Board Games and Love

I hate board games.

I don't mean to offend anyone or make someone cry or anything like that but they just aren't exactly my cup of tea. I'd rather hang out and talk, watch a movie, or go for a walk.

But that doesn't mean I get to avoid them. 

I married a woman who loves board games. And when I say loves I mean LOVES. She could play 15 games consecutively then want to go onto another one. So guess who has been playing lots of board games during the holiday break? And guess who's had to join her so she could have someone to play against?

After much inner complaining or stuggle, I've learned to get over myself and just play. Because most of the time, it's not that bad. It's actually fun (especially if a competitive person like me wins). And I love my wife.

That's what you do when you love someone. You get over yourself for various things and activities and such that might get on your nerves or make you want to go crazy. 

You do this for whatever the 'board games might be.' Whether doing the dishes drives someone up a wall or having a nasty sink makes something want to scream or having The Lord of the Rings movies playing at least once a month in the house makes someone want to bust a window, you get over yourself and move on. You remember that what's most important, that you love this person more than you could ever realize.

So this post is dedicated to my wife. After our 10th Christmas together, I would like to say one of the most romantic things I could possibly say to you.

In the middle of my hatred for monopoly, racko, and rummy, at the center of my distaste for nearly any game with dice, cards or character you must move from place to place, there is always something there to cancel it out. There is always something there to push out those negative emotions so that I can actually have an enjoyable time. 

You've done this since I've met you for every turn that takes place in this real game of life. For the real struggles, for the real hardships, for the wonderful times, for the not so wonderful times. You've been there to brighten up my attitude, my life, and change my perspective to let me see, I've enjoyed all of it with you.

So to my wife, this one romantic thing I'd like to say is simple...

You're worth the board games.

Bag Thief

Saturday Night I left our diaper bag in the Kroger parking lot. Normally not a big deal except it just so happened to have my wife's wrist wallet inside. All credit cards, debit cards, cash, one fairly large check, her driver's license, and over $350 in gift cards from multiple baby showers.

We didn't realize it until we needed to change my daughter after dinner. In a panic, we traveled back to Kroger only to find the bag absent. No one in Kroger found it. No trash cans held it. 

Stolen. Hundreds of dollars lost. Pain and anger gained. 

I was infuriated. I was disappointed. I wanted to give both myself and the thief a swift right cross. Any 'Christmas Spirit' I might have had disintegrated.

Later in the night we sat back at home gloomily watching the Grinch as I wanted to find the Grinch who put a giant damper on our Christmas. I couldn't understand how someone could so willingly take something that wasn't there's without a care for how much it might affect the owner.

In those moments I lost my faith in humanity. I absolutely prayed for the situation and hoped for the best but I couldn't get it out of my mind. The idea of thoughtless, selfish people, the exact opposite feeling I want to have during this season. 

My teeth grinded and my bones quivered as I sat upon my swirl emotions.

And then the doorbell rang.

A young teenage girl and her father asked for my wife's name. 

"No way." We both said with our jaws dropped. 

In the man's hands was the diaper bag filled with every single item accounted for with the check that had our address on it sticking on the outside.

Pam and I, both with tears in our eyes, shook their hands and gave them a hug thanking them over and over. 

"Yup. Have a good night." The girl insisted.

"Merry Christmas." The dad smiled.

It would be all the merrier now.

All my negative thoughts and energy lifted from my shoulders in one doorbell ring, one kind gesture, one group of loving people.

Regardless of how much filth, destruction and violence that is broadcast in our world there are still good-willed people in this world. There are still those who will go out if their way to do what's right. One of the many characteristics of the spirit of Christmas.

These people can help make a horrible night a great one. They can make a story you don't want to tell, one you can't stop sharing. 

They are out there. 

And they are awesome.

May your eyes be opened to see that company this Christmas season.

May YOU be one of those good-willed people for others.

And may the Spirit of Christmas be something that is spread year round.

Big INsights-More Quotes and Excerpts

A few more pieces from my upcoming book 'Big INsights: A Semester's Worth of Small Truths'. Each of these in the book will be a daily reading of quotes to focus on for that day. But since I'd like for you to see a little more, there are four of them for you here, now. Hope you enjoy them!

The one question we need to ask ourselves after it all is not “what were your sins?” but “what did you do in spite of your sin?” 

Getting to know will always be more effective than getting to serve. However, when these two elements are combined, that is effective service indeed. 

The amount of time or length of a friendship means nothing. It is the width of open arms & hearts with the depth of conversations and actions.

I hope to walk slow through all of it, run to where I’m called & grow in wisdom as I breathe. 

"Creator's Plea"

Below is an excerpt from 1 of my 3 upcoming books due out Jauary 1st.

