I hope that everybody gets the opportunity to enjoy the extra hour provided by our annual change from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time. I know that there is all kinds of documentation to show actual energy use and savings by being on DST and that the dark months of winter have the least amount of savings, but it still seems silly to change back and forth.
Here is a site with a little history, a little documentation and some little known facts.
I, for one, plan on an extra hour of sleep. God knows I can use it. Hopefully the internal body clock won't mess up my intentions by popping the ol' peepers open an hour or so before the alarm gives me the official "time to get up" signal.
Enjoy the waning moments of DST. Beginning tomorrow, the sun sets early in the evening.
John
Saturday, November 03, 2007
Thursday, November 01, 2007
You Get Out of It--What You Put into It
How many times have you heard that phrase? I even hear it about church. Somebody will say that they just don't get anything out of church or that they can't get into church. And then somebody else will respond with that worn out phrase--"you get out of it what you put into it!"
Here's my take--"It's not about you!" We are not supposed to be going to church for we can get out of it. We are there to worship God. It is all about giving of ourselves and expecting nothing in return. We are to worship Him because He is worthy of our worship. It is not about the kind of music we like. It is not about the kind of preaching we like. It is not about the programs available for our kids or for ourselves. It is about God (Period)
I'm not saying that you won't come away without a blessing. It is the nature of God to bless those that come into His presence for worship.
Years ago there was a man at our church named Gil Mitchell. I used to wonder how much chewing gum Gil bought each week. Every Sunday he had enough gum to give a stick to every child that said "Hi" to Mr. Gil. You didn't have to ask Gil for gum. If you said good morning to him, he would respond with a "good morning, sweetie" (didn't matter if you were a boy or girl) and hand you a piece of chewing gum. If Gil was talking to another adult, the kids would wait patiently for him to finish. (Interrupting was not going to get you your gum any faster.) Often, Gil might keep right on talking as he reached into his pocket and handed out the gum. The kids would offer their quick thank you's and be on their way. For a kid at Hopedale Baptist Church, being in the presence of Gil Mitchell meant getting blessed with a stick of good ol' Wrigley's Doublemint.
I think that Gil has given us a wonderful picture of God. If we will honor Him with our worship; if we will acknowledge His presence; we will always come away with a blessing. If we can come without seeking His gifts (without seeking His hands) but rather seeking His face (His presence) then I believe that we will be truly blessed.
The next time that you go to church how about trying not to get anything out of it? Try not asking God for anything--not for yourself; not for somebody else. There will be another time for that. Come only to worship; only to give; only to honor the Creator; only to praise God. If you would care to share your encounter with Him, I'd love to hear about it.
John
Here's my take--"It's not about you!" We are not supposed to be going to church for we can get out of it. We are there to worship God. It is all about giving of ourselves and expecting nothing in return. We are to worship Him because He is worthy of our worship. It is not about the kind of music we like. It is not about the kind of preaching we like. It is not about the programs available for our kids or for ourselves. It is about God (Period)
I'm not saying that you won't come away without a blessing. It is the nature of God to bless those that come into His presence for worship.
Years ago there was a man at our church named Gil Mitchell. I used to wonder how much chewing gum Gil bought each week. Every Sunday he had enough gum to give a stick to every child that said "Hi" to Mr. Gil. You didn't have to ask Gil for gum. If you said good morning to him, he would respond with a "good morning, sweetie" (didn't matter if you were a boy or girl) and hand you a piece of chewing gum. If Gil was talking to another adult, the kids would wait patiently for him to finish. (Interrupting was not going to get you your gum any faster.) Often, Gil might keep right on talking as he reached into his pocket and handed out the gum. The kids would offer their quick thank you's and be on their way. For a kid at Hopedale Baptist Church, being in the presence of Gil Mitchell meant getting blessed with a stick of good ol' Wrigley's Doublemint.
I think that Gil has given us a wonderful picture of God. If we will honor Him with our worship; if we will acknowledge His presence; we will always come away with a blessing. If we can come without seeking His gifts (without seeking His hands) but rather seeking His face (His presence) then I believe that we will be truly blessed.
The next time that you go to church how about trying not to get anything out of it? Try not asking God for anything--not for yourself; not for somebody else. There will be another time for that. Come only to worship; only to give; only to honor the Creator; only to praise God. If you would care to share your encounter with Him, I'd love to hear about it.
John
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Happy Halloween
Well I guess it's time for me to weigh in on the question of celebrating or participating in Halloween.
