31 Day Writing Challenge Day 19 - Men Are Not Stupid

I know I’ve talked about this before, but once again I was reminded of how there is an all out assault on men, and it is trying to discredit them in the eyes of the world.  Now before you think I’m some type of conspiracy theorist or something, let me just say if you open your eyes and keep an open mind you will see what I am saying is true.

When I was growing up John Wayne was king as far as I was concerned.  It wasn’t until later on in my life I realized just how truly awesome he was as a man; both in his movies and his life.  I just read yesterday about John Wayne on the set with one of his stunt doubles, when the man’s grandson came for a visit.  Upon meeting Mr. Wayne, the young boy asked, “What do you do in the movies?”  He replied, “I stand in for your grandpa, and do his close ups.”

Instead of taking the credit for being a big Hollywood star, he made the decision to lift up this grandpa in the eyes of his grandson.  He set himself aside; which is one of the traits of what a true man does.  Hearing these kinds of things about one of my heroes helps me to see how I should act in my own life as a man too.

The society we live in could use more men like John Wayne too.  I feel we have allowed the world to dictate to us what men should be, and how we should act, to such a degree that when you actually see a man living in a way other than what is considered the norm by the world’s standards, people are shocked, and don’t know how to handle it.

Too often, men are portrayed as imbecilic, selfish morons who are only about themselves.  I remember there was a commercial for State Farm a few years back which really made men look stupid.  In it, a man and woman are walking in a city, she is talking on the phone to their State Farm agent, and he is carrying a falcon.  Check out the video here.

If you will notice, there are men all throughout the commercial who have purchased ridiculous things.  The woman says, “That explains it.”  at the end of the commercial and the implication is men are stupid.  Truthfully, I don’t find this commercial funny, but offensive.  It’s just one more slam by society to show men as morons bereft of the ability to make wise decisions.

Does this mean I’ve always made great decisions as a man? Absolutely not, I’ve made some doozies in my time.  But does making bad decisions define who I am?  No.  I’d like to think what defines me as who I am is this ability I have to put my needs aside, and see to it those in my life are taken care of first; namely my bride and children.

I wish John Wayne was still alive today because I think we need role models as men who are willing to portray what a man really is not only as a Hollywood star, but in real life too.  God I pray you bring real men back to forefront of society and help us lead others to become the men You want us to be.

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 18 - I'm Not Sure What This Is

Today I don’t really know where to start.  I woke up later than usual, and even after having gone to bed early, I had a difficult time opening my eyes and getting things going this morning.  I have these kinds of days from time to time, and I’m not really sure why exactly.  I worked hard yesterday, but it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.  We entertained some friends for dinner, but even they left before it got dark, so it wasn’t a late night which brought about this tiredness.  Just one of those things I guess.

When I wake up later than I had planned, it seems as if I get in a panic to try and make up for lost time.  Yet because I usually wake up later than normal because I’m tired, I end up sitting in my chair with the iPad opened to my Bible reading and doing everything in my power to keep my eyes open.  It usually ends up in the one eye open, the other eye closed scenario my wife hates. 

Usually when I get to this place where I’m doing everything in my power to stay awake, she will tell me to get up and go to bed.   And of course a lot of the time this happens about seven thirty to eight o’clock, and my reply is always, “I’m fine, I’m just resting a bit.”  This is followed by me waking up enough a few hours later and going to bed.  It really frustrates her; I should change this I guess.

Then after I wake up late, fight to stay awake, and realize I’ve wasted yet another morning and not really finished any of the stuff I wanted to do, I go to work thinking, “Well that was a waste, I should have just stayed in bed.”  Another thing Cheryl tells me to do pretty often.

With just twenty days until I release my latest book, “Show Me the Money!” you’d think I’d be hot and heavy working on it every waking minute, but I think the last time I worked on it was three days ago.  It ain’t gonna write itself, but then I keep finding other things to drag my attention away.  It’s really hard work writing, and putting all of your thoughts in the correct order.  I love it, but I need to put a little more attention into knuckling down and getting on with it daily.

The task of becoming a paid writer is a daunting one to say the least, but like anything in this life, if you want it you’re going to have to go out and get it.  The life you want for yourself and family doesn’t just happen, it takes effort and a lot of work.  If you are willing to put in the time, effort and work, then dividends will come into your life.  But if you are unwilling to do these things, if you only dream about what you want, and never do anything to achieve those dreams, then you are only fooling yourself.  You may end up being one of those people who talk about all the things you wanted to do, but never did.

And I for one don’t want to be a has been, or a never was.  I want to accomplish things in this life I’ve been given.

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 17 - What's It Going To Take?

One of the truths I’ve learned in my life is a man needs to do what makes him come alive as a man more than anything else in this world.  I’m talking in regards to what he does with his life, and his place in the world.  I told my kids all of their lives growing up in my house to not worry about just finding a job, but to find what it is that makes them truly come alive and go do that.

I told them this because once I figured this out; it seemed as if it was too late for me.  I was in a job, raising a family and had bills out the wazzoo.  Little did I know I know at the age of fifty-two, with my children out of the house and chasing their own dreams, I’d still be working a job just to pay the bills?  Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy my job (most days) and the people I work with; it just feels as if my dream of being a paid writer is further from me now than it has ever been.

I guess I’m feeling this way because there is a pressure to provide for my family, leave some type of inheritance for my kids and grandkids, and now realizing I spent too many years existing instead of planning for the future.  It’s a daunting task set before me to do what I need to do, knowing I only have a limited amount of time to reach these goals.

Listening to some friends talk last night about retirement, and what they were planning to do, got me to thinking about my own situation.  I mean my life is not bleak, I’m not living on the streets, I have a little bit of money in savings, and I am healthy enough to go to work each day.  Yet there is not a day which goes by where I don’t remember the passage of Scripture which says, “A good man leaves an inheritance to his grandchildren.”

While I don’t have any grandchildren yet, this persistent thought hounds me like a pack of dogs on my heels.  What is it I will leave my grandchildren?  A good name perhaps, but will they be paying for my funeral, or will I?  Will I leave them a little walking around money, or just a few Star Wars toys I enjoyed having in my office?

