.

1) Hula Hoop - I have never been able to keep a hula hoop off the ground for more then a few seconds. I see other people doing it and it seems so easy, but I simply can't do it nor will I ever be able to.

2) Roll my tongue - Do you know what I mean by this? It is where you fold up the sides of your tongue to make it look like a circle. My wife can do this. My son, Selleck, can even do this. But, sadly, I will never be able to do this.



3) Win the lottery - No matter how much I would love to win the lottery, I never will. The lottery seems to have this dumb rule that says you can only win if you buy a ticket. And, since I never buy a ticket, it seems that I'll never be able to win the lottery.

4) Dunk a basketball - In the height of my athletic ability, I was able to dunk a baseball, but, I could never jump high enough or control the ball well enough, in one hand, to be able to dunk it. So, with my athletic ability continuing to decline, I do not see myself ever being able to dunk a basketball.

5) Play a professional sport - This last one goes hand and hand with number 4. As my athletic ability dwindles and my age increases, it seems that my hopes of playing a professional sport are diminishing with each passing day. So, unless they come out with a new professional sport, like t.v. watching, I will never become a professional athlete.

I know you may be sad for me, because I will never be able to do any of these things listed above, but you don't need to be. There are still lots of things that I might still be able to do. I can't really think of what those things might be, but if I do, you can rest assured that I will post a blog about them!

Hell's Kitchen

Tonight is the season Finale of Hell's Kitchen. For those of you that haven't seen it, the show consists of one of the greatest chefs in the world, Gordon Ramsay, trying to teach aspiring chefs to cook to his level. Although I don't like the 4-letter words often coming out of Ramsay's mouth, I do like what he is trying to accomplish. He wants these chefs to achieve as much as he has, while always maintaining the highest quality. He tells them, "your cooking, but my standards". He won't let anything go out of his kitchen unless it meets his extremely high standards.

When it comes to Ministry, we can learn a lot from Gordon Ramsay. No, not the 4-letter words. What we can learn is to always set our standards to the highest possible level. It is so easy to just do something so-so. But, when we go down that path, we start to do things without really caring about the final product. As long as we get something out, we are ok. That is just not good enough. Gordon Ramsay would never let anything so-so go out of his kitchen and we should never let something so-so go out to our church. Gordon Ramsay has his standards high and all he is trying to please are his customers. We should set our standards just as high as we try to please the God of the Universe. So, the next time we are sending out, to our church, something the equivalent of an overcooked steak or an under cooked risotto, lets send it back for a recook and only serve the best to our church for the glory of our Savior.

Pray like... Work like...

There is a great quote from Martin Luther that says "Pray like it all depends on God, then, when you are done, go work like it all depends on you."

I love this quote. In just a few words it sums up what Ministry is all about. All the good that comes from the Ministry we have been called to is because of God. But, when God calls us to a Ministry, He wants us to give our all in whatever He has asked us to do.

When we give all that we have and pray continually for God's presence, our Ministry will be successful. When we leave out God, we have missed it all. And, when we leave out our own hard work, we are falling short of what God has called us to do.

DVR guilt

Do you have DVR guilt? I will admit that, sometimes, I suffer this terrible affliction. What is DVR guilt, you ask? DVR guilt is defined as the emotion you feel from having programs recorded on your DVR, for some time, that you have not had time to view. The emotion most sufferers feel is best describe as a sort of guilt.

I have experienced that feeling. It seems to happen most often with new shows that I would like to try out. I set up a season pass to record the series, but never actually get around to watching it. I look at my recorded shows and feel bad that I haven't actually watched what I have recorded.

Other times this happens, is when I will record a movie, that many people call a "Classic", that I think I should watch. However, it seems that I never get around to doing that. Right now, I have "Gone with the Wind" and "This is Spinal Tap" recorded, but yet to be watched.

I guess the only way to be cured is to either go cold turkey and just delete everything, or take a weekend and do nothing else but watch t.v. Either way, it seems I may be in for a rough time ahead.

Are you the one?

A small group of us, from our church, have taken on a challenge to step out to serve the Kingdom. This challenge is to be the ONE that chooses to make a difference in someones life. We have chosen to unite in our desire to be true Disciples. To keep us focused and bring us together, we have started a blog where we can post thoughts and words of encouragement for others. Here are some thoughts I have shared with others about being the ONE.

What does it take to be the ONE? Who is God calling to be a disciple? What does it take to be the person that can truly make a positive difference in someones life? I am sure it takes more then what I have to give. It might look from the outside that I have all the answers, but inside, I really don't. I don't know enough about God or the Bible to share with others. Besides, there are so many other people out there that are way better equipped to be a disciple than I am. Surely God would call them way before He would call me.

Does that sound familiar? It does to me. I have heard every one of those excuses. To be truthful, I have uttered every one of those excuses. But, those are just that, excuses. In reality, there will always be someone that this world looks at as more gifted or more equipped then I am. They know more about the Bible then I do. They are better communicators then I am. But, the other reality is that God does not always call the gifted or equipped. God equips and gifts those that He calls. If you are like me and are feeling God's call to step up, then you are the ONE. God will equip you with exactly what you need. God knows what He is doing, so if He is calling you, you are the ONE.