Personally, I've always chuckled at churches that offer a "Halloween Alternative" event. They usually call it something different like Harvest Festival, Fall Festival or some other seasonal name. But if it is on the 31st, kids will come in costume and expect and receive lots of candy. Many churches (Hopedale included) offer the community a safe and convenient environment for the kids to "Trick or Treat." Regardless of what you call it or what activities you have, if you have it on the 31st of October the public perception is that it is for Halloween.
For the religious fundamentalists that are opposed to participating in this pagan holiday, I say that we are only getting what we have asked for. When the Church moved the religious holiday (holy day) of All Saints Day to coincide with the Celtic New Year, they had to know that the traditions of one holiday would blend with the traditions of the other. We run into the same type of situations at Christmas time. Many of our traditions are rooted in pagan practices--including the time of year that we celebrate.
The Apostle Paul tells us that we should not be a stumbling block to others. Sometimes I think that our self-righteous arrogance is the biggest stumbling block that we throw out there. My suggestion is to have fun, love others, and live as you believe Jesus would.
John
Personally, I've always chuckled at churches that offer a "Halloween Alternative" event. They usually call it something different like Harvest Festival, Fall Festival or some other seasonal name. But if it is on the 31st, kids will come in costume and expect and receive lots of candy. Many churches (Hopedale included) offer the community a safe and convenient environment for the kids to "Trick or Treat." Regardless of what you call it or what activities you have, if you have it on the 31st of October the public perception is that it is for Halloween.
For the religious fundamentalists that are opposed to participating in this pagan holiday, I say that we are only getting what we have asked for. When the Church moved the religious holiday (holy day) of All Saints Day to coincide with the Celtic New Year, they had to know that the traditions of one holiday would blend with the traditions of the other. We run into the same type of situations at Christmas time. Many of our traditions are rooted in pagan practices--including the time of year that we celebrate.
The Apostle Paul tells us that we should not be a stumbling block to others. Sometimes I think that our self-righteous arrogance is the biggest stumbling block that we throw out there. My suggestion is to have fun, love others, and live as you believe Jesus would.
John
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Halloween--Did you know?
Having grown up in a Catholic home, I always associated Halloween with All Saints' Day. It turns out that I was only partially correct.
The actual origins of Halloween go back to a time several hundred years before the Catholic Church had an All Saints' Day. It wasn't until the mid 700's that Pope Gregory III moved the feast day to November 1.
2000 years ago, the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) was held. They celebrated their New Year on November 1. It was the end of the harvest, the days had grown short and it was time to begin anew. They believed that as one year ended and another began the world of the dead and the world of the living came close together. Sawhain was October 31. They believed that ghosts would return to the earth and blamed these nocturnal visitors for damages to their fields, homes and anything else that was worthy of blaming an unseen visitor for. The Druid priests used this time to consult the dead to make predictions for the coming year. They would build a huge fire. Animals were sacrificed to gain the attention of the spirit world. The priests would wear costumes of animal skins and tell fortunes. As the night ended, fire from the sacred bonfire was used to light the fires in the homes. This would bring good fortune to the home throughout the cold, dark winter.
Some believe that the Church moved the All Saints' Day date to November to place a similar feast day near the popular pagan holiday. The eve of All Saints' Day, or the Eve of All Hallows, or All Hallows' Eve, later became known simply as Halloween.
There is evidence that the dates may have at one time been spring dates, but it is generally held that the above festivals and feast days are the beginnings of our modern day Halloween.
So should churches and Christians participate in this holiday with pagan roots and ghoulish practices? I guess that's a matter for another post.
John
The actual origins of Halloween go back to a time several hundred years before the Catholic Church had an All Saints' Day. It wasn't until the mid 700's that Pope Gregory III moved the feast day to November 1.
2000 years ago, the Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in) was held. They celebrated their New Year on November 1. It was the end of the harvest, the days had grown short and it was time to begin anew. They believed that as one year ended and another began the world of the dead and the world of the living came close together. Sawhain was October 31. They believed that ghosts would return to the earth and blamed these nocturnal visitors for damages to their fields, homes and anything else that was worthy of blaming an unseen visitor for. The Druid priests used this time to consult the dead to make predictions for the coming year. They would build a huge fire. Animals were sacrificed to gain the attention of the spirit world. The priests would wear costumes of animal skins and tell fortunes. As the night ended, fire from the sacred bonfire was used to light the fires in the homes. This would bring good fortune to the home throughout the cold, dark winter.
