Captain America Should be Demoted

I took my sons to see Captain America 3D last night.  At least we had Outback Cheese Fries before we went.  I think the Captain should be demoted to a Private.  Caleb, who had seen the movie earlier tried to warn us.  My opinion:  if you want to watch it, do so when it comes out on DVD.  If you go now, don’t waste your money on 3D.  Clearly wasn’t filmed with the intention of being 3D.  The result:  lame 3D effects and darker picture (thanks to the glasses).  Captain America is cheesy.  And I don’t mean cheesy deliciousness…I mean cheesy stupid.

Just Men

Kelly leaves this afternoon to go to Chicago for the weekend with my little sister.  Alexandria is in St. Louis with my in-laws.  That means this weekend it is just the boys - Me, Isaac, and Caleb hanging out WITHOUT the ladies.  It means:

• No reason to put the toilet seat down.
• Pants and shirts are optional.
• Hunks of cheese sitting on end tables is a legitimate decoration piece (and functional).
• Scratching when it itches is a legitimate reason.
• Pizza is a standard appetizer.
• If it can be grilled, it will be.
• Contests that include bodily gas will be played.
• The pyramid food chart will be switched with products from Frito Lay.
• The smell of corn chips will either be from literal corn chips, or body odor.
• Feats of strength contests to see who gets to hold the remote control.
• Lifetime, OWN, and QVC will be blocked from cable menu.
• Unmade beds will be a new eccentric decor look (same with clothes on floor and towels thrown in heaps).
• Dishes that need to be washed will be replaced by disposable items.
• Bacon will be considered a “fruit” and “vegetable.”
• Only movies with explosions and shootings will be permitted.

Isaac the Fifteen Year Old

Isaac working at LSC's RECESS

Today is Isaac’s 15th birthday!!!  What a difference a year makes!!  I think in this one year Isaac has gone through more dramatic changes I’ve seen yet (thank you puberty…if that doesn’t embarrass him I don’t now what will).  My little boy is gone.  As I look at him now I can see the man he is becoming.  And I’m very proud (insert Braveheart quote… [*heavy Scottish accent*] “I’ve lived long enough to see the man you’ve become.  I’m a happy man.  My heart is free.”)  He is way taller than me.  Not that that is a difficult feat given my own height, but he isn’t just barely taller – he is getting way taller.  His voice is deeper.  His shoe size is a 12.  And I’m now getting his hand me downs.  He has found a passion in music and is quite talented at it.  We gave him piano lessons for a few years as a kid, otherwise, he has invested hours in the basement learning how to play the drums, guitar, and bass all on his own.  He is mature in his thinking and has a heart for Jesus and His church (he is probably going to be a Pastor…but…you know…no pressure or anything).  Isaac…I love you.  I’m proud of you.  May God bless you with another year of health, joy, and peace!

Lost’s Unanswered Questions

Isaac is watching LOST on Netflix right now.  Kelly and I were HUGE fans of the show and watched every episode.  What is interesting now is that I’ll walk in the room while Isaac is watching a show and I’ll see something in the story line and think, “They never did end up explaining that!!”  Today Isaac found this video and sent it to me.  It is some of the unanswered questions of LOST.

Too Much Time On Their Hands

The NASCAR prayer remix.

RT:  www.toddrhoades.com

And He Departed With No One’s Regret

Jehoram, King of Judah….has to have the distinction of being one of the worst Kings of Judah and was punished by God accordingly.  The point:  don’t be a Jehoram!!

And after all this the Lord struck him in his bowels with an incurable disease.  In the course of time, at the end of two years, his bowels came out because of the disease, and he died in great agony.  His people made no fire in his honor, like the fires made for his fathers.  He was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.  And he departed with no one’s regret.  They buried him in the city of David, but not in the tombs of the kings. 2 Chronicles 21:18-20

I’ve done some funerals in my time where based on the expression and countenance of those few in the audience, it was clear no one seemed to regret the departure.

Isaac is a Who Fan

Here is my (almost) 15 year old son showing off his talents.  He is playing a Who song on the drums, guitar, and bass.  Then he splices each track together with his video editing software.  In the end, you have a one man band (except the singing that is actually the Who) – Isaac!

You Can’t Say Good News But Be Bad News

A few evenings ago, a Suburban drove down our cul-de-sac and two teenagers jumped out and approached my (in a few days) 15 year old son, Isaac, and one of his friends, Dean.  They handed them a postcard invitation (see below) to their youth group which is in our neighborhood and extended a verbal invitation to their youth gathering.

To begin I have to say, I think it is no small deal that teenagers would be committed to going out into the neighborhood and inviting other teenagers to their youth group.  Whether this door-to-door campaign works, which I have some opinions on, is one thing.  But at the very least I commend these teens for reaching out.

But my question is, what happens next?  What if Isaac and Dean go?  Will they be accepted?  Will they be received, for who they are?

And I ask because we have some association with this church that is doing the inviting.  So as not to reveal who it is I’ll use some encryption here.  It is the C*mmunity Bapt*st Chu*ch.  We actually sent all three of our kids to their school.  And then, as Isaac was finishing up his 6th grade year he got kicked out of the school.  ”Why?” you ask.  Oh…don’t worry he didn’t do anything wrong.  He made straight “A’s.”  He had never been in trouble.  He lived up to every expectation the school had, except one.  We weren’t Independent Fundamentalist Baptist enough for them.  And it’s true.  We aren’t.  But we knew where we were and I always tried to teach my kids to obey and respect the rules of the house we’re in…including if the house was IFB.  But, we still got kicked out.

So my question is, what happens to Isaac and Dean if they showed up to hear “good news?”  If they aren’t like you, will you kick them out (again)?  Because if so, what you are saying might be good news, but you are ultimately bad news.  It’s hard to hear good news from someone who is bad news.

Disclaimer:  I know their previous Pastor left a few years ago and they have a new one.  Maybe things have changed.  Even the postcard/graphic/logo seems hard to conceive of with the previous Pastor.  Do they accept drums yet?  (The IFB is against any music with a backbeat).  Because Isaac is now into those (as proof see above post).

Leftover Charoset

What do you do with a bunch of leftover charoset from a Passover Seder?  Make a Charoset pie!!  At least that is what Jennae Gee did and brought some in the office to share (with a scoop of vanilla ice cream).  Nice.

In Jesus’ Name Boogity boogity boogity Amen

I’m as bi-polar in my thoughts about this as it gets.

One moment I think this is absolutely brilliant.  The next, I think this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.

Regardless, congratulations Pastor Joe Nelms for getting people talking!

Here is what I know:

1.  If the UFC would like me to give an invocation before the fights, I have a special one in mind.

2.  If Pastor Nelms did not get sponsorships for this prayer, he should seek it out.

3.  I’ve seen Pastor Nelm’s wife.  She is smoking’ hot.  But not as smoking’ hot as mine.

Boogity boogity boogity…thank you Jesus!