Thanksgiving Extravaganza.... Cause You Had a GOOD Day!

I was just finishing the last paragraph of twenty pages of writing for my Homiletics class when the phone rang and it was Terri. She was wondering if I had been to my blog today, which unfortunately I had to say no (Believe it or not, I actually have to write things for class sometimes) She was concerned that I haven’t told everyone about the big Thanksgiving Extravaganza, which I had to agree was a point well taken. So, before I turn off the computer and let my fingers cool down from all of this typing, (I still have 12 more pages to get done before Wednesday morning) Let me share with you about Thanksgiving.

First of all, let me say that Terri and Josh really have a great house. (They just bought it a few months ago) I was wondering if they would be able to fit everyone in, but that wasn't an issue at all, and everyone had plenty of room, that is, except for Andrew, he was fascinated with the stairs and wanted desperately to see if he could climb them.

Actually, I’m not sure that Mimi, (Terri’s’ dog) would agree that there was a lot of room, she was relegated to solitary confinement in her box after a momentary altercation with Andrew. I’m not sure that she even got a trial. (Do you get the feeling that Andrew had a busy day?)

One great thing about the day was that I had the opportunity to catch up on a couple of good movies, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Christmas With the Krank’s, and Shrek 3, It must be nice to have HBO (Karen won’t let me have it) It never ceases to amaze me how well my Grandkids know the words to so many songs, I think that I heard “cause you had a bad day” at least one hundred times until we decided to sing “Had a Good Day”

Of course the food was excellent, we were a little concerned about one of the turkeys getting done, but that turned out to be worry over nothing, and everything turned out just about as perfect as it could possibly have been.

I did learn something that I didn’t know on Thanksgiving, and that is that Don Knotts first appeared with Andy Griffith in the movie “No Time For Sergeants” Josh’s Dad said that he was in the movie, but I couldn’t place him, so with a quick check of You Tube we were even able to view the scene that he was in. (You’ve gotta love You Tube)

We finally made it home after 10:30, which made for a long day for old people like Karen and I, But, I can say that we were really proud of Josh and Terri and their first Thanksgiving Extravaganza, I only hope that Mimi finally got out of solitary confinement.

Blessings

What Season Did You Say This Was?

Tomorrow is a very special day. It is the first Sunday in Advent. For me, this season brings with it a sense of great anticipation and joy, as well as a subtle underlying sense of dread. Now, I am sure that many of you can understand this sense of dread with Christmas being less than a month away and all of the shopping, activities and festivities that must be crammed into those 27 days, but, I have a sense of dread that most people would find hard to understand, and that dread is Christmas music.

LOL I thought that might catch your attention. I am sure that you are wondering, why on earth would anyone dread Christmas music? Well, I am glad that you asked. First, let me say that I LOVE CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!! I always have and I always will. It is my favorite music and as a matter of fact I have it playing on the stereo right this moment as I am writing this. I remember as a young boy, singing in the Moline Boys Choir, we would begin preparations for the Christmas concert season in September, so I had the opportunity to enjoy Christmas music from September through early January when the Christmas concert season ended. Even to this day, I have at least 2 Christmas songs on my MP3 player that stay on there all year long.

The dread that I face is the same as the dread that most pastors face this time of year. When do we sing Christmas music? When I first was introduced to the Pastor Parish Committee of Cana and Crothersville UMC’s I was asked, “Do you like Christmas Music?” I thought Wow, if this is the most difficult question that I am asked in this process, this will be a piece of cake. Of course I answered, “Yes, I love Christmas music,” Which met with a resounding chorus of pleasure from the group that was assembled. Well, apparently, Christmas music had been a source of contention in the past because they had pastors who would not do Christmas music until after Christmas.

Now, I can already sense the concern welling up inside of you, why would you wait until right at Christmas or after to sing Christmas songs? The answer is really quite easy, as I said, tomorrow begins the season of Advent, NOT Christmas. Yes, I know that the world celebrates Christmas beginning as early as October. Wal-Mart had the Christmas music going right after Halloween and they have had their Christmas section up and going much earlier than that. Even Karen always tries to put up her Christmas decorations on Thanksgiving or as soon after as possible.

The problem for a pastor or worship leader, is how do you stay true to the Christian calendar in a world that is pushing Christmas ever earlier and earlier? If I follow the world’s time table, we would simply ignore Advent and go straight to Christmas. I am sure that there will be people upset with me tomorrow because I don’t have any “Christmas “ songs, "Joy to the World," "What Child is This?" etc., planned although I have 4 beautiful Advent Carols scheduled, and thankfully for me at least two of them will be recognized by the congregation as “Christmas” carols. The dilemma that I face, is should we simply ignore Advent? I know there are those who would say YES, but as a pastor, I can no more ignore Advent than I can Lent. We would never sing “Christ the Lord has Risen Today” on Good Friday, let alone Ash Wednesday. These are critical times of reflection and introspection for the church, and to ignore them just because the world is rushing to join the big party and celebrate Christmas is simply wrong, in my opinion.

I do have to smile when people tell me that, “We have always sang Christmas songs beginning after Thanksgiving!” Well, that is not really true, I know that when I grew up we never put up our tree until the 13th of December, which was my Mom’s Birthday, and before that, most Christmas traditions involved putting up the tree and preparing for Christmas on Christmas Eve. Yes, I know that for most of us we grew up in a world that pushed Christmas earlier and earlier, mostly because Macy’s and the other retailers wanted us to, but it hasn’t been that many years ago that the season of Christmas really began much closer to Christmas than it does now. Even the popular song “The 12 Days of Christmas” refer to the 12 days AFTER Christmas, between December 25th and Epiphany January 6th.

So now, what do I do about it as a pastor? Prepare for an open revolt among the congregation? Possibly! Stick to my conscience and make everyone mad? Could be! The funny thing is that I thought that I had truly found a great compromise one year between the world and the church. The first Sunday of Advent, I had 2 out of four songs as Advent carols or Christmas carols, the second Sunday of Advent 3 out of four were Christmas or Advent carols, and then the third and fourth Sunday of Advent were ALL Christmas. Don’t you think that sounded like a reasonable compromise? Well, apparently not. I was told that ALL of the hymns beginning with the first Sunday of Advent had to be Christmas or people would just go somewhere else where they can get what they want, meaning, all Christmas music all the time:) . Are you beginning to see why I dread the decisions about Christmas music.