Some believe that the Church moved the All Saints' Day date to November to place a similar feast day near the popular pagan holiday. The eve of All Saints' Day, or the Eve of All Hallows, or All Hallows' Eve, later became known simply as Halloween.
There is evidence that the dates may have at one time been spring dates, but it is generally held that the above festivals and feast days are the beginnings of our modern day Halloween.
So should churches and Christians participate in this holiday with pagan roots and ghoulish practices? I guess that's a matter for another post.
John
Too Much Regulation
In years past, our church has had a fall event called "Trunk or Treat." It provides a family friendly place to bring kids on Halloween. Members that choose to participate back their cars into a large circle in the parking lot. The trunks are opened and filled with candy for our guests. Many of the cars are decorated with prizes given to the best.
We have had a chili cook-off and pie baking contest and our guests have been able to agree or disagree with the judges picks by sampling for themselves (free of charge, of course). There is face painting, cotton candy, hot chocolate, coffee and corn dogs...all under the big tent.
This year's event will be minus two of the favorite activities...the chili cook-off and pie baking contests. It seems that the government has decided that these events can only take place if all of the cooking/baking/preparing is done at the church kitchen! The church kitchen has to meet health code standards because of the Wee Hope Daycare.
Now I know that there are other events taking place around the area that have not yet met with this governmental bureaucracy. More power to them. I also know that it's only a matter of time. Last May's Community Day was also restricted by not allowing us to use homemade cookies for desserts. I guess I'm a little confused about the standard being applied and why.
At the local farmer's market, you can bring in homemade products and sell them without any health restrictions. Let the buyer beware. At our church event, you cannot give that same products away for free--even if they are prepared by the same people in the same kitchens. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, cheerleaders, bands, etc. can have bake sales at the Wal-Mart entrance. What's the difference? If the government is truly looking out for the health and well being of our society, perhaps we can create a bureaucracy large enought to inspect all of our homes. (or at least sign a bill to provide health care for our poorer families!)
Am I just being cynical or is this a government agency that has too much power and too little to do? Or maybe I was just lookng forward to a bowl of chili and piece of pecan pie.
That's my rant for the day. Have a nice weekend.
John
We have had a chili cook-off and pie baking contest and our guests have been able to agree or disagree with the judges picks by sampling for themselves (free of charge, of course). There is face painting, cotton candy, hot chocolate, coffee and corn dogs...all under the big tent.
This year's event will be minus two of the favorite activities...the chili cook-off and pie baking contests. It seems that the government has decided that these events can only take place if all of the cooking/baking/preparing is done at the church kitchen! The church kitchen has to meet health code standards because of the Wee Hope Daycare.
Now I know that there are other events taking place around the area that have not yet met with this governmental bureaucracy. More power to them. I also know that it's only a matter of time. Last May's Community Day was also restricted by not allowing us to use homemade cookies for desserts. I guess I'm a little confused about the standard being applied and why.
At the local farmer's market, you can bring in homemade products and sell them without any health restrictions. Let the buyer beware. At our church event, you cannot give that same products away for free--even if they are prepared by the same people in the same kitchens. Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, cheerleaders, bands, etc. can have bake sales at the Wal-Mart entrance. What's the difference? If the government is truly looking out for the health and well being of our society, perhaps we can create a bureaucracy large enought to inspect all of our homes. (or at least sign a bill to provide health care for our poorer families!)
Am I just being cynical or is this a government agency that has too much power and too little to do? Or maybe I was just lookng forward to a bowl of chili and piece of pecan pie.
That's my rant for the day. Have a nice weekend.
John
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Playing in the Kingdom
Wow! It has been a great weekend. On Saturday, Aaron and his girlfriend, Jenny stopped by to have dinner with us. It was a quick visit but we really enjoyed seeing them. Aaron has plans to come home next weekend because of a friend's invitation to do something. It will be Thanksgiving before we see Jenny again.
On Sunday morning, I was at Living Waters Community Church in Nixa MO. It was their Fall Festival Celebration. After a morning of praising God in song, we had a fun time with a little magic and sharing what the Bible says through the use of illusions. They were set up with food, fun and activities for the afternoon. It is always a privilege to be asked to come back to a church. The staff at Living Waters is great and I am sure that they are having an impact on the community around them.