'Big INsights: A Semester's Worth of Small Truths" 

It's a book of daily readings of small lessons, truths and poems that

I learned over the course of a difficult, yet rewarding semester of working in church ministry. The tiny pieces of writing are meant to be read and taken in with each new day. These lessons influenced my life so greatly that I wanted to share them with the hope that they can have a positive impact on you as well.

The ebook will be found on Amazon, Kindle, Barnes and Noble and all other major e-reading devices. The Print Version will be available exclusively on Amazon.

Enjoy the poem below!

“The Creator’s Plea”

Please don't resent me, try to push & to shove,

All I want to give you is more than My love.

You want the world & hope to consume it,

Yet you're still angry, it never fills one bit.

You hope the bigger the paycheck, the better the feeling,

The things you then buy, lose their zest, now are reeling.

You're selfish indulgences, the "you-focused" ambitions,

They all seem great since their under your conditions.

I don't understand the choices for what you do,

Say I don't do enough, but I'm here just for you.

Come home to me, just please come here at last,

I'll do everything & more just like I have in the past.

You have your burdens, lay them all on me,

You have your bondage, I will set you free.

This is nothing new, that I have felt this way.

The same goes for you, though you've pushed it astray.

So you apparently have never been the problem,

It's always been someone else who has caused them.

Look in the mirror & I know what you see,

It's fear, regret, & selfish iniquity.

You know ,deep down, your decisions are wrong,

You're too scared to face your demons of so long.

I cannot comprehend why you attempt to slip?

Because no matter what you try, I'll only tighten my grip.

These new ones who have brought you to this place,

Have a deep hook on you, & it has changed your face.

You defend because I "don't approve of them."

That it's because I "didn't choose your friends."

& you're right to say those very things,

The certain fact is, you're pulled on their string.

They've only opened the can of how you're now known.

Yet you've shaped this new you all on your own.

All in all this self-motivation,

Has only garnished Me beyond frustrations.

The lying, the cheating, & bingeing of all kinds.

Bitterness, anger, hatred to Me that binds.

Yet here I am standing directly before you,

Willing to always have you, & forever hold you.

Please don't resent me, try to push & to shove,

All I want to give you is more than My love.

Let It Out

 

My wife and I have a 5 year old yellow Labrador retriever named Harley.

In some ways he still thinks he's a puppy. In other ways he still thinks he's the size of a puppy. Yet at a healthy 120 lbs, he'd prefer to sit in your lap than lie on the floor.

But one of my favorite things about this dog is how he good he can be. Sometimes he waits up 8-9 hours until we get home. So much energy to contain for such a long time. Many dogs might rip couch cushions to shreds, terrorize wall with their paws or maybe even leave a "present" on the floor. 

But not Harley. 

He controls himself. Holds it all in. And then when we finally get home, he lets it all out. He runs up and down, back and forth until I let him outside. After I let him outside, he thinks the party had begun.

He goes over to the corner of the fence and waits for me to grab his toy. I pick it up, toss it and he's off. He sprints. He dips. He turns. 

With a face like a mad man set free from the ward, and violent steps like a horse let onto the track, he runs. He goes until he's out of breath. But he's satisfied.

He's let it all out of his system. The pent up energy, the anxiousness from waiting, the stress of having to have quiet, acceptable behavior, it all disappears with a moment of release. 

When was the last time you let it all out? Your stresses, your pent up energy, your anxiousness, when was the last time you got that out of your system?

Whatever it is, whether you have to dance, or sprint or let out a barbaric scream.

Take time away from it all.

Be free for a moment.

And let it out.

Geeking Out

I am a geek. A nerdist. A deep admirer for certain genres. I love superheroes and comic books. I love Sci-Fi/Adventure Books and Movies. 

I'm the guy who reads and discusses movie news about Star Wars Episode VII at least once every two days. I'm the guy who went crazy and saw the final Harry Potter movie 6 times in the theater. I'm the guy who wears superhero t-shirts more than anything else in my wardrobe. 

I'm a nerd. I'm a geek. Whatever you want to call it, I geek out. Hard.

I know this happens to me for a reason beyond the fact that these things are just plain epic on all accounts.

The reason is story.

I relish in the story of these characters and the adventures they partake in. In these vast imaginative worlds, I relate to them. I see pieces of myself in them. They make me feel as though I can slay the dragons, fly in to save the helpless and use the force to do good. They make me feel as though every day can be an adventure. Every day can be a chance to seek justice and do what is right. They make me want to dream big.

The problem is, until a recent wake up call, I have often left it at that. I kept dreaming but never did any more. Never sought adventure. Never fought for justice.

