State Farm + H.E.R.O = Smart Ad!

Both are winners in this advertising deal. Kudos.

Be the most spiritual and win a cruise

During a recent gasoline price spike, a church made the news for giving away gas cards. Now it seems that Life Point Church in Smyrna, Georgia has upped the ante with its Biggest Looser contest:

"Family and friends will be able to nominate those who have and continue to
demonstrate a spiritually transformed life from May 10th to June 14th. The
nominating person will record a 60-second video testimony of how God has changed
their nominee’s life. The nominating person needs to provide specific
descriptions as to what ways their nominee has displayed godly characteristics
as well as how it has affected the lives around that person."

Even though the web site states that "the winners will be selected...based upon spiritual transformation, not on popularity," it goes on to say that the "prizes will be awarded to the nominee’s [sic] who received the most total votes."

It appears that the church, although perhaps with only good intentions, is using voting and judgment to assess spirituality. Scary.

(Now if the prize were a trip to Fantasy Island...)

I wish them smooth sailing.

Churches and Orchestras: Strikingly Similar

Marketing guru Seth Godin captivated my attention in this blog post which is in one of his books. It struck me that one could substitute the name of any church for the Bowling Green orchestra and worship style/content/format for "music" and the story could turn out the same.

A few of Seth's quotes to emphasize:

1. It starts by understanding worldview.
2. The challenge is now to make it easy for people to tell the story to their friends.
3. If your target audience isn't listening, it's not their fault, it's yours. If one story isn't working, change what you do, not how loudly you yell (or whine).

The orchestra's director is, according to their web site, "known for his unorthodox method of combining classical and popular music on the same program." On his blog he recently wrote about a performance called Beethoven, Barns and Brats:

"Last Saturday night was a first for me. Orchestra Kentucky performed Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in a thoroughbred horse barn. The experience made me wonder whether it was a first for that piece. On a deeper level, however, it begs the question of whether orchestras should bring music to the masses or whether they should wait for the general public to come to them."

Wow, the similarities are quite overwhelming. I could write for days.

However, back to the original article, the orchestra's director fails to address how they keep the traditionalists happy in the process.

Evidently they did.

Thoughts?

2 y.o. Bliss

Although not readily apparent, her parents are more blissful than she
during these moments of absence of terrible-two terror and world
domination.

I just minded my own business

A wake up call for us all comes out of this murder reported in yesterday's AJC.

A watermelon may have triggered the deadly shooting of a 6-year-old boy by his grandfather Sunday afternoon, according to police. ...

Neighbor Rita Whitman indicated there were signs of verbal abuse.

“It breaks my heart,” said Whitman, the mother of three teenagers. “I hate to say this because I feel like we should have said or done more, but there were times we heard him yelling at those kids. The one that he killed, he did yell at him a lot. You did see the occasional explosion of anger. He would just use terrible language, cussing so bad at that one boy.

“I only witnessed that two or three times but I just minded my own business. But I never, ever dreamed it was dysfunctional to the point that there would be violence.”

Are we all minding our own business?

Perhaps we shouldn't be.

An interesting marriage

As seen in Dekalb County, Georgia. Perhaps this is their attempt at
offering a combo deal? Or perhaps they've discovered that if you have
one, you need the other. Government brings us a one-stop shop!

Footnote to All Prayers

Written by Christian apologist C. S. Lewis who was certainly not known for his poems, this one does an amazing job of describing how we overlay what we know onto God, thus effectively attempting to box the unboxable in.

He whom I bow to only knows to whom I bow
When I attempt the ineffable Name, murmuring Thou,
And dream of Pheidian fancies and embrace in heart
Symbols (I know) which cannot be the thing Thou art.
Thus always, taken at their word, all prayers blaspheme
Worshiping with frail images a folk-lore dream,
And all men in their praying, self-deceived, address
The coinage of their own unquiet thoughts, unless
Thou in magnetic mercy to Thyself divert
Our arrows, aimed unskillfully, beyond desert;
And all men are idolators, crying unheard
To a deaf idol, if Thou take them at their word.