For me, I have decided to get past all of my excuses and step forward to make a difference for the Kingdom. I know that God is calling me to be a disciple. So, I can rest assured that I am the ONE. Are you the ONE?

Happy Mother's Day!

I am truly blessed to have such wonderful women in my life. I have a mom that loves me unconditionally and has guided me through out my life. I have a grandma that I am fortunate to have as a positive influence on my life from when I was first born even to today. I have married into a great Mother-in-law, Marcia, who is such a joy to know. And, I have the best wife in the world, that is an amazing mom to our boys.

I am not sure what I could have done to deserve such wonderful women in my life, but whatever it was, I am very fortunate to have them.

To all the wonderful ladies in my life, I wish you each a Happy Mothers day! I pray God's continued blessings on your lives as you have been such a blessing on mine.

College Ministry

Tomorrow will mark the start to my first week leading the College aged Ministry at Liberty Heights church. I am excited about this opportunity that God is giving me. These young adults are entering into such a transitional period in their lives. They are going from High School "Kids" to adults. Many will live on their own for the first time ever. The list of things that are changing in their lives can be endless. That is why I feel it is so important that we, as the family of God, offer our help and guidance as they make their journey into adulthood.

It is my desire to follow God's will and direction in my ministry to our College students. That is why I am asking you to pray. Pray that I humble myself so that God can show through me. Pray also that God works in the lives of our College students so that they may walk closer to Him and that they may make a huge and positive impact on God's Kingdom!

The Real "Karate Kid"

I was just recently watching the t.v. show "How I met your mother". One of the main characters, Barney Stinson, discussed why he loved the movie "The Karate Kid". Here is how he described it:

"The Karate Kid is a great movie. It's the story of a hopeful young karate enthusiast who's dreams and moxie take him all the way to the All Valley Karate Championship. Of course, sadly, he loses in the final round to that nerd kid. But, he learns an important lesson about gracefully accepting defeat."

That's right. Barney doesn't root for Daniel Larusso, he roots for Johnny Lawrence, whom he calls "The Real Karate Kid".

I think Barney might have this one right. Go with me on this. On one hand, we have Johnny Lawrence. He has trained his entire life to be an expert in Karate. He has built strong muscles to make himself a fierce competitor. His entire life he has made sacrifices to become a Karate Champion.

Then we have Daniel-son. Here is this scrawny kid that comes into town and starts hitting on Johnny's girl. He takes up Karate for like a week, has no muscle tone, and expects to win this huge karate tournament.

Barney may have caused me to have a change of heart. When we are truly honest about it, we will all have to admit to ourselves who the All Valley Karate Champion should have been. So, I am thinking, the next time I watch "The Karate Kid", I might just have to start rooting for the real "Karate Kid", Johnny Lawrence.

The Last Word

Do you know someone that has to get in the last word? I don't, necessarily, mean when it comes to arguing. Just in general. I have noticed lately that there are a lot of people that must always get in the last word.

For example, I have a co-worker that must always say the last word before we are done talking. Just yesterday we had this conversation.

Co-worker: "Hey, Scott. I'm getting ready to go home. I will see you tomorrow."

Me: "Cool. Have a great night."

Then, just as he walks away...

Co-worker: "See ya."

You already said you will see me tomorrow. You don't have to say it again. But, I guess he had to say it because he had to get in the last word.

There are other places, besides face to face, that I notice this. How about the person that has to send the last e-mail. You e-mail them to ask a question. They e-mail you the answer. You follow it up with an e-mail to say thanks for the answer. So, what does someone that has to get the last word do? They send another e-mail that says "You're welcome."

The world of texting has the "last word" people as well. As a guy that pays by the text, nothing is more frustrating then getting the "ok" or "later" or any other lame closing text just to get the last word.

At this point, I am closing out this post. But, if you are a "last word" type of person, feel free to leave a comment so you can be the one to have the "last word". (I am just joking. I love comments, whether you are a "last word" person or not!)

Death of a Salesman

"Death of a Salesman", by Arthur Miller, is one of my all time favorite plays. I read it in High School as part of a literature class. The play is about Willy Lowman, a salesman, that has the dream of becoming rich, successful, and well liked. It becomes an obsession of his that gradually sends him over the edge.

When I first read the play, I remember thinking about how sad it was. Here was this guy that never gets to enjoy life, because he is pursuing his idea of the "American Dream". His continuous grasping for money and success lead him to a life of loneliness and despair.

I think we all should strive to be successful and be rewarded, monetarily, for our hard work. However, when that consumes our lives, we become like the character Willy Lowman. Even if we achieve success and riches, when we don't take time for the truly important things in life, like God and family, we will never be able to achieve true happiness.

