Embracing

At small group tonight, we covered part of Matthew 16. Jesus talks about embracing the suffering in life and dying to ourselves, becoming more selfless, less self centered.

Why embrace suffering? I think one of the main points is learning empathy for your fellow human beings. Nothing unites us like suffering.

On my way home I tuned into NPR. They were talking to an elderly woman. She is trying to survive on Social Security, Medicare, and Food Stamps. Her housing costs are higher than her Social Security earnings. The only food she has comes from her monthly food stamp allotment and what she can gather from a local food pantry. She’s behind on her rent. Medicare doesn’t cover copays, and neither can she.

She stated that purchasing a bar of soap would be a luxury most months. That hit home. We’ve been donating things like soap for almost a year now to local shelters. I always feel like it’s not enough, or that we’re flooding them with silly soap, but maybe not.

The interviewer went on to ask her about the current state of our country. You see, her parents had survived the Great Depression, and she remembers living through World War II, when times were likely tougher. She said, back then, people pulled together as communities. Those who had more, shared. It wasn’t perfect, but she’s not seeing that kind of thing now, not on such a wide scale, not with such selflessness.

Prodded further she shared that she believed we’ve undergone too wide of a disconnect between the ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’. She said we’re too afraid of one another. Neighbors don’t even check in on neighbors. Fear of so many things, terrorism, violence, money scams, holds us back from helping one another.

I couldn’t help but think, this was exactly what Jesus was talking about. We fear the suffering. As a friend of mine would say, we insulate ourselves, comfort our own lives.

Because we have not suffered along side the have-nots, we have a disconnect. We lose any empathy. We don’t want to see other people’s problems because we seem to think that trouble might be contagious.

I don’t think Jesus was necessarily saying that those that have plenty should give it all up so they can understand the poor. I think he was saying that, when trouble hits, learn from it. When it hits other people, come along side them, not just to help, but to learn and experience it. Learn to have that empathy so you’re not afraid but empowered to give when and what you can. I think empathy kills off some of that fear too. In its absense, love and community can grow. It would be nice to live in a world where a 50¢ bar of soap isn’t a luxury.

Randomness: Freedoms, Insecurities incited by my wife, Olsen family…

• The Olsen twins have siblings? And someone allows them to be stars too? Do they need more money?
• Did you know they make all kinds of different milk? If you don't want regular old, from a cow, dairy milk, you can buy almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk that tastes like dairy milk, and non-dairy, lactose free, who knows what's really inside milk too. I haven't tried the last one, but the rest taste just fine as long as you get them sweetened in some way. Plain is… plain.
• My kids love it when my wife and I play video games. Super Mario is especially fun for them to watch. We do let them try to play, but they don't like that as much.
• Let me state this, I'm not a gun person. That doesn't mean that I think everyone should give up their guns or that it should be near impossible for normal people to own them. I totally understand hunting rifles. The personal protection stuff… well, you probably don't want me to get into that.
• Having said all this, I just don't understand why, when something public and violent happens involving guns, it's immediately inappropriate for people to start asking questions about gun regulations. As long as normal, non-criminal, sane people can still buy guns, why can't we talk about making it harder for crazy, felony convicted people to get guns?
• I heard one interview with a gun dealer. He had been coaching people on how to fill out the ownership application. He didn't see how that was a problem, circumventing the safety procedures. I lose sleep over poor grocery store etiquette. This guy doesn't lose sleep over possibly selling fire arms to people that shouldn't have them?
• I guess I feel similarly about violent rhetoric. I believe in free speech. I hate when people start talking about banning violent video games, but I also feel like, do you really want that nagging at you for the rest of your life? Maybe something you said set someone off? The wrong person was listening? Wouldn't it be easier to just not say these things so we don't even have to debate their effect?
• I believe in a Judgement of sorts that will come from God someday. I imagine that there will be tons of people there that we didn't even realize we'd wronged waiting to testify in some way. I imagine that many of these people never even crossed physical paths with us. Our actions have arms of their own don't they?
• I think it's sad that in 2011 the President's wife has to tell us to teach our kids to be more tolerant people.
• I love that current country musicians are writing songs about Johnny and June.
• Some things my wife makes me insecure about:
• I'm often worried that something is hanging from my nose even when it isn't. It likely has something to do with the increased level of nose hair I'm experiencing and it's supernatural re-growth speed. Oh, and my wife always tells me up front when she sees anything out of place in my nose. I actually appreciate that. It just makes me paranoid.
• On many, many occasions, I've returned home from some social event to have my wife ask whether or not I knew that I hadn't used enough deodorant or worn a shirt that clearly was too odorous to leave the house. She does, however, never let me leave the house in clothes that don't match. She catches that prior to my departure. We have to work on the odor thing. I DO SHOWER EVERY DAY.
• I'm always afraid that my clothes look too "eighties." I think she really means nineties.

Mocking He-man

This is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time.