The truth is this is why I am working towards my goal of being a writer and getting paid for it.  Yesterday as I thought about this, it occurred to me one other thing I’ll have to do as a full time writer is pay for health insurance on my own once again.  No, this doesn’t add any pressure for me. (Sarcasm laid on real thick here)  It seems the more I work towards my goal, the more I seem to want to just drop it, and spend the remainder of my time here on the planet working to just get by.

It seems as if this would be so much easier to do.  But then there is this thing inside of me which whispers, “There is so much more for you.”, and it drives me back to my keyboard to punch the buttons and put my thoughts down onto the page.  I will be a paid writer, this is my dream, and I believe it will be the pathway towards paying off my mortgage, bills and setting aside something for my grandchildren.  I will be called a good man when it is all said and done.

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 16 - What Are You Saying?

What do you think would happen if the idle words you speak on a daily basis actually came to life?  Remember when you were a kid and said, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”?  Didn’t you find out later in life how much words can in fact actually hurt you?  I think at times I’d rather take a beating with sticks than to be berated with words.

Are you aware of the words which pop out of your mouth without your thinking too much about them?  What kinds of things to you say about yourself, or if you’re a parent to your children?  We actually believe what we say more than what anyone else says about us, unless it is our parents.

Words are powerful; they can create and they can destroy.  If you actually got what you said quickly, I think we would really put a watch over our lips.  For instance, if you said, “its cold outside today, I’ll probably catch a bad cold.”  And before you went home you were sneezing, coughing and feeling like crap you would agree with me how important words are.

Yet what happens is words don’t usually manifest themselves this quickly, so you don’t see the correlation about what you are saying, and what you are getting coincide.  The words you say each day are like seeds being planted, and in due time when it comes harvest time, you will see the crop they have produced in your life.

And when it comes to the words you say about your children, this can be devastating for them.  Children come into this world not knowing anything, and it is up to their parents to teach them all the things they need to know.  Yet so many parents I’ve seen say the most horrible things to their children.  Things like; you’ll never amount to anything, quit being so stupid, what’s wrong with you, etc.  When the person who holds the most influence in your life tells you all the things you can’t do, or will never be, you will begin to believe it.

A friend of mine was asked to counsel a teenage boy, because his parents didn’t know what to do with him.  He tells the story about how the parents brought the boy to his office, saying, “We’re going to the mall, and will be back in an hour; fix him.”  After they left, he looked at the boy and said, “Do you want a Pepsi?” and then they talked about sports and school until the parents returned.

When they returned, he met with the parents separately for a few minutes and the dad asked, “What’s wrong with my boy, why’s he an idiot?”  To which my friend replied, “Your son thinks like an idiot because he feeds on idiotic stuff.  The things you say about him, and to him are doing more damage than good.  If you want him to do better, then help him to think better by encouraging him and belittling him.”

I’m pretty sure this wasn’t what the man wanted to hear, but it is true.  If you call your kid an idiot, and then he does idiotic things, who’s to blame here?  You’re call to do what the Bible refers to as calling those things which be not, as though they were.  Yeah, but isn’t that lying Dave?  No, it is calling forth what your kid truly is; you just haven’t seen the manifestation of it yet.

Remember, your kids don’t know anything when they’re born, it’s up to you to teach them, and calling them stupid and idiot won’t help.  Begin telling them who they are in Christ, and what they can do in Him.  At first you may not see it, but if you continue and be intentional about it, before long your child will grow into an awesome person. 

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 15 - Grow a Set

Tonight I was relaxing in my recliner after an afternoon of napping, watching the movie Tears of the Sun starring Bruce Willis.  It’s really a great movie about following orders and doing what is the morally and ethically correct thing to do; something which men can relate to because we are forced to deal with the same issues on a daily basis. 

While it may not be disobeying a commanding officer’s orders and leading people through the African jungles with enemy soldiers on your six, we do face this moral dilemma more often than any of us would probably want to admit.

And as important a message as this is, it is not really what intrigued me the most as I re-watched this movie.  What really struck me tonight was the senseless and brutal violence which humans can exact on other humans.  There is a scene in the movie where rebels have come to a village, and are destroying it.  The thing which gets me is they didn’t just come in, kill everyone and burn the village down.  They took there time, making a day of it, raping women, killing children and torturing the men.

Where does this total lack of compassion come from?  I understand men needing to fight a battle against their enemy.  But I will never understand the utter disregard for life and the use of superiority over civilians.  It is thinking these humans are worth less than you are, and I totally do not understand this thought process.

It was Edmund Burke who said, “All it takes for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing.”  I hope to be counted as one of the good men, not one of those who can put himself above others.  I want to be one of those good men who stand in the way of evil, regardless of the outcome.  I want to charge into danger to protect the innocent, not be the one who stands on the sidelines and gripes about how bad things have become.

There is a time when a man just has to stand up and say enough is enough!  The main problem with our society today is there isn’t a lot of room for men to do this.  We are looked on as mindless oafs who just want to go around beating our chests and grunting, all while holding a turkey leg and chasing girls.  And the biggest problem about this is so many men have bought into this ideal of what it means to be a man.

Men should be men, and not worry about how society is going to judge them.  I liked it when John Wayne movies were still popular, when guys would open doors for a lady and wouldn’t put up with it if someone said a cuss word in front of a lady.  Yeah, men back in the day may have not been perfect, but nowadays you don’t see a lot of men, you see a lot of boys in men’s bodies.

I read something the other day which said, “In 1944 eighteen year old boys were storming the beaches of Normandy.  Today, eighteen year old boys are looking for safe places, and getting their feelings hurt because words are mean.”  What have we allowed ourselves to become?  A bunch of limp wristed namby pambies, who are more concerned with their own welfare instead of the welfare of others. 

What I think needs to happen more than anything in today’s society is it’s time for all of these boys to quit being women and grow a set of balls and act like men; real men, those guys who go out and take care of business.  Seeing to it their needs fall second to the needs of those around them.  And when we see injustice being done, don’t just tweet about it, actually do something about it.

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 14 - Easter Again?