For the Sunday evening service, I was at Southgate Baptist Church in Springfield MO. I was there to talk to them about what their role will be on Halloween night. That will be their annual Fall Festival and they expect 800-1000 guests to stop by for inflatable games, activities and lots of candy. I'll be sharing the gospel through magic and it will be up to them to find out if their guests have a church home, believe in God, what they think about heaven , hell, Jesus, salvation, etc. It will be their job to make their guests feel welcome and to encourage them to come back.
Again, a great honor to be asked back to Southgate. I have been there twice for Easter programs, once for a community/church picnic, several times for backyard Vacation Bible Schools and once for a Sunday School Class. They are always an excellent host.
Tomorrow, the work week begins anew. I am looking forward to hearing about blogger Bilbo's trip to Vegas. On Wednesday evening I'll be at Cedar Ridge Baptist Church to do a program for the kids. I'm looking forward to visiting with Pastor Mike and my friends down by the lake. Saturday will find me at Finley Crossings. Pastor David is another great pastoral friend and I'm excited about being asked to share in their Kingdom work.
I hope that your week will be as exciting.
John
On Sunday morning, I was at Living Waters Community Church in Nixa MO. It was their Fall Festival Celebration. After a morning of praising God in song, we had a fun time with a little magic and sharing what the Bible says through the use of illusions. They were set up with food, fun and activities for the afternoon. It is always a privilege to be asked to come back to a church. The staff at Living Waters is great and I am sure that they are having an impact on the community around them.
For the Sunday evening service, I was at Southgate Baptist Church in Springfield MO. I was there to talk to them about what their role will be on Halloween night. That will be their annual Fall Festival and they expect 800-1000 guests to stop by for inflatable games, activities and lots of candy. I'll be sharing the gospel through magic and it will be up to them to find out if their guests have a church home, believe in God, what they think about heaven , hell, Jesus, salvation, etc. It will be their job to make their guests feel welcome and to encourage them to come back.
Again, a great honor to be asked back to Southgate. I have been there twice for Easter programs, once for a community/church picnic, several times for backyard Vacation Bible Schools and once for a Sunday School Class. They are always an excellent host.
Tomorrow, the work week begins anew. I am looking forward to hearing about blogger Bilbo's trip to Vegas. On Wednesday evening I'll be at Cedar Ridge Baptist Church to do a program for the kids. I'm looking forward to visiting with Pastor Mike and my friends down by the lake. Saturday will find me at Finley Crossings. Pastor David is another great pastoral friend and I'm excited about being asked to share in their Kingdom work.
I hope that your week will be as exciting.
John
Friday, October 19, 2007
Shooting Stars
This is a great weekend for looking upwards. The peak night for the Orionids Meteor Shower will be tomorrow night (Saturday night/Sunday morning). The best time for viewing will be after the moon sets sometime between 1 and 2 a.m. If you can find a dark area away from city lights, look eastward toward the constellation, Orion. This fall meteor shower comes when the Earth passes through the orbit of Halley's comet.
It has been 21 years since Halley's comet was within visible range of the Earth and will be another 55 years before it makes another appearance. The cosmic litter that is left in its orbit will streak through the Earth's atmosphere for anybody game enough to stay up (or get up) to watch. Peak times should yield around 25 per hour.
The order of God's universe always amazes me. I hope that you have a clear beautiful night for viewing the heavens.
John
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
A Psalm of David, King of Israel
It has been 21 years since Halley's comet was within visible range of the Earth and will be another 55 years before it makes another appearance. The cosmic litter that is left in its orbit will streak through the Earth's atmosphere for anybody game enough to stay up (or get up) to watch. Peak times should yield around 25 per hour.
The order of God's universe always amazes me. I hope that you have a clear beautiful night for viewing the heavens.
John
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"
A Psalm of David, King of Israel
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Fear of Flying
You know, I really don't like this kind of post. At work, I tend to take on extra mid-shifts to keep away from the negative talk and away from the stupid things that management is always coming up with. I guess it's a way of guarding my overall attitude. However, as an active union member, I can't help but be exposed to some of the nonsense that seems to be running rampant in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during the Bush tenure in the White House.
If you've been reading any of the articles posted by past National Air Traffic Controller Association (NATCA) President and retired controller, John Carr on The Main Bang, you already know what I'm talking about. If you haven't read any of that stuff, reading this article may be enough to make you check the Amtrak (the unofficial airline of NATCA) schedule before taking your next trip. I'll tell you that I have known Kevin, Scott and Howard (three controllers interviewed for the article)for quite a number of years and have a lot of respect for them and their dedication to this once grand profession.