Well, this year I have decided that it really isn’t worth having people get angry over, I already have the music planned for this Sunday, basically using up the Advent carols in the UM Hymnal, and starting next Sunday we will be doing almost exclusively Christmas music, (perhaps with different Advent words, I know, I am such a rebel)

My prayer for everyone is that this season of Advent be filled with a spirit of joy and happiness. I also pray that you take the time to contemplate the meaning of the season, and that you are not too quick to move from Thanksgiving into Christmas. May the Peace, Joy, Love and Hope of the season of Advent be truly a blessing for each of you. And, as for the Christmas music? Don’t give your pastors too hard of a time, they love Christmas music too!

Blessings

Give Thanks

I wanted to share this post with you all. After such a wonderful day, I thought that it wouldn't hurt to remind us exactly how blessed we are. Happy Thanksgiving and God bless each of you!

Blessings

I’m NEVER Eating Dressing Again...

Greetings to everyone,

I hope that all of your Thanksgiving plans and preparations are coming along well, because if they are not, you are just about out of time. We had the opportunity to go and visit Terri and Josh last night and it sounds like their big Thanksgiving extravaganza is coming along right on schedule. One thing is for certain, no one will go away hungry that’s for sure. Which brings me to today’s subject.

I have discussed the information now with many who were present and I can now confirm that this incident did occur at the same Thanksgiving as the pumpkin pie fiasco. So, to set the stage, we had just finished the trial for Big Ben and Susie and it was now time to dry our tears about the pies that were lost and be grateful for that which we did have, (albeit Susie’s little escapade did do a significant number on the quantity of remaining deserts)

We sat down to dinner, said grace and began to pass the sumptuous delicacies that had been prepared for us by loving hands. My son Ben, who was about 3 years old, was seated next to me on my left and Karen, who was keeping an eye on Terri who had just turned 1, was seated on my right. As each dish came by, I took a little bit and put it on Ben’s plate and then took a big helping and placed it on my plate.

By the time all of the food was passed, I had one of the finest plates full of Thanksgiving fare that had ever been assembled in one place. I still remember thinking, just before digging in to that first bite, how hungry I was and how great this is going to taste. I remember this vividly, because I think the same thought every Thanksgiving. (Really, if you thought men’s minds were more complicated than that, boy do we have you fooled)

I then looked over at Ben, admiring, rather proudly, what a great job I did of filling the boy’s plate. For those of you who think that the ability to create such a culinary masterpiece on ones plate and then to consume that much food comes naturally, you are mistaken, it comes from years of practice and training, and Ben wasn’t too young to begin the process.

So, as I was admiring my handy work, I noticed that Ben was having a problem. He had just taken a big bite from a spoonful of dressing and suddenly he started turning green. He looked over at me with a pathetic look, a look that I had seen before shortly after his mother had given him spinach, and I unfortunately knew what was coming. I also knew that I had only a few seconds to avert what could be a disaster of epic proportion. But, before I could react he reached out and threw-up in his hands and all over his plate. I have to admit, that it was one of the worst things that I had ever experienced, but that paled in comparison to what happened next.

Without missing a beat, he simply took the handful of what started out as his Thanksgiving dinner, reached over and placed it squarely in the middle of my turkey and mashed potatoes. Now, I have seen a lot of things in my life, but that was perhaps the most gross and saddest of all. Of course, Mom and Grandma were up quickly to rescue poor Ben, clean him up and fix him another plate. But, as for my plight, do you think anyone offered to help? Do you think anyone even cared that I had been scarred for life?

Suddenly I wasn’t so hungry anymore, I am not really sure that I had much, if anything else to eat the rest of the day. Since that time, almost a quarter century later, there has not been a single Thanksgiving go by that the subject hasn’t come up (pardon the pun) The only real lasting effect was that Ben hasn’t touched dressing since then, which is probably best for all involved.

Ben sent me an email yesterday saying, in regard to my title “I’m NEVER eating dressing again,” Dad, you’re not the only one who hasn’t eaten dressing since that day, implying to me, that which I already knew, that he hasn’t touched dressing since that day. My response to him was that I didn’t say that I have never eaten dressing since that day. As a matter of fact, I still love dressing. I just let him know that from then on, I have been very careful who I sit next to at Holiday Time :)

Blessings everyone, and Happy Thanksgiving!

No Pumpkin Pie!!!

One of my fondest memories of Thanksgiving happened many, many years ago. Karen and I, Ben and Terri, my Mom and Sister, and my nephew Ben had gathered with my Brother’s family at his house in Mitchell IN for our big Thanksgiving family gathering.

The menu, as always, included turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, homemade rolls and a dozen other sumptuous delicacies that I am beginning to get hungry just imagining. Now, there is one important food that I am leaving out of this list. It is, of course, one of my all time favorite foods as mentioned in an earlier post. You may remember when I talked about the pumpkin pie that I received for my birthday, yeah that’s right, the one that Odie ate. Well, at the end of that post I mentioned that it might remind some people of an earlier experience. This is that experience.

http://pastorhigdon.blogspot.com/2008/10/tragedy-and-heartbreak.html

Just prior to dinner, everyone went over to my Brother’s Chiropractic office for an adjustment, leaving everything in the kitchen just about ready to serve for dinner. When we returned, a few minutes later, a tragedy had stuck. One of the dogs had gotten into the pumpkin pies! We knew it had to have been the dogs because there were incriminating paw prints all over the counter, in the pies and on the floor.

I am not sure that I have ever seen my Mom quite so mad, and it was declared in no uncertain terms that whichever dog was responsible for this travesty, there would be no pie for their master, (Thank goodness that not all of the pies had been violated)

Now, there were three possible culprits. My Mom’s dog Chrissy, of course she was too small and I couldn’t imagine her getting up that high. The next potential offender was my dog, Bones… say it isn’t so… Bones wouldn’t do that would she? Honestly, that would have required way too much work for her, she was much to lazy to do that, wasn’t she? But if she was the culprit, were they serious? No Pumpkin Pie for me?

I scurried around, but Bones was sound asleep in the same place she had been when we left, and there was no evidence of pumpkin pie on her pure white fur. So if it wasn’t Chrissy and it wasn’t Bones, then it must have been… Susie! My nephew Ben’s dog. Suddenly the evidence of the crime was all coming together, the detectives on CSI would have been proud. The paw prints matched Susie, she was certainly active enough to get up on the counter, there was no doubt that she had motive (wouldn’t you?) and most incriminating of all… Ben was over in the corner with a dish rag trying to clean the pumpkin pie off of her mouth and paws, I think that Ben could have easily been charged as an accomplice in the crime and at the very least for obstruction of justice or tampering with the evidence.