Once again I find myself waiting for Easter to pass.  Don’t get me wrong, I love what Jesus did for me, and I never want to take His sacrifice lightly, even though on more occasions than I’d like to admit, I follow my own desires instead of His. 

Easter is another one of those holidays which has gotten away from us.  Now it is full of bunnies, eggs and candy.  I’m not really even sure how the bunnies and eggs go together either, I mean if it was chickens and eggs this would make sense, but bunnies and eggs?  Who knows?

What I do know is we should be thinking about what Jesus did for us every day.  You know being conscious of the Easter story every day and not just one time a year.  It’s kind of like Valentine’s Day; the holiday made up by a greeting card company to sell more cards.  So every year, men all across this nation run out and purchase stuff to show the girl of his dreams how important she is to him.  Instead of making it a daily ritual like is should be.

Easter reminds me a lot of this, people run back into church on this holiday to ease their conscious and make them show God how they should be allowed into Heaven because they went to church.  The funny thing is, God doesn’t want you in church just for the sake a getting credit.  What He truly wants is a relationship with you, and yes going to church is a part of it, but not just during Easter.

I’ll love going to church in the morning; seeing all the little kids dressed in their Easter finest, the worship songs will be great and I know my Pastor has been preparing a message to reach the lost.  It will be nice to worship with my church family and to see some of the faces I haven’t seen in a while.  But truthfully, Easter is just another Sunday for me to attend church.  The reason I say this is because I go to church every week, I follow Jesus (to the best of my abilities) every day, and I try to think about all He’s done for me more than once a year.

This is not to say if you are planning on attending church this Easter, and haven’t been in a while, you are not a good person.  I don’t believe this for a minute, but I would ask you this, why is it you only go every now and then?  Have you been hurt in a church or by a Christian before and this is why?  Maybe you’ve watched church leaders fall and think only hypocrites go there.  Perhaps you’re one of those people who think going to church is a crutch. 

Whatever the case, the bottom line of Christianity is a real relationship with the Creator of Heaven and Earth, who sent His son, Jesus to die on a cross for the sins of the world and bring God’s children back to Him.  God has a plan for each and every one of us, and it is for our good, not for bad.  As my good friend Daniel Shirley is always saying, “God’s not mad at you, He’s madly in love with you.”

Anyway, I hope you will attend church tomorrow; not just because it’s Easter, but because it is where we get to experience God with our Christian brothers and sisters, who are just as messed up as we are.  Happy Easter, and thank You Jesus for what You did for us all.

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 13 - Pharaoh's Troubles

Waves crashing mixed with the sounds of splintering wood and the screams of men sent shivers down the spine of Pharaoh once again waking him from his slumber.  He’d been having the same dream every night now for the past two weeks since the Israelites fled from his army through the Red Sea.  As impossible as it seemed, the Hebrew’s God had done a miraculous thing by splitting the waters in two.  The most amazing thing about it was the sea bed was dry enough for men to walk on, and even drive chariots across, there was simply no mud.

Reaching for his cruse of water, Pharaoh lifted it to his lips, but not before peering inside to make sure it was water he was about to drink.  One of the many plagues sent upon his people had been all the water turning into blood and ever since then he did not take a drink without checking first.  Satisfied, he lifted the container to his lips and drank deeply, allowing the liquid to quench his thirst.

Placing his drink back on the table by his bed, he slipped from the bed, placing his feet gently on the floor half expecting to see frogs once more.  These past weeks had been trying on his leadership of the Egyptian nation.  Facing his half-brother day after day enduring one plague after another was tiring, not to mention leaving his rule looking incompetent to his subjects.  He’d spent the last two weeks doing damage control, and enduring long lines of his subjects demanding retribution for their lost crops, animals, first born children and finally the soldiers he had lost at the Red Sea.

Calling for his advisers, he pulled on his silk robe and strode over to the chair which used to belong to his father.  Sitting down, he stroked his chin as he thought about the situations facing his rule now.  If only his father were alive to advise him on how to fix this situation.  In all the years he’d spent at the knee of the former Pharaoh, sitting on the ground as a child listening to him about how to rule a kingdom, he could not remember one time this subject had ever come up.

A sob rose up from his chest, as he thought about his own young son sitting at his feet listening to his instruction just a few weeks prior; before his death at the hands of the Israelite’s God.  A single tear fell from his left eye, and he wiped it away with his finger as a renewed hatred for those slaves burned in his heart.  “What will be the result of my rule now?” he thought, “My wealth is gone, the people are on the verge of revolting and my son is dead.”

Clearing his throat, Pharaoh’s chief advisor bowed low as he said, “My lord, we are here to serve you.”  Looking up in acknowledgement, he motioned for the men to come before him.  Straightening up in his chair, he smiled a weary smile and said, “Thank you for coming at this late hour.  Once again, I have been pulled from sleep by this insidious dream and need your council on what I am to do in ruling my people now.”

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 12 - What a Piece of Crap

Writer’s block is a curious thing.  It is when the flow of ideas just doesn’t come.  It’s a lot like being constipated; you want movement, but there just isn’t any.  And the more you force it, the less anything happens, you just sit there sweating and wishing for relief.

I decided to do this thirty-one day writing challenge and today is the first day where I’ve not had an idea of what to write.  And as I watch the minutes tick by, realizing shortly I will have to begin getting ready for work, it is not helping my situation at all.

You would think writing five hundred words would be an easy assignment, and usually for me it is.  But today as I sit here having written only one hundred and thirty four words, it’s beginning to look like a giant mountain I want to scale, but I’m only ten feet from the base.  I know I’ll get there, but wonder how long it will take for me to actually find the words to say to accomplish my goal.

Interestingly enough I have now used two different metaphors in this article which do not go together; constipation and mountain climbing.  I’m sure there’s a joke in there somewhere, but I’m not sure I’ll find it in time to finish writing.  Thoughts and ideas are like this for me, random and usually not the things you would connect together.  Although I’m pretty sure being constipated while climbing a mountain would not be a fun thing to experience. 