If you are planning a trip via the nation's airways anytime soon, check out this site before scheduling your flights. It's put out by NATCA and offers many tips on avoiding delays on your trip.
Sorry about the bummer post. Consider it to be information that's nice to know. I'll try to have something more uplifting real soon.
John
Eligible to retire in 4 yrs, 2 mos, 20 days.
If you've been reading any of the articles posted by past National Air Traffic Controller Association (NATCA) President and retired controller, John Carr on The Main Bang, you already know what I'm talking about. If you haven't read any of that stuff, reading this article may be enough to make you check the Amtrak (the unofficial airline of NATCA) schedule before taking your next trip. I'll tell you that I have known Kevin, Scott and Howard (three controllers interviewed for the article)for quite a number of years and have a lot of respect for them and their dedication to this once grand profession.
If you are planning a trip via the nation's airways anytime soon, check out this site before scheduling your flights. It's put out by NATCA and offers many tips on avoiding delays on your trip.
Sorry about the bummer post. Consider it to be information that's nice to know. I'll try to have something more uplifting real soon.
John
Eligible to retire in 4 yrs, 2 mos, 20 days.
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Family Weekend
Well it's Sunday morning in a hotel room in Columbia MO. Chris and Hannah are still snoozing and I'm enjoying coffee and browsing blogs.
This weekend was the Family Weekend at Columbia College. Yesterday rained nearly all day. I don't know how things went on campus because after lunch we grabbed Aaron and went downtown, then the mall and spent the day as a family. It was really a great time.
During lunch, Dr. Terry Smith came by at sat at our table for a few minutes. Dr Smith is Executive Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs. Aaron, one of five Presidential Scholarship Winners, said it's pretty cool when the Dean knows you and calls you by name. Our conversation some how got around to politics and Dr. Smith told Aaron that he should take his poly-sci class next fall. It's an advanced class that Dr. Smith does in conjuction with a Presidential campaign and will require students to work on a candidates campaign.
We had a fun time visiting some stores downtown. Hannah bought a ring. At the mall, Aaron got a new pair of shoes (I told him he's like a girl with all of his shoes!) and so did Chris (get new shoes, not tell Aaron he's like a girl). We had Starbucks while at Barnes and Noble and managed to make it out with nary a single book purchased! Everybody found books they would like but said they already have too many to read!
We had a wonderful dinner at Macaroni Grill and finished the night back at the hotel with the girls reading and the guys watching baseball--just like home(but not as comfortable).
In a few minutes, we'll meet Aaron for brunch and then head home. It's good to see him growing up and developing into a great young man. I am so proud of him and Hannah. In spite of our bumblings as parents, they have turned out to be well adjusted young adults.
I hope that your weekend was a good as mine.
John
"If you ever start feeling like you have the goofiest, craziest, most dysfunctional family in the world, all you have to do is go to the state fair. Because five minutes at the fair, you'll be going, 'You know, we're alright. We're dang near royalty.' "
Jeff Foxworthy
This weekend was the Family Weekend at Columbia College. Yesterday rained nearly all day. I don't know how things went on campus because after lunch we grabbed Aaron and went downtown, then the mall and spent the day as a family. It was really a great time.
During lunch, Dr. Terry Smith came by at sat at our table for a few minutes. Dr Smith is Executive Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs. Aaron, one of five Presidential Scholarship Winners, said it's pretty cool when the Dean knows you and calls you by name. Our conversation some how got around to politics and Dr. Smith told Aaron that he should take his poly-sci class next fall. It's an advanced class that Dr. Smith does in conjuction with a Presidential campaign and will require students to work on a candidates campaign.
We had a fun time visiting some stores downtown. Hannah bought a ring. At the mall, Aaron got a new pair of shoes (I told him he's like a girl with all of his shoes!) and so did Chris (get new shoes, not tell Aaron he's like a girl). We had Starbucks while at Barnes and Noble and managed to make it out with nary a single book purchased! Everybody found books they would like but said they already have too many to read!
We had a wonderful dinner at Macaroni Grill and finished the night back at the hotel with the girls reading and the guys watching baseball--just like home(but not as comfortable).
In a few minutes, we'll meet Aaron for brunch and then head home. It's good to see him growing up and developing into a great young man. I am so proud of him and Hannah. In spite of our bumblings as parents, they have turned out to be well adjusted young adults.
I hope that your weekend was a good as mine.