Take not, O Lord, our literal sense. Lord, in thy great
Unbroken speech our limping metaphor translate.

I'm watching you Dad -- Video

(Just don't let your kid run around when you're mowing.)

Good Advent Read: Derek Maul's In My Heart I Carry a Star

Rarely have I stuck to reading through something consistently for the entire Advent season. Let's just say, so far so good! Hopefully this post won't jinx my efforts.

I am working with Tampa Tribune columnist, Derek Maul, on a retreat to be held in April. In November he came out with In My Heart I Carry a Star: Stories for Advent. And stories they are.

Derek has a wonderful story telling ability and is not afraid to reveal his emotions and thoughts in a way that only an authentic style of communication can do. It's not too late to order this book for a read after Advent or even to hold for next year.

Evidence of Bad Parenting

You know those rental stroller carts at the mall? With the prominent
instructions on the back, evidently someone tried this more than once!

Not a good day for Dora

It is not known if this was accident related injury or a form of
capital punishment

Infinite Imagination

The things my children can entertain themselves with for hours upon
hours continually amaze me. This pictured playtime shows 2 families of
foam puzzle pieces enjoying dinner (evidently in a duplex). I will
endeavor to enjoy it while it lasts!

Seen while driving

Peachtree Road. Brookhaven. 8 a.m. Today.

Car in motion. Driver brushing teeth.

I must ask: Why? Were they that late to work? Could it not wait?

And then further curiosity makes me think: Were they using toothpaste? Do they have a mobile spittoon? Surely they didn't swallow their toothpaste.

Talk about multi-tasking while driving...

Things grown ups can do

Heard at the dinner table:

E.: I don't want to grow up.

A.: Yes you do, E.! Then you can cut your food better with knives and drink things that grown ups drink--like Coke.

[whew, she just implicated Mommy and not me!]

A.: ...and things like Daddy is drinking!! (pointing to my beer bottle on the table)

[didn't escape did I?]

This is one of those times when the increased awareness of my children is a bit shocking.

Poke vs. Poop: An Inaugural Blog Appearance by Mommy

Mommy makes her first appearance on this blog with today's post:

"Here's the conversation I overheard at the breakfast table this morning...

A: Mommy, I just poked my eye out.

E: [inaudible response since I was in the other room]

A: No E! [with frustration] I didn't POOP my eye out, I POKED my eye out.

Mommy: [laughing in the other room, assuming that A. really hadn't poked or pooped her eye out]"

OK, thanks Mommy for sharing! Now back to Daddy:

Speaking of poop, the kids have been talking for several weeks about Pooper, a creature that they interact with on one of their play websites and on TV. Several times I tried to confirm with them (for some reason deferring to the authority of 3 and 4 year olds) that they were talking about a real character and not just some imaginary play friend they made up. Yes, the character's name was Pooper they told me. I thought, "what is this world coming to that the media-powers-that-be give a kid's character the name Pooper??!"

So finally last Saturday, E. was begging to go to PBSKids.org to play with Pooper. A little guinea pig popped up and was saying his name was Pooper in a pre-pubescent voice-- I was like ohmygosh, I can't believe PBS did this to me. I mean I could understand if Disney stooped to such, but not PBS-home-of-Mr.Rogers-and-The-Electric-Co.! This creature was obviously designed by someone without kids.

But then Mommy heard it and informed us all that it was Hooper, not Pooper. E. was thoroughly upset and continued to insist that his name was Pooper.

Still, I think the PBS people should have considered another name because he'll always be Pooper to me.

Heard in the house

E., who was intent upon finishing a picture she was coloring, was told that it was time to go to bed.

She replied in her complaining almost whining tone,

"Daddy, I don't want to go to bed every day!"

I felt I was pretty safe in sharing an absolute with her, in this case, letting her know that everybody did every day. (She can wait until at least college to discover otherwise.)

Mother's Day Art

Pre-K Mother's Day Tea

My Wish

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
and each road leads you where you want to go,
and if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
and if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' 'til you find the window,
if it's cold outside,show the world the warmth of your smile,
more than anything, more than anything,

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yes, this, is my wish.

C's First hair cut

Fun at the Fair