I geeked out over these fictional tales but forgot about the real one I'm living.

Imagine if we geeked out on our own stories. Imagine if we became so passionate about this life and this story that we lived it out like the characters many, like myself, go crazy over.  If we sought adventure. If we fought for justice.

Become a geek. 

Geek out hard if that's what it takes. 

Geek out for the story you've been given as it follows a story greater than yourself. 

Seek justice. Find adventure.

May your life just plain epic on all accounts.

A Person of Heart

I'm a huge fan of Nebraska Husker Football. And in case you haven't heard, on Sunday they fired their head football coach, Bo Pelini.

Reasons being that he never won big games or won any type of championship, on a conference or national level. Also, the perceptions seemed to be that his bosses didn't like the way he represented the university on television when he lost his temper like most football coaches do. But contrary to what people believed, and how television perceived him, Bo was a solid guy. At least he was to me first hand. 

I wrote an open letter to Nebraska football about my experience of watching my daughter a few hours after she was born while the Nebraska-Miami game played in the background. A week later Bo Pelini wrote me back personally, congratulating me on her birth and wishing us the best as a family. 

No cameras, no press conference, none of that. Just him as a man.. A good man. I don't think many high profile coaches would take time out of their busy day to read the letter, let alone respond. A man of heart.

On top of this, his players, both current and past, have said over and over again that they don't just love Coach Bo, but they'd die for him. Die for him because he showed them how to have a good heart.

And then today Nebraska hired a new coach, Mike Riley. 

As I noticed from comments to various articles and new sources, thousands beyond thousands of Husker fans flipped out in anger because he wasn't on anyone's radar of who they thought they'd hire. He's not exactly a high profile name who has won championships.

But you want to know what nearly every player says about Mike Riley? They'd die for him. They'd die for him because of how showed them to have a good heart.

Coach Riley is well-known for his Christian faith. Not to mention Bo has the same faith.

Two good men teaching young men what it takes to be one outside of football. Men of heart. 

I wonder if we might ever live in a society where being a person full of integrity, and love might outweigh the wins. 

I guess I can understand it from a university stand point. Its a business mentality. It's all about the money I suppose. You have to so what you have to do for the benefit of the money.

But I think what should be first on our minds is the person, and the people they are affecting. Not the numbers.

We live in a world where we measure things by accomplishments and successes and forget about the heart. So much so that we tell people their unsuccessful when they still have it.

Imagine a world where this wasn't the case. Imagine where people kept up and lifted up and supported at all costs for things of integrity, things of love, things of heart over anything else.

I encourage you, be a person who looks at the character and heart of another before you tear them down for what they have or haven't done.

Be a person that others will look at the character and heart of.

Be a person of integrity.

Be a person of love.

Be a person of heart.

I'm Alive

I recently enjoyed a Saturday in our living room watching my nine week old daughter go back and forth in her baby swing. 

She had swung in it quite a few times before, but for whatever reason, this ride was by far the greatest. She has just reached the point of having enough strength to hold her head up long enough that she can look back and forth by putting her head on a swivel. I guess doing this while swinging from left to right was too much excitement.

The entire time she did this, she not only smiled, but laughed every fifteen seconds or so. Now mind you, she is still coming into her own with the laugh. It sounds like a hiccup mixed with a small scream. Kind of like if a miniature seahorse was ever choking on air.

A few days later I watched her for a few moments with a smirk on the side of my face as she raised her hands and kicked as Christmas music played in the background and stopped when the music stopped.

That night I discovered that every time our dog gives her a big wet kiss when she's crying, the tears cease and a smile goes on.

Each and every day she experiences something new. Each and every day I am seeing her personality come together and change as a result of that new experience. And each experience, she ends up with a smile on her face afterwards.

I think she's showing me one thing.

She enjoys being alive.

We can take notes from the humans on this planet who have the least amount of life experience. We should take in all experiences-both good and bad-and let them sink into one final truth.

I am here. 

I am alive. 

I have life within my soul. 

I will enjoy it.

Thanksgiving Post- Don't Read This

Read this if you must.

If you don't feel the need to read then get off right now. 

Get off this blog. Get off the internet. Get off the phone. Get off the tablet. Get off the computer. Get off the tv reflecting either one of these. Get off the grid.

It's thanksgiving. 

A day to celebrate not just what you are thankful for (i.e. Electricity, running water, wireless technology, long distance transportation, etc) but primarily who.

Now I know not everyone around the world celebrates this holiday and if you happen to be one of those people and you're reading this maybe you take a day-today-to focus on this:

Go tell someone, go tell a whole bunch of somebodies, go tell everyone who has or still is making an impact on you and tell them what they've done. 

