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Archives For August 2008

My Wife Has a Big Brain

August 29, 2008 — 4 Comments

Let me tell you about this wife of mine. A few nights ago after the kids headed to bed, and it was way past our own bedtime we headed to the bedroom. I closed the door and turned out the lights and then……get your mind out of the gutter……we somehow got into a conversation about the music and movies we grew up on. Somehow that conversation led to me making some song requests from days long ago, so I could see if she still knew the words.

Let me just tell you that this woman of mine has a sick mind for memorizing 1980′s movie love songs. She sang every verse and chorus from just about every Whitney Houston song (Where do Broken Hearts Go?, I Believe Children are the Future, One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love for You, Didn’t We Almost Have it All, and etc, etc, etc) , songs from Cyndi Lauper (True Colors, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Time after Time) threw in a few Bangles (Manic Monday, Eternal Flame, Walk Like an Egyptian), and topped it off by singing favorites from Karate Kid (Glory of Love) and Top Gun (Take My Breath Away.)

We even got in an argument over which Karate Kid movie takes place in Japan. Which I won, because all true Karate Kid lovers know it was Karate Kid 2 and not Karate Kid 3! She kept fulfilling my song request for well over an hour, and when I woke up in the morning I found myself singing…

“I am a man who will fight for your honor
I’ll be the hero you’re dreaming of
We’ll live forever Knowing together that we
Did it all for the glory of love.”

What is wrong with me? And how in the world can this wife of mine keep this much garbage rolling around in her head? At what age exactly will those lyrics leave that super-sized brain of hers? So the next time she forgets to do something simple, like close the garage door or start the dishwasher; I’m gonna blame it on Whitney and all her catchy pop songs!

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T-R-O-U-B-L-E

August 27, 2008 — 3 Comments

As one who has worked around kids for a few years now, I can honestly say that some kids are more fun to work with than others. There are some kids that really try my patience, and usually they are accompanied by parents who are similar. The funny thing is that sometimes it’s through these ‘trouble’ kids that I become a better teacher, minister, and servant. It’s the hard kids that force me to think through what I’m preparing way beforehand to fill in all the gaps perfectly, it’s the hard kids that sharpen my methods, and it’s the hard kids that ultimately have made me the Children’s minster I am today.
While in Dallas for 4 years I worked with some of the hardest kids, families, and parents I have ever ministered to. Don’t get me wrong, not all of them were this way; but the % of hard to easy was WAY on the hard side. These kids weren’t use to discipline, order, and structure; and they bucked like wild horses at anything that wasn’t their idea. It was during this season that I learned how to organize classrooms, orchestrate services, and arrange check-ins areas that would become staples of my style today. In hindsight I didn’t always appreciate those moments at the time, but now I can say that I count it all joy to have been through those experiences.
As I listen to staff, volunteers, and parents bemoan the troubles of certain ‘trouble’ kids around them I feel that they may be missing some great opportunities. We have been assured that in this world we will experience trouble, so it’s high time some teachers get over themselves and see these kids the way God sees them. It’s time that we all begin to see these kids as challenges to overcome, and less as obstacles to get around. And trust me, I’m talking to myself as much as to anyone who might be reading!
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I’ve Had Days Like This

August 25, 2008 — Leave a comment

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NOT very Olympic

August 23, 2008 — 1 Comment

This is totally shocking! And much more interesting than Synchronized Swimming, no offense…

VIDEO HERE

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Look Up Here, Look Up Here

August 22, 2008 — 1 Comment

There have been so many things said to me this week regarding the talk I gave almost two weeks ago. I’ve forgotten how weird it is to be in the spotlight. Let me explain. I love what I do, but I do it with about ZERO attention from anyone in the church. It’s not the church, it’s just the job. I have encountered more grateful people in Lubbock, TX than anywhere else I’ve ever worked, however it’s not uncommon to go 6 months without a compliment from anyone. It used to bother me, but now I’m pretty used to it. I figure I know what God thinks of me so why should I care if some parent never notices anything I do?

But after speaking in “BIG Church” on a Sunday morning, and exposing my passion and personality to a congregation of 2,000 people; I’m as popular as I’ve ever been. I appreciate all the kind words, and testimonies related to what I spoke about, but it’s unsettling to me just a little. It seems that the only way to get attention is to be on that stage. Is it just me? I love to hear I did a good job, I am human. I just forget how funny people are about that stage. I can remember a few years ago giving announcements at a church and afterwards thinking about what a great job I did; only to then walk into a classroom and have a kid barf on me. In some sort of weird way, I think I’d rather be taking care of a sick kid. Not nearly as complimentary, but it sure feels more Christlike.
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