But, justice prevailed and the truth came to light. It was too late, Ben and Susie were caught red handed… well maybe I should say pumpkin pie pawed, but what ever it was, at least it wasn’t my dog.

All of these years later I still think of that Thanksgiving, and I always smile. Oh and in case you were wondering, at the ensuing trial, Susie was found guilty and given a life sentence without the posibility for pumpkin pies and Ben, well, there was grace and he was allowed to enjoy the pie that was left, even though there were those who thought that perhaps the punishment should have been more severe:)

Now, as I think about it, there is one other thing that happened that day. I will have to check with my sister, Verna, she remembers these things better than I do, but I think that tomorrow’s story, “I’ll Never Eat Dressing Again,” happened the same day, I’ll check with her and get back to you tomorrow!

Blessings

Thanksgiving in Indiana...

It is amazing to me to watch the days on the calendar go by. Thanksgiving will be here in just four short days. I always enjoy sitting back and listening to the detailed planning process as Karen and her Mom lay out all of the logistics of the big Thanksgiving dinner. And, this year another voice has been added to those preparations, Terri. She is planning for her very first major Thanksgiving dinner extravaganza. I certainly remember the one that Karen and I planned. I am not sure that it was our first, but it certainly was our largest undertaking.

We called it Thanksgiving in Indiana. We sent out invitations to all of our family living in the foreign land of Illinois, and invited them to join us for a time of food celebration and joy. Well, I’m not sure that we accomplished all of those things, but we certainly had food, and it was a great joy.

As I look back now, it is with a bit of a sense of sorrow, mixed with joy, mixed with a sense of longing. (The word that I would have used here is melancholy, but Ben gets upset when I use big words) especially as I think about those who are no longer with us, Karen’s Dad, Andy (who of course our Grandson Andrew was named for, my Mom Jewell, and my Brother, Phillip. I think back upon those times, and realize how truly blessed that I am. There has never been a time that I have been without food, (well there was the time that I was sent to bed without supper, but that’s another story) I have always been surrounded by people who love me, and I have nothing but warm memories of the holidays that are so rapidly approaching.

Which brings me back to the plans for the big celebration on Thursday at Terri and Josh’s, I wonder what new memories will be created on that day? I wonder what Mary and Andrew will remember, and what lasting memories will be created for everyone else who will be there?

I have two vivid Thanksgiving memories that I would like to share with you over the next couple of days. The first is called “No Pumpkin Pie” and the other is, “I’ll NEVER Eat Dressing Again” You won’t want to miss these :)

See you tomorrow!
Blessings

Wish for My Grandchildren...

I received this essay the other day. Actually, it was attributed to Paul Harvey, but he didn’t write it. He did, however, read it on his radio program. It was actually written by a man named Lee Pitts and published in Chicken Soup for the Golden Soul. It is my prayer that you live a life full of joy, health and happiness, knowing that there will be times of sorrow and pain. May you remember that it is often the darkest just before the dawn, and that each new day brings light and hope.

Enjoy, and may God bless you this day!

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better.

I'd really like for them to know about hand me down clothes and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches. I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the lawn and wash the car. And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies born and your old dog put to sleep.
I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother/sister. And it's all right if you have to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants to crawl under the covers with you because he's scared, I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother/sister wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him/her.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so you won't be seen riding with someone as un-cool as your Mom.

If you want a slingshot, I hope your Dad teaches you how to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn to add and subtract in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your first crush on a boy\girl, and when you talk back to your mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on a stove and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your Grandma/Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a baseball through your neighbor's window and that she hugs you and kisses you at Hanukkah/Christmas time when you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you - tough times and disappointment, hard work and happiness. To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

As I read though this list, I felt that there was one very significant thing missing, and that is that I hope that at some time in your life you come to have a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, finding assurance in His love, peace in His understanding, and mercy in His grace.

Blessings

Great is the Lord...

Tomorrow is a very special Sunday. In some circles it is called “Christ the King” Sunday, in others, it is called “Reign of Christ” Sunday, but either way, it is the last Sunday of the Christian calendar. Beginning a week from Sunday is the First Sunday of Advent which is the start of the new liturgical year. So in keeping with the theme of “Christ the King” Sunday, I hope that you will enjoy this awesome music video featuring one of my all time favorite songs “Great is the Lord.” Have a blessed Sunday!

Blessings

The Yellow Shirt...

Something tells me that you may have all read this story, I know that I have received it, and read it, dozens of times over the past few years. But it seem like every time I receive it, I take the time to read it. There is just something special and compelling about this story that seems to draw me closer to those who I love and care about as well as the feeling that perhaps God’s love is a lot like that old yellow shirt that we can wrap up in and be warmed by.

Our daughter Terri is preparing to host her first Thanksgiving dinner next week, I think about each generation that has gone before and how the important things which make us a family, the stories, the traditions and the love are the things that are indeed passed from one generation to the next.

I thought that the story of “The Yellow Shirt” would be very appropriate to share with you as we prepare our hearts for the festivities of next week.

“The Yellow Shirt”

The baggy yellow shirt had long sleeves, four extra-large pockets trimmed in black thread and snaps up the front. It was faded from years of wear, but still in decent shape. I found it in 1963 when I was home from college on Christmas break, rummaging through bags of clothes Mom intended to give away. "You're not taking that old thing, are you?" Mom said when she saw me packing the yellow shirt. "I wore that when I was pregnant with your brother in 1954!"

"It's just the thing to wear over my clothes during art class, Mom. Thanks!" I slipped it into my suitcase before she could object. The yellow shirt became a part of my college wardrobe. I loved it. After graduation, I wore the shirt the day I moved into my new apartment and on Saturday mornings when I cleaned.

The next year, I married. When I became pregnant, I wore the yellow shirt during big-belly days. I missed Mom and the rest of my family, since we were in Colorado and they were in Illinois But that shirt helped. I smiled, remembering that Mother had worn it when she was pregnant, 15 years earlier.

That Christmas, mindful of the warm feelings the shirt had given me, I patched one elbow, wrapped it in holiday paper and sent it to Mom. When Mom wrote to thank me for her "real" gifts, she said the yellow shirt was lovely. She never mentioned it again.