Well, now I’m a little over half way there and this may be the worst thing I’ve ever written.  It doesn’t make sense, and I’m not even sure where I want to end up, other than just getting to my goal.  Today is one of those days, where I don’t really feel it, it’s not here, but I’ve got to accomplish what I’ve decided to do; and this is only day twelve, nineteen more days of writing.  Oh joy.

What I need is a muse I guess.  What is a muse you might ask?  A muse is someone or something which inspires us to creativity.  Legendary muses were spirits which do the same thing, inspire.  While I don’t believe there are spirits which do this, unless perhaps the Holy Spirit of God maybe, I wish there was something to send a jolt of inspiration through me to help with my writing today. 

As I work to complete my goal, I can’t help but think about an article I’m working on for my church.  I started working on it yesterday, and am looking forward to seeing it to completion.  I probably should have been working on it instead of this; it would be a whole lot more interesting I’m sure.  But it’s too late now; this is going to have to be it for today.

Today I had no muse, no inspiration of any kind, yet I have managed to make it to the five hundred word mark.  While not my best work, I at least accomplished what I set out to do.

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 11 - Growing Old Ain't For the Faint of Heart

I’m fifty-two years old, and I had no idea what life in my fifties would be like.  But to be honest, I didn’t know what to expect in my forties, thirties, twenties…okay l admit it, I’ve never known what to expect.  I guess one of the things which snuck up on me was this growing older thing.  Nobody ever told me what happens as you mature.  Well maybe they did, but when I was young and thought I’d live forever, I probably wasn’t paying attention to what older people said.

I will say this about getting on in years; it ain’t for the faint of heart for sure.  The creaks, groans and assorted pains started manifesting a couple of years ago.  Watching me get up off of the ground, well let’s just say it is not a thing of grace and beauty.  Not that I’m complaining you understand, today’s blog is purely in fun. 

Since we are going to have a little fun, let’s start with some of the changes I’ve noticed about my body in the past few years.  To start with, about five years ago I started noticing pain in my backside when I sat for long periods of time; it was almost as if I could never get comfortable.  Peering into my bathroom mirror one morning after getting out of the shower, I noticed my butt looking a little saggy, and thought to myself, what happened to my butt? 

Then one day at work, I was delivering parts from one side of the plant to another using a forklift.  This required driving the forklift along a gravel road with all kinds of potholes and such.  As I was slowly making my way to the drop off point, I noticed a lot of movement from my chest.  When I say movement, it was like a bouncing motion, and was actually a little bit painful.  I now have of a new degree respect for women all together.

It appears gravity is winning in my life.  All those jokes I’ve made over the years about the Bible saying bodily exercise profits little, and who wants to do anything there is little profit in, may not have been the best thing.  Perhaps I should’ve invested a little bit of time in some type of exercise to tighten up things.

As I said earlier, getting old ain’t for the faint of heart.  One of the things I’ve found is the hardest to deal with is when I start a task, thinking in my mind this will be a piece of cake, only to see my body rebel against this idea for lack of ability.  My wife for years said I am stronger than I realize.  At work sometimes I have to throw four by fours up onto a semi trailer as we load steel pipe, and while the guys in their twenties are tossing them like toothpicks, I’m down there struggling to lift it up in the air.  This doesn’t keep me from doing the job though; I just have to take a little bit more time than the rest of the guys.

As I said earlier, growing older isn’t for the faint at heart, and it is definitely not for sissies.  What I’ve learned is now I just have to go a little bit slower than I did before, and pace myself a bit more.  One thing which hasn’t slowed down is my mind however.  Regardless of what the next fifty years holds for me, I know I’ll be thinking and using my brain as much when I die, as I am today, and this brings me joy.

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 10 - Are You a Loser?

If you could meet the eight year old version of yourself, what would he/she think about you?  In the movie The Kid, Bruce Willis plays a man who gets the opportunity to do just this; meet his eight year old self.  It’s a funny little movie, but very poignant in how we set aside the dreams we have as children when we try to control our adult lives.

In the movie little Rusty is running around the house looking for his dog.  Big Russ tells him he doesn’t have a dog, because he’s never around to take care of it.  Rusty sits down in disgust and says, “I don’t have a dog, I’m forty and not married and I don’t fly jets.  I turn out to be a loser.”  Check out the scene:

While it’s a funny scene from the movie, if you had the opportunity to meet your eight year old self, what we he/she think of what you have become?  I think for most of us, the realization would be we were losers too.  What I mean by this is, are you doing even close to what you dreamed about doing as a kid?  There may be a few of you who are, but I would say for the majority of us, this is probably not true.

What were your hopes and dreams as a kid?  Did you want to grow up to be a fireman, or policeman?  Maybe you wanted to be a race car driver, or a soldier.  How many of you sat in your room at night and dreamed of being in the corporate setting, working at a desk in a cubicle staring at a computer screen all day or out on the road traveling away from your family six nights a week?  I’m betting probably not a lot of you did.

Yet isn’t this what many of us do daily?  We live this life of existence, working away most of our lives, instead of truly living out those lives we once dreamed about?  What if you could go back and chart a different course for your life, would you do it?  What would your life look like now, if you were afforded this opportunity?

I’m afraid we all are like little Rusty; at a pivotal point in our lives were told we needed to just grow up, stop being a kid and grow up.  And this is what we did.  We grew up, became adults and joined this thing called the work force, and began to make money.  And like big Russ, there became a very hollow place in our heart, unable to dream like we did when we were eight.

Some of you probably are saying, “Who cares what I dreamed about when I was a kid?  I was a kid, and kids don’t know anything.”  I think sometimes as kids, we probably knew a whole lot more about what was what, than we do after we “grow up”.  I read once “Don’t ask what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive and go do that, because what the world needs are men and women who have come alive.”

It may seem like there is no way you could ever do what makes you come alive.  Maybe like me, you’re mired in debt and financial responsibilities which make it seem impossible.  I challenge you to take the steps towards this dream you once had, regardless of the sacrifices you might have to make.  Take a baby step towards your goal, and then another until one day you are doing just what it is you’ve always wanted.