Talk to them, call them, text them, write them a letter. Do whatever it takes to let the people who make an impact in your life know how much they matter to you.

They are put into your life for a reason. Tell them thank you. Tell them why. But most importantly, give them time. Get away from everything else and go to those people. 

Go to them and give thanks.

The Sequel: Relishing The Good Old Days

I saw a movie with my brother and wife the other day. Won't say exactly which one because I don't want to do any promoting but let's just say it was a sequel to a movie released a long while ago. A very long while ago. In fact, it took this movie 2 full decades to come out with another addition.

And I've got to tell you, I was waiting patiently. My brother was waiting patiently with me. Because the first movie meant something to us. No matter how stupid or over the top or ridiculous, it had meaning to it.

This movie helped make our adolescence. With such quotable lines and various situations of hilarity, we referred (and still do) to the movie often. It was and still is the basis of too many of our inside jokes. To this day, nothing lives up to seeing this film for the first time (or the next 20).

Looking back, it might be one of my "good old days" moments.

I'm sure this is how millions of people felt as well because, as the directors and actors said before its release, the whole reason the sequel became a reality was due to the overwhelming amount of fans and viewers wanting it to happen.

I'm not going to lie, I fist pumped, gave my brother a high five and nearly jumped for joy when I first heard the 2nd film would happen two years ago. So many longed to experience that magic they witnessed or that special moment that took them in just one more time even though that moment probably will only happen once. They want to laugh that same way or see that character again the way he or she was before. 

A hunger for a simple slice of the good old days. Just desiring a little taste.

I think big questions come from this that can be important to look at in terms of our own story.

Do we have to have the sequel? Do we have to revisit stories? Do we really need to recreate the good old days?

I mean don't get me wrong, I enjoy the end-credits-scene-fad or the "man, what a cliffhanger" moments in books and movies more than you realize. And I love talking about old memories and sharing stories every once in a while.

But in our own personal lives, can't we just leave some things alone? Can't we let one event that happened to be done? Do we really need to hold on so much that we need to recreate moments of the past? 

Because if we keep doing that, I'm not sure if we can never move on in the present. I'm not convinced that our future won't continue with us glancing over our shoulder instead of straight ahead or even up.

I'm not saying looking back with a smile on your face is a bad thing. But it is when it's the main thing. It is when it keeps you in the past.

We are meant to grow. 

We are meant to move on. 

We are meant to enjoy each moment we are given.

May you live in each moment with your head facing straight as you move forward.

Live each moment joyously remembering the glory days but not letting them become you.

Be present in the present.

Let each and every day-these days-be your good old days.

A Cupboard Under the Stairs

We have a small cupboard under the stairs in our house. It's here I’m writing this to you. In a space no larger than the back seat of a compact car with height no higher than a growing boy. And it’s quite funny actually. Funny because as I sit here writing and typing away, I’m brought back to a rather famous tale of a boy who once lived in the cupboard under the stairs.

(In case you live under a boulder or have been asleep for the past 15 years, I'm referring to Harry Potter).

It’s under here I realize something. As bad as the author described the conditions this particular orphan boy was living in, besides all the horrid things his jealous aunt and foolish uncle made him do, despite all the bullying he had to take from his adopted brother-cousin, he was content.

Not happy. Not thinking too horribly of his situation. Content. Part of the ride of the life he was in even if it felt like he was sitting in the trunk or on top of the back wheel. Content.

The cupboard was his domain. His personal space. His room. All he claimed in life belonged to this 2 by 4 and half foot space. It was better than being without a home. It was better than being alone. It was better than having no one and nowhere.

And when those who tried to make his life a mess became too much, and when he went in there by himself or by force, he could go there, try to silence them and take in the fullness of that which pushes many of us. It was in this room he began to think about things and see things that changed his life. It was here where he received a letter about a school for wizards that he began to dream. This tiny room pushed him to have big dreams.

Dreams.

With the simplicity and nothingness that lie in his space, there was nothing to do but dream. Dream, Wish and Hope.

Which brings me back to sitting here in this small closet under the stairs. It has done the same for me. It has brought me to a point of relaxation, of dreaming and of wonder. One of the main fires in my gut is to write, to share, to fully take in each life experience and to do each often. Yet this rapidly-paced world so big, full of distractions and noise and reality get in the way. But in a space so small it is next to impossible to do so. It makes me content to be in here. It makes me feel the silence. It makes me wonder. 

And it leaves room for only one simple possibility that pushes me. To Dream.

May you find that place that makes the rest of the world feel small. 

May it silence the noise. 

May it fill you with wonder.

May it take you to dream. To dream, to wish, and to hope.