The next year, my husband, daughter and I stopped at Mom and Dad's to pick up some furniture. Days later, when we uncrated the kitchen table, I noticed something yellow taped to its bottom. The shirt! And so the pattern was set.

On our next visit home, I secretly placed the shirt under Mom and Dad's mattress. I don't know how long it took for her to find it, but almost two years passed before I discovered it under the base of our living-room floor lamp. The yellow shirt was just what I needed now while refinishing furniture. The walnut stains added character.

In 1975 my husband and I divorced. With my three children, I prepared to move back to Illinois. As I packed, a deep depression overtook me. I wondered if I could make it on my own. I wondered if I would find a job. I paged through the Bible, looking for comfort. In Ephesians, I read, "So use every piece of God's armor to resist the enemy whenever he attacks, and when it is all over, you will be standing up."

I tried to picture myself wearing God's armor, but all I saw was the stained yellow shirt. Slowly, it dawned on me. Wasn't my mother's love a piece of God's armor? My courage was renewed.

Unpacking in our new home, I knew I had to get the shirt back to Mother. The next time I visited her, I tucked it in her bottom dresser drawer.

Meanwhile, I found a good job at a radio station. A year later I discovered the yellow shirt hidden in a rag bag in my cleaning closet.

Something new had been added. Embroidered in bright green across the breast pocket were the words "I BELONG TO PAT."

Not to be outdone, I got out my own embroidery materials and added an apostrophe and seven more letters. Now the shirt proudly proclaimed, "I BELONG TO PAT'S MOTHER." But I didn't stop there. I zig-zagged all the frayed seams, then had a friend mail the shirt in a fancy box to Mom from Arlington, VA. We enclosed an official looking letter from "The Institute for the Destitute," announcing that she was the recipient of an award for good deeds. I would have given anything to see Mom's face when she opened the box. But, of course, she never mentioned it.

Two years later, in 1978, I remarried. The day of our wedding, Harold and I put our car in a friend's garage to avoid practical jokers. After the wedding, while my husband drove us to our honeymoon suite, I reached for a pillow in the car to rest my head. It felt lumpy. I unzipped the case and found, wrapped in wedding paper, the yellow shirt. Inside a pocket was a note: "Read John 14:27-29. I love you both, Mother."

That night I paged through the Bible in a hotel room and found the verses: "I am leaving you with a gift: peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give isn't fragile like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid. Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really love me, you will be very happy for me, for now I can go to the Father, who is greater than I am. I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do, you will believe in me."

The shirt was Mother's final gift. She had known for three months that she had terminal Lou Gehrig's disease. Mother died the following year at age 57.

I was tempted to send the yellow shirt with her to her grave. But I'm glad I didn't, because it is a vivid reminder of the love-filled game she and I played for 16 years. Besides, my older daughter is in college now, majoring in art. And every art student needs a baggy yellow shirt with big pockets.
Blessings

Miracles Still Happen... They do! Really... I Can Prove It...

If you have followed my blog for awhile, then you know that we have had several conversations about miracles. Well, if there was ever a doubt in your minds as to the existence of miracles, I can prove today that they do exist beyond any and all reasonable doubt. Today, the 20th day of November 2008, something happened to me that has never happened before and something that can only be explained as a miraculous act of God.

I, your humble, modest, unassuming host of this Blog received an A+ on an assignment. I know what you are thinking, it must have been a mistake. Yeah, I know, I thought that too, but apparently it was not. Since I knew you wouldn’t believe me, let me also share the comment that went along with the grade:

Another thoroughly enjoyable and clearly superior job. You seem to enjoy this kind of thing in addition to doing it well. I thought you nailed both the key information and the memorable aspects of the chapter. You paid close attention to the parameters of the assignment and did not short shrift or fail to make explicit important points this time. You also took us well beyond the chapter yet kept everything pertinent. Thanks very much for you diligence and insight. Grade: A+

See, I didn’t make it up! I actually got an A+! Miracles do exist, and today I have received one. Now if only God would do something about that hair issue thing of mine, then everything would be in great shape. :)

Blessings

I Never Know What To Say...

What do we say when someone that we care about has lost a loved one? What do we say to someone who is hurting so badly that they aren’t even sure if they will be able to take another breath. This has always been a significant challenge for me, and I know that it is for many of you as well, because you have told me so in Bible studies, Sunday school classes and sitting together quietly in the funeral home.

I remember a Sunday school class once that was discussing grief and dealing with tragic loss. Each person in the class described the knot in their stomach and the lump in their throat as they approached their loved one or friend to attempt to find some words of solace or comfort. Each person described the desire not to say something wrong or hurtful which would only further the burden on their friend.

The interesting thing was that each person then turned from remembering their concern over what to say, to becoming critical of comments that others had said to them in times of loss. Comments like “It was God’s will” or asking questions about the deceased’s salvation.

The God that I worship is a loving God, a God of compassion and infinite grace. We don’t have to come up with the right words to say. Too be honest, there is nothing that we can say at such a time that will ease the overwhelming burden of pain. But there is something that we can do that will make all the difference in the world. I don’t really remember what people said to me when I lost my Dad or Mom or Brother, but I do remember each one of the hugs. I remember each person who was there, who sat with me, cried with me and held me for that extra second to show that they loved me.

It is in those times that we are called to bring the presence and light of God into a dark and difficult place. It is by simply being with that person that we can help in the healing. I believe that you can do more by simply holding a hand than you can by 1000 words. Grief is a long process, one that doesn’t end simply because the funeral is over, and the phone stops ringing. It is then that the real grief and healing begins, and it is then that they need you the most. Never hesitate to reach out in love, never think twice about placing a compassionate hand on a hurting shoulder and never be reluctant to embrace a fellow traveler in this journey of life.

Blessings

People Need The Lord...

Amen!

You Are Not Alone...

When I arrived on campus Monday, I received this rather cryptic email from the President of our Seminary Jay Rundell:

Friends,

By now, many of you have heard about what appears to have been a tragic murder-suicide last evening in Columbus. No doubt some of you have realized that Kevin Shults, the father of 7-year-old Kelli, was a 2002 graduate of MTSO. We are deeply saddened by this news and our prayers are with all concerned.

Grace and Peace,
Jay

I have since learned that Kevin Shults shot and killed his seven year old daughter Kelli before turning the gun on himself.