We need to do more than just exist on this planet, we need to thrive and do what we were meant to do.  I believe God has placed each and every one of us here for a reason, and truthfully we may have understood what this was better when we were eight years old than we do at forty.  Whatever it was, start making strides to get back there, and in doing so you will truly come alive and not be a loser.

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 09 - To Binge, or Not To Binge

To binge or not to binge, this is the question.  I started this 500 word writing challenge knowing Netflix would be starting season two of their hit show Daredevil.  What I guess I didn’t realize was how hard it was going to be for me to stop watching television in order to write my 500 words each day.

As of right now, I only have three episodes left to watch and with enough time left before I have to go to work, it is really eating me up inside to sit here and write.  Perhaps it’s not helping I’ve got the television on, and the screen is primed and ready to start the next episode as soon as I finish with my writing.

My wife isn’t a huge Netflix fan because she doesn’t really like to watch TV as much as I do.  One thing I have always loved is stories, and now with the advent of streaming television, we don’t have to wait a week to see what happens next in the story.  It’s called binge watching, and while I agree it probably isn’t the best thing for us as a society to spend our time on, I do enjoy it from time to time.

What I really like about watching episode after episode is it almost feels as if it is in real time.  I guess this is because I don’t have to wait a week between episodes to see what is going to be revealed.  And especially now with some of the more well written shows intentionally placing things in each episode revealing hidden treasures about the characters and situations they are faced with.  It’s to the point now that you cannot miss an episode, or you are out of the loop.

I guess binge watching for me has brought story telling to a new level.  It’s like watching a movie in little parts, but unlike a movie lasting a couple of hours, this is like a super director’s cut which lasts ten to twenty hours.  It has made watching TV fun again.  When I say fun again, I mean I’m being entertained by something other than reality television; which I feel had its time and place, now it’s just drama for the sake of drama.  The newness of it has worn off for me; I just want to be entertained.  I can get enough drama in my own life, I don’t need to watch somebody else’s.

It probably doesn’t help the fact how I was a comic book nerd growing up and into my twenties.  In fact I still have a lot of my comics from back in the day.  Daredevil was a disaster on the big screen; Ben Affleck making it a joke in the super hero movie genre, and don’t get me started about him playing Batman now.  Daredevil was one of those conflicted super heroes I read back when I was reading comics, and Netflix has created a version of it which is very close to what I remember the comics being.

Marvel Comics has become a juggernaut in the entertainment industry, and for me it is like manna from Heaven.  All the comics I used to read are now either in movie form or are on television.  And I am so excited Netflix has joined the ranks of those who see the potential for super hero shows and want to help Marvel tell these stories.

As for me, I will continue binge watching despite the looks I get from my bride as I’m watching the various shows.  If you haven’t check into Netflix, perhaps you should.

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 08 - What is Writing?

What is the art of writing?  It’s me capturing the thoughts which are in my mind and putting them on a page for you to read and be intrigued by as well.  It’s not as easy as it seems either.  Some days it is as if I am pouring out of my soul things which every person on this planet needs, and then other days it just seems to be drivel.  What will today’s prose hold?  Who knows, and this is just one of the things which cause me to sit at my desk and peck away at this tiny little keyboard.

I don’t know why God chose to give me this particular desire, or at this point really what He is intending me to do with it.  All I know right now is to just keep writing, honing this craft until it is better than it was the day before.  I’ve already learned when writing not to use the word “that” too much.  Usually when you write something using the word that, you can say the very same thing without it, for instance; He was looking for Straight Street that Simeon lived on.  Could also be said this way, He was looking for Straight Street which Simeon lived on. 

Every day I want nothing more than to learn some other way to make my writing better, or to be able to say things in what appears to be a much more intelligent way.  It is also my desire to learn every day how to paint a picture with my words in the mind of the reader to such a degree they are willing to rethink the way they thought about the subject I am introducing.

How do you do this you might ask?  By setting aside time each and every day to write something, anything.  Part of this 31 Day Writing Challenge is not to write things which will go on to be published, as much as getting those of us involved in writing.  I may or may not write something inspirational every day, but each day I learn a little bit more about how to motivate my brain to actively think about how to put things onto the written page.  You might think writing a minimum of 500 words a day is easy, but let me tell you, if you don’t have the ability to think about a topic and then start writing about it, it ain’t.

I love the process of putting things together.  This creative part is what I really love about writing.  I remember one day being in the shower and pictured in my mind’s eye an older military man lying on the ground peering through his binoculars, a smoldering cigar clenched tightly in the corner of his mouth.  The words; “Curling around his head like gossamer, smoke from the stub of his cigar clenched tightly in the corner of his mouth floated effortlessly into the air.” popped into my head, and I knew I needed to start writing.

This was all there was to start with, and within a few days time I had written almost 2000 words and from this one image in my head, a story had emerged about an ex military man who now helped break down current security systems, and put new ones in place which were much better.  And it all came from a simple little image in my mind while I was lathering, rinsing and repeating.

This is what I love about the writing process, and each day I’m getting a little bit better at it.  Go me!

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 07 - Let Passion Be Your Guide

One thing I appreciate about being a human being is passion.  Now before you think I’m talking about sex, this is just one of many areas of passion.  Human beings were given this ability to be passionate about things, which animals are not.  I’ve always found it curious when people work so hard to say humans are nothing more than just evolved animals.  Truthfully, I think this is stupid, and can passionately argue the point with you if you like.

One of the main reasons I feel this way is because animals are moved by instinct, and people are moved by passion.  This strong sense of feeling about things drives people to do great things in this world.  Animals, who are moved by instinct, don’t.  Oh don’t get me wrong, they are cute and cuddly (in pet form of course) and provide us with a sense of love and camaraderie for our lives, but they don’t build orphanages, hospitals or do things to better the quality of the lives of the people on this planet.

I’ve got a friend who is passionate about math.  Jason was awarded the Teacher of the Year award this year, and mainly it was due in part to the passion he has for teaching kids the value of math.  And while my math teachers in school were good, if I could do it over again, I wish Mr. Schrepel could be my teacher, because I didn’t learn nearly enough math while I was in school.  He tutored my daughter when she was in high school, and she credits him with the success she is having in college math now.

