It's. About. Time.

I think I could watch anything with Christopher Plummer. Best known for The Sound of Music, the geek in me will always think of Shakespeare-quoting Klingon General Chang from Star Trek VI, eyepatch bolted on to his head and the only guy awesome enough to move while inside a transporter beam.



So it's about stinking time that the guy got what he deserved all these years. Here's a classic moment from The Sound of Music:

And just because I can,

Jeremiah was a Bullfrog

Sorry, this isn't about the Three Dog Night song. And I really don't think Jeremiah was really a bullfrog, no matter how good a friend he was. But he did have some good wine.

Apparently, the original lyric was "Jeremiah was a prophet." But apparently that made too much sense for hippies.

There's a common, recurring theme running through the book of Jeremiah that intrigues me. He really looks like his day's version of the crazy guy on the street corner. God keeps telling him to go somewhere specific and give a specific message to the specific people there. In chapter 26, God sends him to speak in the couryard of the Lord's house and speak to everyone who has come to worship. God gives a message and says to Jeremiah in verse 2:

"Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word."

The word God gives to Jeremiah is basically a curse. In the church.

And Jeremiah gives that word, without omiting any of it. The people of Israel, being the people of Israel, react much the same way the people of Israel react throughout the Bible when given contradictory news: they want to kill the messenger. But then there's someone reasonable to talk them out of it, but this isn't the only time Jeremiah gets in trouble with the establishement. In fact, that's what he seems to do best.

Jump back to Jeremiah's first call in chapter 1: J-man responds with the normal "But I don't know what I'm doing" excuse that Moses and some of the Judges gave. God responds,

"You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them for I am with you and will rescue you."

My first reaction is, "Wait, rescue from what, exactly?" But more importantly is that God protects those who give His word fully and undilluted--even if it contains things people don't like.

Be the Bullfrog.

Video Monday: Dope Zebra

Been taking some time off to get creative juices going. In a bit of a writing funk, actually. But that happens to everyone.

It's Guy Time this morning with Jack, and we just got done laughing ourselves silly with this gem:

First stop..

When Jack has a bad dream or wakes up scared or just can't get back to sleep, I'm his first stop.



This may be by default since I sleep closest to the bedroom door, but I've woken up many times (sometimes not) with little hands pushing on me. I love that he comes to me. I love that all I have to do is hold him and sometimes lay down in bed with him.

Musician Carlos Whittacre at ragamuffinsoul.com has a post today about this, explaining how kids run to find comfort in their parents, ignoring all the things in their rooms that they love. So I'm sharing the link, and the smile.

Best referee calls

The Super Bowl is over. Eli has something to rub into brother Peyton's face: "Nyah, nhay, I got two."

And I want to see what that trophy would look like sitting on Terry Bradshaw's head.

Totally unrelated, other than they're in a football game, here are my favorite refs' calls of all time:

Enjoy!

Wrong

There are some instances where people are obviously doing something wrong and it's okay to tell them.

If you go to a buffet for lunch and then still need to eat dinner, you're doing it wrong.

If you go to the gym every day and get fatter and weaker, you're doing it wrong.

If you look at a couple of presidential candidates and think they're both just too awesome, you're doing it wrong.

These are simple. These are things that, given time and perspective, intelligent people can figure out for themselves. (See how I had to qualify that sentence? Sheesh.)

But we like to point out when people are wrong. It makes us feel right, somehow. Or validated, at least.

I sat in a meeting once as a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Wichita State, and the new head of the writing program encouraged us to not use red pens while grading undergrad papers. He said, "It makes them feel like they're wrong." To which I responded, "But they are wrong."

I don't like using the word "wrong" with kids unless it's about behavior, like hitting or spitting or dangling a Barbie doll by the ankle and using it as a pinata. (Everyone knows to string her up by the neck.) When a kid is trying to figure something out, the word "wrong" makes them think they're, well, wrong. ''

Putting the shoe on the wrong foot? Putting pants on backwards? Using a fork for soup? Coat on upside down? These aren't inherently wrong. And I think it's best to point out that there are better ways of doing things. This gets the kids thinking about their own behavior and choices, instead of shaming them into being like everyone else.

Because who doesn't need a little bit of this every now and then?:

One tough question

Jack has been asking some interesting theological questions:

How big is God? 

Does God have any friends? 

If I climb on the roof and jump will God catch me?

Can I slide down the stairs on a cookie sheet?

Each of these can be answered using either the Bible or Veggie Tales. But there was one that caught me off guard:

What's inner peace?

This wasn't just some random churchy question that I could sing in a children's song, I knew exactly where this came from. These guys:



Kung Fu Panda is one of my favorite movies. I enjoy the humor, the heart, the martial arts, and even some of the darker parts. Part 2 came out on DVD on my birthday last December, which is when Jack first saw it. Do I worry about him trying out the fighting on his sisters? A little. He's actually got all the fights down and now he and Madison do entire scenes from the movie ("You are free to eat." "Am I?!" "Are you?!?!").

The first film does have a very Buddhist message--there is no secret ingredient. It states that there is no external force that can make a person complete. But there are lessons about God in the film, specifically taking Master Oogway's choosing Po as the long-awaited Dragon Warrior. This demonstrates two things: God's own understanding of timing, and that God prepares the ones he chooses, instead of choosing the ones who have prepared themselves, as was the case with the evil snow leopard Tai Lung, one of the greatest students of Kung Fu ever (I think I just sent the geek needle all the way into the red).

But the second movie does deal quite a bit with inner peace, making it more than a subtle message. The quest of first Shifu then Po is to find inner peace, and it becomes essential to the climax of the film. These lovable pandas* had taught my kid about other religions? How dare they!

I racked my brain quickly about how best to answer the question, then gave it, ending with "...and that peace only comes from God." I had my divine revelation, so I expected to see some epiphany light up Jack's face as well.

He said, "Oh, okay," then slid down the stairs on a cookie sheet.


Po is a Giant Panda; Shifu is a Red Panda. Both are native to the far east. Though a bear and a raccoon, the word Panda is not a scientific classification, but a Tibetan word meaning "eater of bamboo." Neither can balance on a stick.