I didn’t know Kevin, but yet I am deeply troubled and moved by this tragedy. It must be a devastating thing to find yourself all alone and no where to turn. The sense of despair and devastation that must have been felt by Kevin prior to committing this act must have been profound indeed.

What is scary to me, is how alone we are truly becoming in this society. We no longer reach out to each others. Groups such as Lodges, fraternal organizations, even the PTA (I know it’s PTO’s, I’m just showing my age) continue to decline in membership until one day they may be gone forever. Even our churches are feeling the effects of this shift in society. People are too content to send out an email rather than pick up the phone. Actually physically going out and visiting someone is almost unheard of. Texting, the most impersonal of all, (I know I'm just getting old) is the new way to keep in contact, but when it is used in place of actual human contact and conversation, then it is wrong.

Our houses are all built with back decks instead of front porches which further emphasizes our desire for seclusion. We no longer play family games and board games, instead we play video games against the computer, or X Box games over the phone lines with strangers halfway around the world, or next door. (Does it really mater where they are?)

My challenge for you this week is to reach out to someone/ anyone. Pick up the phone and call someone that you haven’t talked to in a while. Stop by and see your neighbor. You might even take them a plate of cookies, it’s ok if they are store bought. Tell someone/anyone you know that you care about them, that you are interested in them and that you are concerned about them.

The world that we live in is a difficult place. People are facing challenges everyday that no one knows about, except them. Reach out and make a difference to someone today, you will never know what difference that plate of cookies may have made in their life. You may never know that a simple act of kindness may have averted a tragedy like Kevin and his daughter. Only God knows.

Blessings

Facing Giants

Saturday night was a very insightful night for me. We went out to Cana for movie night to watch the movie "Facing the Giants." First of all let me say that the movie was excellent, I thought that it truly helped me to see what has been unclear to me. I mentioned in an earlier post that I thought God was trying to tell me something about Giants, but I wasn’t really sure what it was.

Well, Saturday, after watching the movie, it really became much more clear what I was feeling and what I needed to do about it. I have told you that I have been feeling a sense of being overwhelmed here latly, and that I have looked ahead and not had any idea how I was going to get the work done that needed to be done. I have also shared my fear/concern, that I have absolutely no control over what is going to happen to me in the future. I don't know what is going to happen financially regarding school over the next few months, I have absoulutly no control over my future with regards to the Board of Ordained Ministry, and I have no sense of what I will be doing a year from now in ministry and that complete lack of control has left me feeling very helpless at times. In reality, I have been coming face to face with giants!

The movie "Facing the Giants" helped me to put several of these feelings into perspective. There was a scene in which a story was told about two farmers, each needing rain, and each one praying for God to help them. One farmer simply sat back and waited for God to bring the rains, while the other farmer went out, plowed the field, prepared the ground and planted his crop anticipating the rain. The question was asked, which farmer do you believe God would bless? Then it dawned on me, that is what I have been doing. I have been plowing the fields, preparing the ground and planting the seeds. Each of the countless list of papers that I have to write and books that I must read are a part of that process of preparation, stepping out in faith and putting my trust in God.

Another important lesson from the movie was the idea that all I can do is the best that I can do, work as hard as I can, and when I am though, be sure that I have left everything on the field. Just as I preached this morning, consider the servant who buried the single talent entrusted to him. When he is asked by the master to give an accounting of what he has done with his talent what does he say?

Master, I knew that you were a hard man and that you harvest where you have not sown and gather where you have not scattered seed, so I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.

The servant was afraid and so he took no risks, he buried what he had to keep it safe and ended up doing nothing. The judgment of the master falls upon the servant after he hears what the servant has done:

"You wicked, lazy servant. You knew that I harvest where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have had received it back with interest."

There is no sin in failure, there is only sin in not attempting to succeed.

The parable of the talents is not a lesson about our degree of ability or productivity. It is a lesson about our attitude and responsibility. It is about stepping out with God's treasure in our hands and risking it all for the sake of others and risking it for the sake of God.

The servant was afraid, and so he did not try...

So, as I have put all of this together, I am beginning to understand that I am, to the best of my ability, being faithful to God’s will for me. I am taking the risk that was asked of me by giving up the comfort of my life as a chiropractor, stepping out in faith and following the call that God has placed on my life. And, the sometimes overwhelming work that lies ahead is nothing more than preparing the ground for the rains to come. In addition, I must never forget that when I am facing the giants, I will never be alone. God will always be at my side.

For now, it is enough for me to know that I am being faithful, and that the future is firmly in God’s hands, and as in the movie, whether or not we win or loose we will still praise God. I think that this is all that God asks of any of us.

Blessings

Wake Up America!

WARNING! POLITICAL CONTENT! CONTINUE READING AT YOUR OWN RISK! (and perhaps at mine)

Those of you who know me well, realize that the title of today’s blog comes from one of my favorite radio personalities, Earl Pitts (American). Earl was one of the alter egos of Radio personality Gary Burbank who recently retired from broadcasting after many years of entertaining programming on Cincinnati’s radio station 700 WLW. Earl was, well how should I put this… a red neck, and he certainly had a unique way of looking at the world, and even though he was very much over the top, he was a source of laughter for many years.

Ok, Now to the political content.

I read an article recently in the Wall Street Journal by Jeffery Scott Shapiro who is an investigative reporter and lawyer who previously interned with John Kerry's legal team during the presidential election in 2004. Shapiro’s article is entitled, “The Treatment of Bush has been a Disgrace: What Must Our Enemies Be Thinking?” He begins his article by saying; “Earlier this year, 12,000 people in San Francisco signed a petition in support of a proposition on a local ballot to rename an Oceanside sewage plant after George W. Bush. The proposition is only one example of the classless disrespect many Americans have shown the president.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122584386627599251.html

My purpose today is not to defend President Bush, history will make its own judgments just as it has on every President who has ever served this country, but rather to say that if we don’t change the way that we treat each other, and talk to each other, if we don’t begin to put our world view’s aside and understand that we are all on the same team, then we as a nation shall indeed perish. “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” (Mark 3:25)

I have never in my life, seen such a constant tearing down of a President or leader of our nation as I have seen done to President Bush. Admittedly, perhaps the same thing was done to President Clinton, but I don’t believe that it reached the same level, however, if it did, it only goes to prove my point.

