Category: Uncategorized (Page 39 of 188)

As a mom of boys, I should have known the superhero talk would show up soon. 

I don’t mind the heros, really. Fun costumes, leaping buildings in a single bound, saving the world. That’s good stuff. But I’m having trouble talking to my kids about the “bad guys.” 

It started back when guns arrived in our home. I have no idea how, but it seems boys are naturally wired to shoot. Once H Boy went for a nice little nature walk and came upon a stick the size of his hand in the shape of – you guessed it – a “shooter” as they call them around here. So the rule quickly became that we don’t shoot our sisters, or people in general – only “the bad guys.” 

But my question quickly became: what makes them so “bad”? 

Not only is this a theological question, about understanding God’s view of humanity and creation and our nature, but it’s also an anthropological question: how do people think about people. 

Personally, the theological answer came quicker and easier. God loves all people. God created all people and called them “good.” God’s Spirit can live in any person. If from “ashes to ashes and dust to dust” we call came… well, we all came from the same dirt. I cannot come up with a reasonable explanation to why God would make one person good while another evil. 

In Ephesians we’re told that our battle is not with “flesh and blood but with the powers and principalities of this world.” We’re not fighting bad guys. The problem isn’t the people, it’s the spirit which inhabits them. And just as I believe something evil can take root in a person, I believe more so that God’s Spirit can take root and that God’s Spirit always wins. 

So, if God didn’t make them “bad guys”, the question is: who did? And why? 

I realize a majority of the population doesn’t struggle with these issues, but this one keeps plaguing me. Because, honestly, my kids ask. They asked. All I could offer was, “well, maybe somebody wasn’t very nice to them when they were growing up, so they became mean to others.” 

I thought it was a fair response? 

And why should I care? Do my kids really care? It’s just play, after all. Superheros. Climbing buildings and such. 

But what if we’re somehow programming a worldview into our children that some people are inherently bad? So bad, in fact, that we must shoot them rather than hope that they be redeemed*. So when they encounter bad things and wrongs and meanness – these things become unchangeable. 

All of a sudden, we’ve put limits on God’s ability to change, to bring something back into the realm of Good. 

What does that tell our children, who grow into adults, when they someday find themselves on the side of doing something bad and wrong and mean? Are they all of a sudden on the other side of redeemable? What act, exactly, is beyond the reach of God?

But if we’re all from the same dirt, created in the goodness of God, perhaps there’s room for hope to spring up. If the “bad guys” became so bad because of bad things happening to them, then maybe goodness can return once good things happen to them. This is where the superhero story might come in handy. 

When I went away to youth director boot camp, I met Spiderman Dan, a fantastic guy who was ahead of the comic craze. He personally chose Spiderman because ingrained in the saga was the notion that “with great power comes great responsibility”. That’s a superhero I can buy into, because it’s similar to the empowering words of Jesus, “to whom much is given, much is required.” 

I think I can let my little boy roam around in the blue suit (for 2 days straight, mind you, including naps and bedtime) when it becomes a platform for growing him in his awareness that how he treats other people matters. We’ve been entrusted to fill this world with good things. When we encounter “bad guys” who perhaps didn’t get the same start we did, we have a chance to see them as redeemable when we use our superpowers. Spirit Powers. 

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Self-control. 

Sure, “bad guys” exist. 

But they don’t have to. 

**Totally on purpose. 

I know, it’s been quiet. New babies do that to a mama. And if they don’t, then one of his 3 siblings will somehow divert my attention and take my time. And if I finally sneak away, then it’s my work that gets focus. 

But I cannot complain – it’s coming together beautifully, this little life of mine. It takes time. Patience. Endurance. But these puzzle pieces are making their way to their appropriate quadrants. Allow me to share my joy with you and what I have happening right now, outside of 4 littles and a hubby heading back to school next week. 

In order to afford preschool and a selective occasion to eat out, I’ve started helping small businesses with their social media and other marketing endeavors. I love it, mostly because I love my clients. I love helping people cross something off their list, lightening their load and hopefully growing into their dreams. And for the most part it’s writing and brainstorming, 2 of my favorite things. 