One thing I have learned in my life is there are different types of passion people can have.  Some have a passion for music, while my friend Jason has it for math and teaching.  I myself have a passion for writing and helping people become better in their lives; especially in the realm of their spiritual lives.  I love to help people find out who they are in Christ, and what they can do in the Kingdom of God.  Whatever you are passionate about you should go out and pursue, because it is in this pursuit you will find your true calling and what you should do on this planet.

This being said, your passion should never violate someone else’s place in the world.  In other words, if you are passionate about golf, but refuse to go to work and provide for your family because you are trying to make it on the golf circuit, you might want to reconsider where your passion is leading you.  You should never put your passion about taking care of your family.  Some people allow their passions to drive them to places they shouldn’t go, which results in destroying their lives.  Drugs and alcohol can do this. 

The passion I’m talking about should drive you to do great things, and in the process help your fellow man.  If we would all follow after these passions, we would see our world end up being a much better place in the future.  Another way to say it is, to follow your heart.  When you follow your heart, and not put your desires always over those of others, you’ll be surprised at how much better your life and the lives of those around you will become.  

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 6 - My Bride

I met Cheryl Holt in 1987 while we were both attending Hillcrest Christian Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Muskogee, Oklahoma.The youth leader got up one Sunday morning and asked if anyone could help drive kids from the youth group to a Carmen concert in Tulsa, and maybe even pay for a ticket or two.

The girl I was dating at the time and I decided we could drive a couple of kids and pay their way, so we made the preparations to go to the concert.  At this time I had seen Cheryl at church, but didn't know who she was, or anything about her.

Well the day of the concert came, and we drove caravan style all the way to Tulsa.  Once we arrived at the theatre and took out seats I looked at the row behind us and sitting on the opposite end from me I saw Cheryl sitting there.  My breath was literally taken away when I saw her, and I remember thinking, "Man I wish I was sitting next to her."

A few weeks later she came into my dad's shoe store where I was working, and purchased a pair of Dexter shoes from me.  I was in heaven getting the opportunity to talk to this beautiful girl after having noticed her at the concert.  I don't remember how many days later it was, but she brought the shoes back. At first, I thought it was because she wanted to see me again, but as it turned out, the shoes she’d bought from me were defective and she needed to exchange them.

I'm not sure how long it was after this, but one night after a church event I helped her return her brother’s truck, and then when she took me back to my car, we sat and talked for several hours about Jesus, our likes, dislikes and what the future held for each of us.  I went home knowing I wanted to marry her and this was the girl for me. Afterwards I would tell people I was going to marry her, but I would ask them not to tell her because we hadn't actually discussed it yet.  

My mom says I chased her until she caught me.  I’m not exactly sure what she meant by this, but the next several months were heaven on earth for me as we dated.  I was never a morning person before meeting Cheryl, but I would be up before dawn and be at her convenience store, which opened at six in the morning, just to spend a little time with her before I had to go to work. To quote Mike Myers’s character from So I Married an Axe Murderer, “I was smitten, I was in deep smit.”

One night all of her family was getting together to have dinner at an all you can eat fish restaurant in Fayetteville, Arkansas and she asked me to go with her.  This was a big event; because it was the first time I was going to meet the family.  We arrived, met everyone and then the waitress took everyone’s order.  I was the only one who didn’t get the buffet and ordered a steak instead.  An hour later, everyone had eaten but me.  It seems the waitress had forgotten to turn in my order.

Well the Holt family wasn’t going to stand for Cheryl’s boyfriend not eating and went out of their way to make sure I got my food.  It was great sitting there with 20 – 30 people talking and watching me eat my food.  It was a great first impression with the family. 

As we drove home,Cheryl said she was too sleepy to be able to drop me at my car and then drive herself home and asked if I would take her home and spend the night.  Everything was above board, me sleeping on the couch and her in her bedroom.  But at the time I was a night owl, and going to sleep at 10:30 for me was too early,so I sat and watched television.

The TV was in her bedroom, and she was all nestled in her bed, while I sat in one of the most uncomfortable chairs I’ve ever sat in and watched Saturday Night Live.  During one of the commercials Cheryl rolled over, looked at me and said, “So, do you want to marry me or what?”  I replied, “Yeah that sounds good.”  And then she rolled back over and went to sleep.  The next day at church I told my friend Cary what had happened the night before, and asked him if he thought I was engaged, to which he replied yes with a huge grin.

Plans were put into motion and before you knew it I was standing in the church waiting for my bride to walk down the aisle, take my hand and my name.  It seemed as if it had all happened so quickly, but now here it is almost twenty-eight years later, and I still feel as if I’m the luckiest man on the planet. I’ve had the opportunity to walk a life out with a girl who means the world to me, still takes my breath away and who I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the two of us as we enter the phase of life of being empty-nesters alone together once more and eventually become grandparents.

My life is a living testament to what the Scripture which says, “He who finds a wife, finds a good thing and obtains favor with the Lord.”  

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 05 - My Friend Jason Kearney

Entrepreneurs; the dictionary defines them like this: a person who organizes and operates a business or businesses, taking on greater than normal financial risks in order to do so.  I like to define them as those people who see things from a different perspective than others, usually resulting in monetary rewards which are greater than just working for someone.  I’ve got a friend who is just this, and I decided today to dedicate my 500 words to him and his business. 

Jason Kearney and I have been friends for close to twenty-five years.  I first came to know Jason when he came into my shoe store to buy shoes.  I was so impressed with this young man I asked him if he wanted a job working for me.  He worked with me in the shoe store for many years, many times people thinking we were brothers more than a boss and employee. 

I’ve always found Jason to be a very talented young man, gifted in his ability to draw and do things creatively.  When we were decorating my son’s room when he was younger, Jason painted a Star Wars space scene on one of the walls, complete with Star Destroyers, x-wing and tie fighters and the Millennium Falcon.  It was so cool; I told him I wished I would have had such an awesome thing when I was a kid.

Through the years, we’ve watched our kids grow, and we’ve both gone on to do other things besides selling shoes, but our friendship has remained.  A little over a year ago, I noticed he was selling beard combs online, and I contacted him to see if we could get together because I had to ask him about this new venture he was starting.