I talk to teachers who say that children no longer have respect for teachers or authority, I have ridden along with police officers and watched as young kids, with only a learners permit have been pulled over because of questionable behavior, given a warning, and told to go home (it was 1:00 AM), who an hour later were still out cruising around. How times have changed, had I been pulled over at 16, I would have thanked God for not having to explain a ticket to my Dad, said to my friends “that’s enough ‘fun’ for one night” and simply GONE HOME. We wonder what has happened, and why children don’t have respect, perhaps it is because there is little or no respect for anyone, at any level in this country.

Shapiro continues in his article by saying, “It seems that no matter what Mr. Bush does, he is blamed for everything. He remains despised by the left while continuously disappointing the right.” Shapiro is right, Bush is called a liar and a war criminal, just to name a few which can be posted on a family blog, he has been blamed for bad weather, the economy, the failure of the automotive industry, and a thousand other things that he had absolutely no control over.

I watch, with disgust, News broadcasts such as MSNBC which don’t even attempt to be fair or journalistic in nature with commentators such as Keith Olbermann and Rachael Madow, who gleefully condemn every action ever taken by our president, calling him the "Worst Person in the World" night after night, and then only interviewing guests with the same political perspective, without even the slightest attempt to be balanced. I then listen to these same people condemn Fox News for being “in the tank” for Bush and McCain. Once again, I am certainly not making an attempt to defend Fox News. I am quite willing to admit that their coverage does tend to be much more conservative in nature. However, as someone who tends to be more conservative myself, it is the only network that makes any attempt, In my humble opinion, to even try to be fair to President Bush. I don’t hear anyone from the liberal side admitting that MSNBC is as far left as Fox is right.

It is this inability to step back and view the world from a neutral world view that most alarms me. If we did, we could see the good that George Bush has done, as well as the mistakes that he and his administration have made, and we would also be willing to see the media for what it is, rather than trying to say that Fox is biased because you disagree with them while trying to maintain that the other News programs (MSNBC in particular, but many others aren’t much better) are unbiased simply because you tend to agree with what they are saying.

We will be inaugurating a new President, Barrack Obama, in just a few short months. The weight of the world will fall to this mans shoulders. Challenges are approaching that we can not even imagine, and we have a choice to make. Do we continue the partisan politics of the past? (Let’s watch and see what happens with Joe Lieberman) Will those who are in power now, (Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reed) continue to blame George Bush for every problem we face as a nation for months and years after he is gone, not willing to take ANY responsibility themselves for our challenges, even though they have been in power in the House and Senate for 2 years. Are the House and Senate going to spend countless hours and millions of our tax dollars conducting investigation after investigation of President Bush’s administration, when they should be spending their time working to solve the challenges we are facing? (my prediction is yes) Will, President Obama be as vilified as President Bush was? (I pray not)

Only time will tell, I pray for President Bush and President elect Obama every day. These men have an awesome, overwhelming responsibility that we can not even begin to imagine. I call on everyone, regardless of your party affiliations to support our new president where you can, and when you don’t agree, do so in a civil and respectful manner. A house divided can not stand, and we as a nation can not continue divided much longer.

Wake Up America!

Blessings

Facing the Giants…

It is not unusual for me, as I reflect upon the week that has past, that I begin to see some type of theme emerge. Is it the Holy Spirit? Is it Divine Providence? Is God trying to get my attention, or am I seeing connections that don’t exist? Well, I know that I have my own thoughts on that, but I will leave it too each individual to decide in their own minds what I am experiencing.

Perhaps it is because of the very nature of Seminary and being a Pastor, that I spend a great deal of time in prayer and reflection, and maybe it is because of this time set apart that I seem to experience these themes and connections, Or maybe I am not the only one, and others experience the same things in their lives. What do you think?

Regardless, the theme that I have been sensing this week is “Facing the Giants.” A week ago in my sermon as I was pondering the Israelites crossing into the Promised Land, I shared with the congregation about how Joshua and Caleb, two of the scouts who had investigated this new land, reported of this land flowing with milk and honey, followed by the reports that said, we don’t dare to go in there, we saw fortified cities, and, Yes, GIANTS! “These giants were so large that they made us look like grasshoppers.” The Israelites did indeed face Giants.

I have also thought this week of Paul Potts and the giants that he faced as he took the stage in the video I posted a couple days ago. Each of us faces giants every day which threaten to overwhelm and destroy us.

As I am looking ahead to the next few weeks in my life and the work that remains to be done, I certainly feel that I am facing giants every bit as threatening as the ones faced by the Israelites.

Finally, I asked Pam, which movie Cana was going to show at their movie night on Saturday night and guess which one she had picked? No, it wasn’t Star Wars! She had picked “Facing the Giants” I have not seen this movie and I downloaded the trailer so that I could get an idea what it was about. I have no doubt that Saturday is going to be a blessing for everyone who attends.

So, if you aren’t doing anything on Saturday night, come on out to Cana about 6:00 PM for some soft drinks and nacho’s. The movie will start around 7:00 PM and we can all "Face the Giants" together.

Blessings

Blog Updates...

Today I thought I would do a few house keeping chores with my blog and bring you up to date on a few things that I have talked about or learned since I posted them.

First of all in my post "Star Wars" - an a capella tribute to John Williams,” I found out from Ben, that the young man in the video wasn’t actually singing, he was lip syncing. Say it isn’t so….. Yes, I know I was devastated too. In reality, it was a a song created by a group back in 2005, but this kid made it more famous in just a few short weeks than the original group did in 3 years.

Ben is a constant source of humor and information on things of contemporary culture. He was also the one who pointed out to me that where I suspected that the church signs in ALL DOGS GO TO HEAVEN..... Dont they? were photo shopped, Ben was the one who let me know that they weren’t photo shopped, there is actually a program that will create church signs for you to say anything that you want them to say.

Actually, we have had a problem at Cana Church with the kids taking the letters from our sign and doing the same thing in real life, much to the displeasure of the membership, but probably to the humor of those who drive by. I guess if you can’t cry about it, you might as well laugh.

Ben also pointed out to me that in regards to my last post about Paul Potts that, “Any person who can silence Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan at the same time should have won the competition immediately, No need for any more show, just give it to this guy.” Which is a very good point. I am not much of a fan of either one of them. But Amanda Holden, the woman between Simon and Piers? I am not sure who she is, I don’t know that I have even seen her before, but she puts Paula Abdul and especially Sharon Osbourne to shame. I vote to bring her to America!