Part of the deal when I quit my job was that I would seek out a few more clients than my initial 2. I’ve helped a few here and there and I’m feeling more confident that the right partnerships will emerge. I even launched my website and professional facebook page today. It’s like, real. As Joey would say, whoa.* 

After my favorite blogger, Sarah Bessey, announced that her book was available for bloggers to review, I hopped my little self over to the website she uses and signed up. I was approved to review her work (squeal!) and another book I thought interesting. I’ve often lamented that my dream job is to read interesting things and tell others about it. This was a huge step closer! So you can expect to hear a little more from me on this blogosphere about where you should be spending your hardback (or kindle!) dollars. I don’t get paid for this, but the sheer joy compensates enough. 

I also hope to be up a tad earlier once school starts, so the other rumblings of this little mind can finally be put into words and sentences. Hitting “publish” is one of the scariest, most exhilerating things I do, but one that I continue to return to like an addict. Someday I’ll think myself into a coma, but I’ll be happy there, pondering and pontificating. 

I finally found my groove in our church, outlets where I can serve. I’m helping co-lead the women’s ministry, starting with an event and class this fall, but also in the development of a team and setting some guiding vision for the ways in which we can serve and meet the needs of the ladies of our community and empower them to grow, connect with others and further God’s Kingdom. Every time I leave a meeting I feel alive and awake. Hint: that’s how you know you’re doing what you’re created to do. 

I’ve pitched in a few other areas (actually, I have an ongoing list…), even preaching. I’m finally feeling as if my calling meets my world without me having to find full-time daycare. Can I just say that it’s a beautiful situation? 

So that’s me. In a nutshell. (“I’m in a nut shell”). I hope the summer – and life in general – has treated you well. 

Allow me to make your next get together full of lively conversation and much laughter. My sister actually taught us this game, but I’ve attributed it to her 3 times and based on International Joke (& Recipe) Copyright Law, it is now mine and I can receive full credit. 

Now, I’m a lover of games. Yes, even silly mixers. Word games, especially. One time my sister and I played Taboo with a few friends and we were able to guess one another’s words with just one-word prompts. Once even with zero words, just a look. It was amazing. So when they shared this beauty, Pictionary Telephone, my party game world became complete. 

What you’ll need: Lots and lots of papers. I recommend quarter sheets (or slightly smaller if you have the luxury of a good paper cutter nearby). For each round you will need to make stacks of paper equal to the number of people playing. So if you have 8 people, you will need 8 stacks with 8 sheets of paper. A good hostess would staple these stacks to make things less confusing. 

For best results, sit in the round. A table is optimal. 

To begin, everyone has a stack of papers and a pen. The host would name a category (think “movies” or “things that make you go hmm”. In the case of Anna G, “weddings” or “marriage”). Each person would then come up with a phrase and write it on the top sheet of paper. (For example, “wedding bells are ringing” or “here comes the bride”). When complete, each person would lay the papers face down and slide it to the right. 

When everyone is ready (be prepared to impose a time limit), they pick up their neighbor’s stack and read the phrase. Then everyone would put that sheet of paper in the back (or flip if you scored a good stapling-hostess) and on the next sheet of paper, DRAW the phrase. Yes, that means someone is trying to draw wedding bells, ringing. 

When complete, each person puts their stack face down and slides it, again to the person on the right so that the stacks are making their way around the circle. You will not get your stack back until the end. So now each person is looking at a picture drawn by their neighbor. Each person will now guess what that picture is saying. They may NOT turn back to previous sheets to see what the phrase is or other drawings as it moves around the circle. They get only what the picture is and must turn the sheet to write a phrase of what they think the picture describes. 

Again, when complete, put the stack face down and pass to their neighbor. You should be receiving alternating drawings and phrase-writings from the same person each time. 

Continue in this pattern until you run out of paper – this means you get your own phrase back. Then share with the group one sheet at a time the progression of your phrase to see the final product. For funniest results, share the final phrase / drawing and reveal in reverse. 

Trust me, you’re going to want enough stacks of paper to do this multiple times.