He told me the story about how he started Bedlam Beard Company, and like most stories about how a company began, I found it hilarious.  Jason and his wife Kari were discussing the differences between Oklahoma and her home state of Washington.  At one point in the conversation she told him, “Your state even looks like a comb.”  He told me after she had gone to bed for the night, he began playing around with the idea of a comb shaped like Oklahoma.

Contacting a local company, he took his design to them, and they cut out a few stainless steel beard combs for him.  Setting up and Easy account, and pursuing beard fans on Instagram, he began selling his product.  It wasn’t too long before he was back having more products produced.  Then expanding his company by adding beard oils and mustache waxes, it seemed as if he’d been given a license to print money.

One of the really cool things about Jason, is he loves to give back.  He has sold some of his beard combs to raise money for St. Jude hospital, and was a part of a rally to help cover medical expenses for a child in need.  I read a review just a couple of days ago from a customer whose order got messed up.  Jason sent the customer a replacement product, telling him when he had the actual product he’d ordered was available it would be sent to him at no extra charge.  The reviewer was blown away by the attention to detail and customer service; something Jason has always been great at doing.

I’m very proud of my friend for taking the risk and going after something he feels passionate about.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see him on the cover of the Fortune 500 magazine in the future.  There was a very nice online article written about him, and you can read it here: http://www.johnbranam.com/bedlam-beard-co/

And if you are a fellow brother of the brush, check out his Etsy account and see what this great company is all about.  https://www.etsy.com/shop/BedlamBeardCompany

https://www.facebook.com/BedlamBeard/?fref=ts

https://www.instagram.com/bedlambeardco/

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 04

When my children were little, it didn’t take very much to keep them entertained.  I’m not sure how many hours were filled with a little reindeer hand puppet we picked up somewhere.  I would put the little fella on my hand and in a funny little voice begin to talk to them about whatever thoughts hit my  brain.

Each of my kids has played with this toy, and quite honestly I had completely forgotten about it until the other afternoon when I was rummaging around in the garage for some packing tape.  I happened to notice the little brown puppet inside a plastic box full of my daughter’s toys from days gone by, and instantly remembered the days of using him to make my children happy.  I’m not sure if he ever had a name, and he probably managed to live in each of my kid’s toy boxes at one point and time.

Isn’t it funny the things we remember, or how our memories work? Before last Saturday when I was looking for a roll of clear tape, I never gave this toy a second thought, honestly even though the memories are locked deep within the recesses of my brain, I would have never even thought about him.  But, seeing him through the clear plastic storage box, and beginning to remember all the times my kids laughed and giggled at the fun we had with him, at once there was a sense of nostalgia, and I had to bring him into my office.

This toy, while getting close to 25 years old probably cost me no more than five dollars back when he was purchased, and what would have possessed me to buy it back then anyway?  Who would have thought a couple of decades later I would find him, and add him to the collection of things important to me in my office?  I guess the thought of my future grandchildren and having fun with them like I did my own kids is why I rescued him from the box of toys.

While I know this blog may be more of a nostalgia tour for me, and not really mean that much to you the reader, I would ask you, is there anything in your life which you might want to hold onto because of the good memories attached to it?  Do you think this is where hoarding begins? 

As I put the puppet back on my hand, memories of my kids as little children replayed in my mind like watching an old eight millimetre home movies, I kind of felt like Clark Griswold watching home movies in his attic on that cold winter morning in the movie Christmas Vacation.  It kind of made me long for those days when my children still lived at home.

And while you can never go back, except in your memories, this little puppet helped to take me back to a great time in my life.  Being a dad, and playing with my kids was one of the highlights of my life, a time when I am pretty sure I was living a full life, even though at the time it just seemed to be a minute here and a minute there.

I’m pretty sure all those times I have played with this little guy; entertaining my children, I never had any idea of what this furry little puppet would mean to me later on in my life.  He’s got a place of honor in my office now, and who knows, in the years to come maybe he will help me bring smiles and giggles to my grandchildren too.

Well until tomorrow, for the Kingdom and the King!

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 03

It’s a curious thing living life on a planet where the individuals are allowed to make their own minds up about stuff.  It’s even more interesting in an election cycle.  This year has probably been no different than any other time in history with one exception; there are truly no candidates who are worth my vote.

You may call me a bad American, or a non-patriot, but really neither of these descriptions is accurate descriptions of who I am.  I consider myself a patriot, and I’m definitely an American (born and raised in the great state of Oklahoma).  But truthfully when I went to vote in the Presidential primary a few weeks ago, it almost seemed as if it were an obligation instead of the privilege it is for me as an American.  There was part of me which only voted because I feel, if you don’t vote, you have no right to complain after the fact.

I remember once when I owned my shoe store, there was this older fellow who came into the store looking for a pair of shoes.  It was right after a Presidential election, and moods were extremely high and volatile on both sides of the vote.  And while I do have opinions, I always chose to keep them to myself and did my best to remain neutral when talking to customers; after all I was trying to sell them something and not sway their political belief.

This gentleman obviously had not decided to keep his beliefs to himself, and went on to tell me how America was doomed now this new guy was in office.  This went on for almost an hour, and when I’d finally had enough I commented, “It’s just a shame more people didn’t at least vote against him.”  The man’s reply was, “I didn’t even vote, what’s the point?”

I realized I might lose a customer, but I couldn’t contain myself.  I asked him what right he had complaining about anything if he didn’t even bother to go vote, and too many men and women had died for us to have this privilege (and that’s what it is – a privilege, not a right) to place men and women in office.  I actually said, “Shame on you.”

The man quickly shut up, and left the store.  I believe he left in shame, not anger, but who’s to say?  Regardless it really rubbed me the wrong way, and I’ve made it a point to go vote ever since, even in the smallest elections.  If we want to effect change in our society, one of the ways we can do this, is by participating in the electoral process.

Like I said earlier, I don’t really believe any of the candidates running for office are likely to warrant my vote, but I will vote none the less, because it is my duty as an American.  What I plan to do, is once it comes down to the two or three candidates running in the actual election, I will begin to research their policies to determine which one most closely aligns with what I believe, and this along with prayer will determine who I will be voting for.