One last observation, is that if you watch the video of the announcement of the winner of the British version, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwkVnyfdGYQ you will see that they also had a very young girl.

So, British version has an Opera singer who had no confidence and great talent and also a little girl who sang and stole the audience heart, and America had in the finals an opera singer with no confidence and a little girl who sang and stole the audience heart, both shows also had Piers Morgan, and both were produced by Simon Cowell, And the Opera Singer won both. Hmmmmm I’m beginning to smell a conspiracy :) They aren’t trying to manipulate our emotions are they???? Naaaaaaaaa

Blessings

Paul Potts...simply extraordinary!

I would like to introduce you all to someone. His name is Paul Potts. As I was driving to school Monday, I was listening to a radio program that told about a singer named Paul Potts who was on the British Version of “Americas Got Talent”

Paul’s audition begins by giving a brief profile of a humble, un-assuming mobile phone salesman from South Wales. As Paul Potts walked on the stage and spoke to Amanda Holden, no one gave him a chance. Perhaps it was that cheap Tesco (supermarket) suit he was wearing?! Amanda asked: “Paul, what are you here for today Paul?” Paul replied: “To sing opera”, looking at them with nervous puppy dog face, almost apologetically. Piers Morgan raised his eyebrows and looked at Simon Cowell who sighed, and then said: “OK, ready when you are”, who then looked down un-impressed.

And Then Paul Sang Nessun Dorma.....

As the music started and Paul waited for his first line, the audience and judges sat wondering what was going to happen next. Well, the rest is History. Paul Potts BLEW THE AUDIENCE AND JUDGES AWAY with a condensed version of Giacomo Puccini's "Nessun Dorma". The standing ovation from the audience was then summed up by Simon Cowell: “I wasn’t expecting that Paul!”

Paul then goes on to win the competition and if you go to his web site where I got most of this information from you will see that he has recently finished a world tour.

http://www.paulpottsopera.org/index.html

As his web site challenges;

Watch the video and see if you don't become an instant Paul Potts fan!

Paul has literally taken the world by storm! Since his astounding first audition on Britain’s Got Talent, his humble nature and awesome talent has inspired many. He pulled on the heart strings of viewers who have enjoyed seeing someone overcome self confidence issues and adversity to fulfill a life-long dream.

The lesson here for us is that within each of us is a God given talent, within each of us is something extraordinary waiting to be set free. Paul may have had this awesome talent, but until he was willing to overcome his fear and step up on that stage, no one had ever heard of him, but after he took the step of faith, went out on that stage and opened his mouth, his world will never be the same.

You will certainly see why it is one of the most watched videos on YouTube! Over 36 million people have watched this, one of the most watched of all time!

Blessings

In For the Night...

I am always very glad when Tuesday night gets here. Mondays and Tuesdays are very intense days, and when Tuesday evenings get here, I can sometimes take a few minutes to relax and get caught up on the things that I want to do, rather than the things I have to do. The past few days I have been busy writing papers. I wrote an 8 page paper on the spirituality of Saint Ignatius and how he might relate to a modern congregation, and I had a 5 min. presentation on John Wesley for my History of Spirituality class, and I wrote a 2 page paper evaluating my sermon for Homelitics that I did last week. Doesn’t that all just sound exciting?

In addition to those tasks, I have been trying to get registered for my last 3 classes next January term and spring semester. I also had to take my passport to the registrar so they can make some of the final preparations for El Salvador.

So now I am safely tucked into my nice warm room, and I have no intention of leaving until morning.

Blessings

Turn Your Radio On....

Today has been an excellent day! We got to spend time with all the kids as we celebrated Terri’s birthday and the Colts played an exceptional game beating the always tough Pittsburgh Steelers.

For my post today, I thought that you might enjoy a laugh. I know that I can sure use one.

This video features an outrageously funny exchange between Mark Lowery and Bill Gaither. Oh yeah, and the song is excellent as well. I remember doing this song with my gospel group, "The Sons of Jubal," and I always thought that this was one of our better numbers.

Go ahead, take a few moments and watch the video, I think you will be glad you did!
Blessings

Don't forget the Terri...

Today is a special day around our house. Terri, our youngest, (excluding Odie) is turning 26 years old. I have to admit, that I am beginning to feel older all the time. Not only is Terri a quarter of a century old, but that means that next October I will turn a half century old. (I am not sure that looking at things that way is especially helpful.)

I still think of Terri when she was just a little thing, she may have been small, but she certainly didn’t hesitate to tell anyone who would listen exactly how things were, especially as she saw them. I think that everyone thought that she would have made an excellent lawyer, (she always loved to argue) except for she would never have tolerated the lawyer jokes.

Terri always had a way of wearing her mom and dad down. She would ask for something and we would say no. She would ask again and we would say no again, she continued to ask, day in and day out, week in and week out, month in and month out (usually it didn’t take that long) eventually wearing us down to the point that we would inevitably give in. It’s a good thing that Ben wasn’t that way or we might have gone broke.

Probably one of my favorite Terri stories happened when we were getting ready to leave the house one day and Terri was playing down in the basement. I closed the door, turned off the light and suddenly I heard this voice coming from the other side of the door saying, “Don’t forget the Terri.” Well, on this special day, all I can say is that Terri has always been unforgettable and one thing is for certain, she will never have to worry about being left behind.

Happy Birthday Terri!

Blessings

"Star Wars" - an a capella tribute to John Williams

Oh my goodness! I know that there are those who will say that I have lost my mind, and there are those of you that know that I did that a long time ago, but I think this is TOTALLY AWESOME. Of course Star Wars is my all time favorite movie, (It was also Karen’s and my first date) and, John Williams is my favorite composer. This young man is absolutely wonderful and even though I know that this will have only a limited appeal to some of you, (I know who you are)I know that a few of you will love this as much as I do. (and I know who you are as well)

So those of you that are wondering right now, “What are you thinking?” I apologize, and for those of you who are going “How cool is that?” Yeah, I know, You gotta Love John Williams and Star Wars!

Blessings

I'll Have to Blog About That...

I wanted to take a moment today to mark a milestone. There have now been over 1000 visits to my blog since I first started on August 12th. I have to admit that 1000 in less than three months is very humbling. I hope that those of you who read through this on a regular basis are finding something, at least from time to time, beneficial, inspirational, or at the very least humorous ( in some sick sort of way).