John
"If you ever start feeling like you have the goofiest, craziest, most dysfunctional family in the world, all you have to do is go to the state fair. Because five minutes at the fair, you'll be going, 'You know, we're alright. We're dang near royalty.' "
Jeff Foxworthy
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Lol :)
My wife has a funny sense of humor. Last night she said, "What do you think it was like for the first person that laughed? How did they know that what they were laughing at was funny? and What was their reaction to the sound that they made?" Weird, huh?
Well it made me start thinking about how kids develop their own sense of humor and about how many different laughs there are. Why is it that some things appear to be funny to us and not to others? How much of it depends on our perspective and how much is just funny?
Picture a man about 6 ft tall (around 1.8 meters). He has a large forehead that is emphasized by a receding hairline. Now picture seeing him from a two year old's height. I was with Hannah in the church kitchen when this happened . She just started giggling. So I asked, "What's so funny?" She pointed right at the guy's head and said in a loud, giggling two year old voice, "Daddy, that man's head's too big!"
I'm sure that from her perspective, it was. Heck, I look the guy right in the eye and could say that he had a big head. But why was it funny?
When Aaron was only a few months old, he would sometimes pretend to be asleep when we came into his room in the morning. His eyes would be closed but there was this big smile on his face. If he wasn't smiling at first, he would be as soon as you said, "Aaron, time to wake up. I think he's still asleep. Should we let him sleep a little longer?" The more we would talk about "waking him" the harder he would pretend to be asleep with only that big smile to give him away. Again, how did he know that was funny?
And why is it funny when people are clumsy and hurt themselves? I remember once when a boss of mine walked right into a sliding glass door that he thought was open. Oh my gosh! It was all I could do to keep from laughing. Or the time that Hannah and I were out with the horses and the young gelding got out from under me. There I am lying flat on my back in the pasture with the wind knocked out of me when Hannah comes galloping up on her horse. At least she asked if I was all right before she started laughing!
And laughs can be funny, too. From little chuckles to all out guffaws. Some girlish giggles, some hearty ha ha ha's, some that snort when they laugh. There really is nothing like a good sustained laugh to clear the body, mind and spirit of what ever ails you. And laughing is contagious! I hope that you have the opportunity to laugh today. Make it cleansing laugh. Even if life has you down a bit, fight back with a good laugh.
And when you're finished, after you've caught your breath and regained your composure, come back here and tell me why you thought whatever you were laughing at was funny. I really want to know.
John
" The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter."
Mark Twain
Well it made me start thinking about how kids develop their own sense of humor and about how many different laughs there are. Why is it that some things appear to be funny to us and not to others? How much of it depends on our perspective and how much is just funny?
Picture a man about 6 ft tall (around 1.8 meters). He has a large forehead that is emphasized by a receding hairline. Now picture seeing him from a two year old's height. I was with Hannah in the church kitchen when this happened . She just started giggling. So I asked, "What's so funny?" She pointed right at the guy's head and said in a loud, giggling two year old voice, "Daddy, that man's head's too big!"
I'm sure that from her perspective, it was. Heck, I look the guy right in the eye and could say that he had a big head. But why was it funny?
When Aaron was only a few months old, he would sometimes pretend to be asleep when we came into his room in the morning. His eyes would be closed but there was this big smile on his face. If he wasn't smiling at first, he would be as soon as you said, "Aaron, time to wake up. I think he's still asleep. Should we let him sleep a little longer?" The more we would talk about "waking him" the harder he would pretend to be asleep with only that big smile to give him away. Again, how did he know that was funny?
And why is it funny when people are clumsy and hurt themselves? I remember once when a boss of mine walked right into a sliding glass door that he thought was open. Oh my gosh! It was all I could do to keep from laughing. Or the time that Hannah and I were out with the horses and the young gelding got out from under me. There I am lying flat on my back in the pasture with the wind knocked out of me when Hannah comes galloping up on her horse. At least she asked if I was all right before she started laughing!
And laughs can be funny, too. From little chuckles to all out guffaws. Some girlish giggles, some hearty ha ha ha's, some that snort when they laugh. There really is nothing like a good sustained laugh to clear the body, mind and spirit of what ever ails you. And laughing is contagious! I hope that you have the opportunity to laugh today. Make it cleansing laugh. Even if life has you down a bit, fight back with a good laugh.
And when you're finished, after you've caught your breath and regained your composure, come back here and tell me why you thought whatever you were laughing at was funny. I really want to know.
John
" The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter."
Mark Twain
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