My daughter, Haleigh, receives the award for most Facebook hits in our family this week for this post, “So I just figured out a new way to plump up my lips.... just try my sister's method and eat a random plant.”
She was referring to Annie. Tuesday of this week, Annie was raking leaves in our yard when she saw a leaf of an Elephant Ear plant. In a tweak of Eve’s method in the garden, Annie, age seven, touched the leaf, smelled it, and then she ate. That’s when the swelling began. I was at the office, but according to family members, her lips and face got pretty big.
Judy called Poison Control, which with our children she’s probably always had on speed dial, and they said keep an eye on her, but she should be fine. She was, and she recovered. As a matter of fact, by the time I arrived home for lunch all swelling had gone down except for her lips. Frankly, they looked liked the lips of a movie star—like she had injected them with Botox. Abby had the line of the day, “I feel like I am eating lunch with one of Angelina Jolie’s children.”
What is most sad about all of this is, they should have learned from my mistakes. When I was five, Nick Pollard and I were messing around old Doctor Wheeler’s place a few miles outside of Winnsboro. Our mom’s were visiting Mrs. Wheeler for some reason, so we went exploring.
We saw a bunch of Elephant Ears plants, and thought they were wild spinach. Now, keep in mind, Popeye was THE cartoon during this era. Consequently, Nick and I began chowing down hoping to become stronger. It did not work. Instead of muscles growing, our faces ballooned. Actually, it was traumatic enough I still remember it. I don’t think we could even speak. We just kind of spit out words, slurring them like THE ELEPHANT MAN, no pun intended.
Someone, probably, Mrs. Wheeler, had the presence of mind to call Dr. Wheeler. He said, “Those boys are going to be alright. In a little while the swelling will go down.” And it did.
I have told my kids this story as a cautionary tale. Of course, one, I guess, had to discover for herself. I think I will make up a cautionary tale. “Don’t ever go out and make a million dollars and give it to your parents. It will ruin them...”
Preachers, Would You Rather Be Broadway or Hollywood?
Name a Broadway actor?
I can't either.
Movie actors are more famous.
Here's what’s interesting to me. Movie stars sacrifice their audience. They act for a camera. Yet, their work reaches more people—by the millions.
Broadway actors receive immediate feedback from their audience, yet their audience is severely limited. They impact those in the theater, who see their live performance, and that is it.
In preaching, the size of audience is typically valued highly. The larger the audience a preacher has, the more he is thought to have something to say. Like Broadway, there is something to be said for the immediate feedback a preacher receives from his audience, particularly a large one. Still, the majority of preachers will preach to smaller audiences. A few years ago, the size of the average church was 85.
Here is my word of encouragement to the vast numbers of preachers who preach to the smaller audiences. Never in human history have preachers had an opportunity to impact the masses as today. With the internet, you can impact people all over the world. Your church can post your sermon to where it can be seen and heard, or simply post an audio version. Either way, your potential audience is enormous.
Think of the movie actor who will never hear the applause in the movie theater, yet have his work impact millions. You and he have something in common. And your message can change a whole lot more lives.
25 Reasons Why This Is Most Wonderful Time of the Year
I owe some people at church an apology. Actually, my son does. I found out from his sister he was overheard the other night saying, “Yeah, Christmas! Boo Thanksgiving!” His logic was Christmas had all of the presents.
Monday of Thanksgiving week starts my favorite time of the year. For the next five or six weeks, things will be different. Here are 25 reasons why:
1. There will a different spirit in the air.
2. Enjoying more time with family.
3. Thanksgiving week promises a school break for Judy and the kids as well as two or three days off for me.
4. Thanksgiving day promises great food.
5. The Cowboys play on Thanksgiving.
6. Texas and Texas A & M always play during the Thanksgiving holidays.
7. The Fall leaves are beautiful.
8. Friends will be hosting festive parties.
9. We will experience some cold weather.
10. Our church will spend time singing and talking about how thankful we are for God.
11. Our church will spend time singing and talking about how grateful we are that Jesus came into the world as a baby.
12. Our church will have a Christmas party.
13. We enjoy days off for Christmas.
14. Christmas offers an even longer school break for Judy and the kids as well as more days off for me.
15. Yes, there are Christmas presents.
16. The pace is friendlier and slower.
17. Great movies on TV and in theaters.
18. Traditional holiday specials are on TV.
19. Bowl Games!
20. We get to enjoy New Years’ Eve celebrations.
21. We celebrate New Year’s Day.
22. More Christmas presents!
23. Our church commemorates where we have come the previous year with God’s help. ("Here we raise our Ebenezer"—see I Samuel 7:2-13a.)
24. The BCS sponsors their National Championship Game.
25. After all is said and done, we have enjoyed more family time together.
Those are a few of my favorite things. What about you?
Five things I think I think (a tip of the hat to Peter King for this idea)
1. Seth Godin had a thought provoking blog last week, which I referenced in my Sunday AM sermon. He talked about the way society typically makes decisions from the gut on major issues. Here is a link: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/11/the-amateur-scientist-thats-us.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+typepad%2Fsethsmainblog+%28Seth%27s+Blog%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
2. Saw the movie, THE BLIND SIDE. Good Movie.
3. Here is what I wrote last Wednesday, November 25, "Texas or A & M? With the exception of last year, A & M has been playing Texas so tough the past few years. I’m picking Texas, in a surprisingly close game that will probably cost Colt McCoy any remaining hope of winning the Heisman. That’s okay, though. He’ll gladly take the National Championship." Okay, so I was wrong about Colt McCoy.
4. The Dallas Cowboys may win the NFC East by default. I can't believe the Giants lost to Denver.
5. I don’t think TAPPS (Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools) is going to put this in the Tyler paper, but I received word last week that Haleigh made 2nd Team All State in volleyball as a Middle Blocker. Come on, TAPPS! Am I going to have to be your PR Director? Moreover, they listed her as a senior instead of a junior. Incidentally, I write this simply as a concerned citizen without any prejudice whatsoever.
Have a Great Weekend!
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