Birthday parties can be both fun and also really expensive. We just had our boys 2nd birthday party and I was actually floored at how much it cost.
I know, I know, you shouldn’t think about money when they are this age. WRONG! You should always think about money. How much of this party will they remember next year?
Don’t get me wrong, they had a lot of fun. But still.
As I watched the boys play at the farm and run on a big bouncy thing, I got lost in the cost. I could only enjoy watching them laugh and smile. And there were several kids there too, which made it even more exciting.
And at the end of the day, the party moved from the big bouncy thing to the slide. And it wasn’t just the kids going down it. In fact, more times than not, the adults were sliding down and relieving their youths.
Everyone seemed to have a blast.
As the party ended and we packed up, we realized that we had only 1 toy to load into my suv. And in the quietness of the farm, my wife and I stood still and realized that everyone that came to the party, made a donation to the charity that we had selected in honor of the boys. So, even though the party was not cheap, after the farm rental and food, etc., the boys and all of the other kids had a great time. And from the text messages that I got from my friends with children, their children all slept well that night too.
Was it worth it? Yes. Because in a little town in South Carolina, there will be special needs children that will be getting some extra therapy lessons because of our wonderful friends and family.
Happy Birthday to my two wonderful sons. I don’t know what life would be like without you.
With the news this week of the tragedy that took place, it got me thinking about these lyrics:
Please come to Boston
For the springtime
I’m stayin’ here with some friends
And they’ve got lots of room
You can sell your paintings on the sidewalk
By a cafe where I hope to be workin’ soon
Please come to Boston
She said no, boy you come home to me
Today, as I sit and watch the news coverage, I’ve got this song in my head. Remembering my first trip to Boston. Going to Fenway and watching Nolan Ryan pitch against Roger Clemens and yes, I did just date myself. But today, as a Yankee fan, I can say that I support Boston. Boston is a town full of history, the pride, the beauty, the days in the fall, a night game a Fenway, Cheers and some wonderful people. Today, I watch a town that is suffering and millions and millions of Americans, asking the question, yet again, WHY? Why would someone want to harm others. Why would some want to kill Americans? And at the end of the day, there are no answers. There are just more questions.
So tonight, hug your kids just a little tighter. Tell them that you love them. And say a prayer for those that have been taken away from us too early and their families that are left behind asking why.
Play time is so important for the kids. Just getting out and running around and now that the weather is starting to turn nice outside, there will be even more play time to come.
This past weekend, I took the boys out for a walk, which helped me get exercise in, but also gave them a chance to get out and run too. Getting the boys outside more is a goal of mine.It let’s them play more with other kids, but it also gets them use to the environment, playing on playgrounds, etc.
But, it is also quality family time too and gives me a chance to be a big kid all over again.
When I grew up playing sports, the coaching staff always took the time to teach us the basic fundamentals and to also serve as role models. Oh, how the times have changed.
Yesterday it was reported that Rutger’s basketball coach, Mike Rice, had been throwing basketballs at players and physically pushing his players. I’m not sure what bothers me more? The fact that he did these things or that the University waited several months before firing him? ESPN had run a story on Coach Rice yesterday, showing videos of him kicking his players, throwing basketballs at their heads and even grabbing them by their jerseys. And now, 24 hours later, Rutgers University has made the decision to relieve him of his head coaching duties.
But the interesting part of this story, to me is this:
Rice had been suspended for three games in December and fined $50,000 after athletic department officials saw video footage of abuse.
So, Rutgers was area of this situation, suspended Coach Rice and fined him. I am all about giving people second chances, but not when they could potentially hurt a player. How are our kids supposed to learn how to play the game the right way, when coaches are doing this? Was this an isolated incident in the NCAA. I am sure that it is. And I am also sure that given the chance to do this again, that Coach Rice would never have chosen these methods of coaching. And I do sincerely hope that at some point time in the future, another university will give Coach Rice another chance to redeem himself. But today, I watch in disbelief and think back to my coaches and the lessons that they taught us. And not just lessons about fundamentals to field a ground ball or take a charge. But how to conduct yourself when you are in public, because you represent your school and team. The importance of teamwork and that you have to rely on others in life for help. Thanking a teammate for a pass or picking up a missed ground ball.
Was this an isolated incident, I certainly hope so, because I really hope that my kids never see a coach treat players like this. And I would really hope that any university or high school program today, if they know of any of their coaching staff that is using these same coaching techniques and styles, are evaluating and improving their programs. Kids need role models. They need good coaches. I just feel bad that the kids at Rutgers had to experience this.
Growing up in a Baptist Church, we attended ever Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday night, without fail. Somewhere along the way, my views on church started to change and my views longer aligned themselves with the Baptist church. So, instead of looking elsewhere, I just quit attending all together. Not the right approach, but when our minister and his son both died in the same week of very difficult cancers, I really had some serious questions for God and I needed some answers.
Over the course of 2 years, I searched for answers, not hard, but I searched. I talked with people/friends/etc to ask, why? Why would God allow a pastor and his little son to both die? No one had an answer. But, something happened one day Friday after work. I got a phone call from my sister and she said that her best friend’s mom had just died and the wanted me to attend the funeral the following week. I was close to my sister’s friend, so it wasn’t a strange request and it was easy enough to change my schedule to attend the funeral. But something happened that day. Something changed me while I was sitting in church. For some reason, I was at peace with all of those questions that I had about God and church before.
That day, after leaving the funeral, I was asked what I thought about the service and I just replied that, I would start attending that United Methodist Church going forward. And that is what happened. From that day forward, I have been a member of the Methodist Church. I look back on my time in Texas and I was very active in the church. I was there for everything. I was always willing to give if a child could not afford to attend a camp. The church was a huge part of my life there.
Then I moved to the east coast. And I searched and went to 10 different different Methodist Churches and I just couldn’t find a fit. My now wife and I attended a Methodist Church and it was ok. I was not blown away by any of the sermons. I never left better than I came into the sanctuary. I often was more at peace after listening to the church sermon from my church out in Texas than I was at any of the churches that I have attended here. And then today. Today, on my Facebook wall, I saw a post about a United Methodist Minister, Jeffery Herships, holding church in Denver bars. And it hit me, man, this is awesome. Not because you could have a beer or a glass of wine with the sermon, though that is cool. But this guy is going where the unchurched are. He is going to meet the people in their environment. He says the exact same thing that I told friends just yesterday, Church can be anywhere.
I’ve often struggled with the idea that church has to be Sunday morning at 9:20 am or 11:00 am in a big building. Why can’t church be on a mountain top over looking a city? Why can’t church be out on the water and a group of 5 sail boats are all anchored out? How says that church as to be on Sunday morning? I have watched this video a few times now and have emailed it to friends that work with the United Methodist Church and we have all said the same thing, church is changing. And for me, going to church is important and it is something that I want to instill in my sons, that there is a higher being and that it is ok to believe in God. But I also want them to understand too, that church does not mean that you have to wear a suit and tie on Sunday morning to a big building, because those people that are in the video that are getting a sandwich in the park, are not dressed up, but they are being ministered to. They are receiving a blessing from God.
So what does church look like for you? A big sanctuary on Sunday morning? Or spending time with others in the presence of God wherever you are?