Until tomorrow, strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

Writing Challenge Day 02: Anticipation

Anticipation is great isn't it? Heinz Ketchup told us it was so many years ago in their ad campaigns anyway. But really, it means there is something on the horizon for you. I love the feeling of anticipating something too, there is a sense of excitement which permeates your every thought as you wait; sometimes patiently and others not so much.

 Right now there are probably millions of people anticipating something all over the world. I know my anticipation levels are extremely high right at this moment, and I'm just about giddy with it. What things are you anticipating right now? Or are you at all? Without anticipation, we as humans would live sad lives. It's looking to the future which gives us the opportunity to hope, and hope is very important in our lives.

 Faith is the substance of things "hoped" and the evidence of things not yet seen. What are you hoping for, and if you're not hoping for anything, then why not? If you're not hoping for things, then you’re not going to see them either. We should all be hoping for a brighter future, but we should be doing something to pursue it too. We cannot go through this life just hoping things will happen, some times we have to chase after them as well, you know kind of work to see them happen.

Do you remember when you were a kid and it was Christmas Eve? Remember the anticipation of what you were hoping Santa was going to leave under your tree? Or the anticipation of seeing the looks on your family member’s faces as they opened the gift you purchased for them?  These are some of my favorite memories growing up, and they set the standard for all other things I would ever anticipate in my life.

Think about the story in Genesis which tells of the fall of mankind.  In it, God tells Adam and Eve what is going to happen, and how a man will come to set things right, fixing what they had lost.  But it didn’t happen overnight; God’s anticipation level of the upcoming event must have been incredible, especially as the time grew closer and closer.  Imagine how Jesus must have felt as the day approached too.  It might give us a little perspective when we have to wait.

I love the theatre; live Performance Theater, and yes even musicals.  If it were up to me, all of my life would be a musical, but I digress, let me get back on point here.  As much as I love the performances in theatre, it’s the sitting there before the curtain rises which really brings me the full pleasure.  I have no idea of what is going to happen (even when I’ve seen it more than once), because it is live, and anything can happen.

Life is like this; we wake up and have no idea what the day is going to hold for us.  We could experience either good or bad things, sometimes both.  We plan though, pack our lunches, take a shower and get ready to go to work, but until we step out of our homes we can only anticipate what the day is going to be like.  Frodo quoted Bilbo Baggins in The Fellowship of the Ring saying, “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Anticipation is wondering where we are going to be swept off to today.  Embrace it, pursue it and enjoy the journey, after all, it’s the journey which matters, and not the destination.  Well there you have it, strength and honor for the Kingdom and the King!

31 Day Writing Challenge Day 01 - Short Story

I have taken a writing challenge to improve my craft. The challenge is to write at least 500 words a day. As a way of holding my feet to the fire as it were, I will be posting here for the next 31 days the things I write each day. There will be no rhyme or reason to them; it is just the 500+ words I write. I'd love your feedback too; let me know if any of the things I write resonate with you.  Thanks in advance!

Sifting through the rubble with the tip of his axe, Straghn moved aside the smoldering timbers in an effort to look for something, though he wasn’t sure exactly what it was.  He had come upon this cottage in the woods as he was traveling north towards his homeland, and noticing the smoke it had drawn him like a moth to a flame.  He was hoping though, he would fare better than the moth.

By what was left of the residence, he could tell there was a family which had lived here.  So far he had turned up no remains of any human beings and this brought him a little relief, but it also made him think of his own wife and children back home and with those thoughts he wished he was already there.

This time in history was a brutal one, and men didn’t live long if you were unable to defend your own property.  Straghn’s wife Helga was a strong woman; a shield maiden of his people, and knew how to defend herself with both axe and sword.  It was one of the things which he admired about her, and he knew his family would be safe back in Kattagat while he was gone handling business for King Ragnar.

Feeling warmth through the soles of his boots told him this had happened not so long ago.  The ash hovered just over the ground behind everywhere he had walked, giving it an ethereal and unnatural look.  He half expected Loki; the god of mischief, to show up at any time in one of his many shape shifting forms bringing more trouble on his journey than he had already experienced.

Hearing a crow caw off in the distance he turned quickly looking for the source of the noise.  “Odin is close.” he thought, and muttered a prayer, “Odin, protect me.”  It was just then he heard the low feral growling of the wolf pack at the edge of the woods.  He could hear them, but couldn’t see them yet.  Looking over at his horse, he saw his bow and arrows hanging from his saddle, and wished now he had taken the time to bring them with him, knowing he would never reach them in time to use them against the wolves, he resigned himself to the knowledge this would be a brutal fight.

Deciding on the course of action he should take, he hefted his axe into the fighting position with his right hand, and with his left drew out the knife he carried on his belt, holding it up in a defensive manner.  He had a longer reach with his axe, and would use the knife like a shield against the coming attackers.  Moving out of the rubble in order to get better footing, Straghn watched the edge of the woods for any movement; eyes straining to see into the darker parts. 

It came almost without warning, a long shrill cry like a banshee from behind him.  Turning with lightning quick reflexes honed from countless battles serving King Ragnar, Straghn was shocked to see the woman racing towards him.  Her clothes were burned and tattered, and there was blood on her hands and face.  Forgetting the wolves for the moment, he wondered where she had come from and what had happened to her.

Leaping towards him, she left the ground with her hands outstretched reaching for his neck.  Shocked, Straghn side stepped causing her to miss her target and hit the ground like a thud.  Hearing the air leave her lungs as she hit, he knew he had just moments before she regained her composure and attacked again.  Placing his boot on the small of her back he applied pressure to pin her to the ground, but not enough to break her spine.

She lay squirming under the pressure, calling down curses of all the gods on him for what he had done to her family and home.  He realized this must be the lady of the cottage, and began telling her he was not part of the raiding party.  She screamed curses at him for the death of her family, and he could see she was unable to hear anything he was saying because she was in shock.  Turning the axe over in his hand, and using the wooden handle he hit her on her head; hard enough to knock her unconscious, but not so hard as to break the skin.