One interesting thing that I receive as a part of my blog, is a report on how people have been referred to, or found their way to my blog. I can’t believe how many people do a simple Google search for something and find their way to "Koinonia in Connexion" from all around the world. So far people searching for “Hymn of Promise” and “Sole Fide” (by faith alone) are two of the most popular. (apparantly a lot of people know what "Sole Fide" means) Another common way that people have found their way is by searching “Man with White Horse.” That is interesting because several of those visitors have come from Asia, so I am curious what they may be specifically looking for.

The most remarkable, however, has to be the searches relating to Barry Manilow. Oh my goodness, I can’t believe how many people have Google searched the words “I love Barry Manilow.” And “When October Goes,” and found their way to my blog. I’ll have to tell Karen that Barry must still be hot! LOL (Isn’t that a bit scary?)

So here is my list of the Top Ten Things I have learned about blogging since August.

10. Be careful what I write, people are reading and some are even paying attention. ( I know, I find it hard to believe as well)
9. When I write about theological issues, expect someone to disagree.
8. Be careful of using too many big words, or obscure references such as “Cecil B. DeMille"
7. Be sure to make a reference to Terri as often as possible.
6. People love dogs, so write about them often.
5. When writing, don’t whine so much!
4. When writing, don’t whine so much!
3. Be careful not to repeat myself.
2. Some people like my taste in music, but not everyone!
( I know, I don’t understand that one either)

And the number 1 thing that I have learned about blogging,

1. If I want a lot of people to read my blog, put Barry Manilow in the title!

Blessings

“Fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.”

Yesterday I gave my major sermon for homiletics class. I have to admit that it went much better than my earlier mini sermons that I told you about. As a matter of fact, I am not sure that I could have done any better. I do have to tell you something funny that happend. During the sermon, I described how when I think about the image of God parting the Red Sea, I can’t help but imagine Charlton Heston in the movie “The Ten Commandments,”
I picture him with his back to the sea saying to the Israelites, “Fear not, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” “The Lord of Hosts will do battle for us, behold God’s mighty hands, then he stretches out his staff and the waters part.” I then added as a moment of humor, “You’ve got to love Cecil B. DeMille.”

After the sermon we have the joy (pain) of standing in front of the class and hearing the comments, critiques and criticisms. One of the 20 something women said that she didn’t understand my reference to Cecil something or other and that I should be careful using a reference that not everyone would understand. Oh my goodness! I couldn’t believe that someone didn’t know who Cecil B DeMille was. I just laughed, looked at her and said Wow, do I ever feel old.

At that point the rest of the class erupted into laughter and started giving her a hard time about not knowing who he was. So at least, that made me feel a little bit better, and the instructor, who is not all that old himself said that I could normally feel pretty safe with a reference like that one, and besides, I figured that if you have to explain the joke, it kind of takes the fun out of it.

Anyway, I am glad that I can chalk one more thing off my list to do. Only 4597 more things to go!

Blessings

Hope For The Future...

I have to admit that with the election looming tomorrow, I have been a little apprehensive about the outcome. I wonder what the future will bring. Will the country make the right choice? I have seen two things today that have helped me put things into perspective. The first is the top ten predictions no matter who wins the election, and the second is this awesome video that Teresa sent to me. These girls are all sisters between the ages of 5 and 9 and this was performed at a Texas Tech basketball game on February 9th. When we have young people like these, singing the National Anthem with such passion, it is hard not to believe that the best years of the United States are still in front of us, despite who may or may not win the election tomorrow.

Enjoy the song and don’t forget to vote!
(If you don’t vote, you can’t complain)

Top 10 Predictions No Matter Who Wins the Election
By Molly Hoffman

1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of the people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon the people.
8. There will still be room at the cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.

Amen

I LOVE BARRY MANILOW!.... naaaaaaaa

Things are continuing to stay very hectic around here. Yesterday was spent, for the most part, in preparation for today, and today was a very busy All Saints Sunday. On my last post I promised to share with you my favorite Barry Manilow Concert story. (Actually I think it is my only Barry Manilow concert story)

Karen and I had received free lawn seating tickets to Deer Creek (It’s now the Verizon Center) to see Barry. This wasn’t our first Barry Manilow concert, so we had a pretty good idea what to expect, although it was our first time to go to Deer Creek. Of course, we arrived even before they opened the gate in order to get the best possible first come first served lawn seats. After picking out just the right spot to put down our blanket we decided to wander around a little bit and check out what Deer Creek had to offer.

After about thirty minutes we found our way back to our blanket and I noticed that there was a young couple who had located right next to us. Now as someone who understands the etiquette of male to male conversation, especially at a venue such as a Barry Manilow concert, I was careful to keep the conversation with the young man next to me to the level of …….. Silence.

After a little while, his wife (girlfriend, or significant other) got up and left, followed shortly after by Karen getting up and leaving. This of course left the most difficult and awkward of male bonding moments, do you speak or just continue to ignore each other. Of course, in case you are wondering, the same protocols of silence exist in the men’s room as were being honored in the concert venue.

Now, there is one type of communication that is acceptable in this type of environment, and that is the male to male commiseration over being subjected to such an emasculating event. I don’t think that Tim the Tool Man would approve of a Barry Manilow concert. So, sensing that the moment was right for such communication, I turned to the young man and said, “It looks like I’m not the only one who was drug here this evening.” I was of course expecting the typical male response of, “You got that right!”

Instead, by the expression on his face, you would have thought that I shot an arrow clear through his heart. With a shocked and disappointed look on his face he simply looked at me in disbelief and said, “Oh no! I love Barry Manilow.” Now it was my turn to have the shocked and disappointed look on my face. I realized in that moment that I was being punished for violating one of the Man Laws, and that there was only one course of action available to me and that was to turn around and not look at him the rest of the night. I realize that there may have been other recourse's available to me under Man Law, but I really am not interested in violence, besides he would have probably beaten me up.

Anyway, I thought that it was important to tell you this story, since I was concerned about what you may have thought of my last post admitting that I actually like Barry. However, let me say in conclusion for those of you men who may be single, if you are interested in finding a significant other, let me recommend a Barry Manilow concert. There is at least a 3 to 1 ratio of women over men, and 99% of them will be disappointed that they weren’t selected to go up on stage and sing with Barry, that could just possibly be your opening.

Good Luck and be sure to remember to follow the correct male communication protocols.

Blessings

PS: I might also recommend the above T-shirt. My guess is that it might just do the trick for you!