Cinco De Mayo

I don't really celebrate Cinco De Mayo. Not for any reason other then I don't know why it is celebrated. Apparently it is a regional holiday in Mexico that commemorates the Mexican Army's unlikely defeat of the French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862. Wikipedia says that it is actually celebrated more in the United States then it is in Mexico. In Mexico, it is only celebrated in the Puebla region.

My only real recollection of anything having to do with Cinco De Mayo had to do with my family going out to dinner. It was on a Thursday and my parents and grandparents had stopped by our house and we decided to go get something to eat. We hadn't had Mexican food in a while, so Sarah suggested we go to a place called Cazadores.

When we get to the restaurant, we notice that the parking lot was packed. This seemed odd as it was a Thursday. We get out of the car and walk to the door only to see a huge line of people waiting to get in. Again, very unusual. I have never seen a wait to get a table at Cazadores. So, I asked a guy standing in line what is going on and he looked at me like I was crazy. Apparently, my not knowing Spanish made me unable to translate Cinco De Mayo to mean the 5th of May. The one Thursday we decide to go eat Mexican food, just happens to be May 5th. So, we decided to get out of line, go to another restaurant, and put off our enjoyment of Mexican food until Seis De Mayo.

I still don't know much about Cinco De Mayo, but I do know that it is not a good day to be craving Mexican food if you don't want to stand in line a really long time.

Everything's Relevant

As a former Youth Pastor, I have come to understand that, no matter what you may be talking about, a teenager can make whatever they want to talk about relevant to your talk. Here is a fairly common dialogue at a Youth meeting.

Scott: "In Ephesians, Paul talks about living a life of love as Jesus has."

Youth: "A life of love is such a great thing. Speaking of love, I really love these new boots I just bought."

What? How do we go from God's love to new boots? But, to a teenager, I am sure that makes perfectly logical sense.

As adults, we often do the same thing, even if we don't know it. How often have you sat in a service, as the speaker was giving the message God has laid on his heart, and started to think about the boots you just bought or where you are going to lunch or some other issue going on in your life? I am guilty of it. But, when I do that, I am robbing myself of the blessing that God is trying to bestow on me through His word. I am not writing this to try to condemn anyone, I just wanted to, maybe, plant a little something in your head for the next time your mind starts to wonder during a service.

Chocolate River/Mountain Dew Fountain

Lately, one of our favorite family movies is "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". If you've seen the movie, you know that Willy Wonka has a river of chocolate flowing through his factory. Selleck loves the part when the boy, who is leaning down to take a drink, falls into the river. We have watched that scene many, many times.

The chocolate river, in the movie, got me to thinking. I don't think that I would want a chocolate river, flowing through my house, but rather a Mountain Dew drinking fountain would be my choice. It would be cool to walk over, push a button, and have ice cold Mountain Dew right there to drink. Yes, that would be my dream!

I may never get my Mountain Dew drinking fountain, but maybe I could have a scaled down version. Maybe just a small soda fountain of Mountain Dew. Or, better yet, a Mountain Dew freeze machine. It is like an icee or slurpie machine, but it serves frozen Mountain Dew. I think that would be my "chocolate river".

What about you? What do you like so much you would have it flow through your house?

Dating Tips with Jamey

In one of my first blog posts, I highlighted a video made by Waters Edge Church in York Town, Virginia. It is the church that my in-laws attend and my brother-in-law, Rob, is on staff. They make some of the best videos, many of which crack me up. One of my favorite videos is "Dating tips with Jamey" subtitled "Tip #326 - Spare no expense". It stars staff member, Jamey Menser, as he gives his tips to help with dating. It is hilarious. I wanted to share this video with my readers, that may not have seen it. Enjoy.

Baby Talk

When my youngest son, Slade, was 14 months old, my wife, Sarah, went through and counted all the words that he could say. It was an impressive list. It is amazing how a child can go from not being able to say any words to being able to repeat just about anything we say. In fact, the other day I heard Slade saying the word "flibbertigibbet". At first, I didn't know what this word meant. Now, after looking it up in the dictionary, I know it means "A silly, flighty person". How he knows some of these words, I will never know. (I hope he wasn't referring to me.)

With Slade now talking, it reminds me to always be careful of what I say around my boys. Whatever comes out of my mouth will, soon there after, come out of theirs. I don't have to worry about the 4 letters words, as those aren't really a part of my normal vocabulary (with the rare exception of a hammer to the thumb type of accident). However, I need to be cognizant of those times that I say things, that may just be in passing, that are not appropriate. Things like making fun of people because of the way they look or act, or talking bad about someone just because they may have upset me, are not things I would want my boys to repeat. So I should not be saying them.

Really, I should have always been watching the words that come out of my mouth. As I strive to be more Christ like, I should be careful of what I say. The words I say may seem, to me, to be meaningless, but to others, they could be very hurtful. In the past, I am sure I have said things that I shouldn't have, but now I have my boys around to remind me to think of the ramifications of the words I am saying. And maybe, some of those things on the tip of my tongue will stay in my mouth.