Critics did call the original He-man cartoon little more than an animated toy commercial, but the critics very obviously never compared the show to the toys produced. Because Filmation cut costs by reusing animation cells, many characters were rarely if ever seen in the cartoon. Some characters looked completely different in animated form because the characters were added prior to the toys being released. The accessories that appeared bore even less resemblance to the actual toys.

The show was actually full of heroes and villains that never saw plastic counterparts. You were more likely to see non-toy characters.

The show was also sugary sweet in a lot of ways. Characters weren't allowed to interact violently or cause injury to one another. Even as a kid I picked up on this. Every episode also had a moral which sometimes really hindered an otherwise interesting story line. In the sappier episodes, there would be singing. As barbaric and heavily armed as the toy line was, that clearly didn't carry over into the cartoon.

Random Post: He-man, Pat Robertson, and that annoying Toyota Highlander Kid

• That Toyota Highlander kid, the one that mocks other kids for riding in "lesser" vehicles, I don't like him. I'm not sure how this is a good marketing strategy.
• One of the coolest things I received for Christmas was a classic, 1970's styled pair of Star Wars pajama pants. They rock.
• On a related note: The Iron Man PJ pants someone gave me are like butter. 'Nuff said.
• Bronner's is a Christmas decorations specialty store in our area. Do they have these in other states? We have two in our general area. Anyway, a group of younger people decided to vandalize the place this Christmas causing an estimated $40,000 worth of damage. Not a smart or kind act.
• One of the owners was quoted on the local news the following day. He said that anyone who would attack the spirit of Christmas during this time should be properly punished. I have to admit, in my opinion, in the spirit of Christmas, the owner should forgive the people that did this. In the true spirit of things, he should wash his hands of it. If local law enforcement must punish them, then they must, but one of the ultimate meanings of Christmas, in the true spirit of Christ's birth, undeserved forgiveness seems like the appropriate response.
• My son seems to think we own stock in the Winter Glove industry. I think we're hovering around the ten pair of misplaced gloves mark. You think we'd get smart and only buy one color so we could match up the mis-mates.
• I had an intensely proud moment one day, late last month. In the quiet of the day my youngest son, who is only 3, grabbed a small toy sword that was only about an inch long. He held it high over his head and said, "By uh hour of AySkull! I ave uh Owpurrr!!!" Over the next few days there were many fights in our house over who, in fact, was going to be He-man when both boys were playing together.
• I'm turning my kids into dorks.
• Pat Robertson endorses the legalization of marijuana? A lot of my facebook friends started posting things like, "Hey! Even the Christians are getting behind this issue!" Let me stop you right there, m'kay? As a Christian spokesperson, Mr. Robertson has kind of worn out any semblance of sanity. That was kind of out the door years ago. So, if you want him for your spokesperson, I wouldn't recommend it, but you can have him. I'm pretty sure he's gotten into a bad batch or two over the years. That might actually explain quite a lot.
• Whether or not Christians should support the legalization of pot is a whole other can of worms. I'm just saying, the support of most TV Evangelists isn't something to celebrate.
• As I tell people that my dad bought me a snow blower for Christmas, I've been getting congratulated a lot. It's like I won an award or achieved something. I had no idea.

A Thank You for My Wife

Christmas is much more to me than presents, but I wanted to use this post to thank my wife. Being unemployed limits most non-essential purchases on my part. So Christmas is also the one time of year (other than my birthday) where I might receive some of the things I wasn't able to purchase throughout the year.

My wife did an awesome job this year. I know it's hard for her. She hates getting a list from me. She'd rather come up with original, surprise treasures.

I've always been a collector. Some would correct that statement and say I'm a hoarder.

When I was eight years old, He-man toys hit the scene, followed shortly thereafter by the cartoon series. Both were firmly cemented into my childhood. Nothing makes me as effectively nostalgic as Masters of the Universe.

A few years back, Mattel announced an adult collector's line that is only available online for one day a month offering only one or two items per month. Little did they know, the one day time frame would shrink to around one hour due to demand. Most of these action figures sell out in about 45 minutes, and getting on Mattel's website during that time is a nightmare. Add in my before mentioned unemployment, and any hopes I had of collecting this new line quickly vanished.

Heidi stepped up and bought me two of the lynch pin characters for Christmas this year with He-man and Skeletor.

I also received the Wolfman remake on Blu-ray. As a fan of the original Universal films, I was skeptical when I heard they were remaking this one. I was surprised to find it was appropriately updated with effects, small story adjustments that made total sense, and the acting was spot on. The film stars Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins.

I finally have a Joe Hill novel in my possession. Hill is a pen name. He didn't want his famous father's name to drive his career. I'm not so sure you can escape a name like Stephen King however, especially in the horror novel business.

I also have Stuff Christians Like, a funny look at stereotypical Christian behaviors.

Our parents and siblings went a bit overboard this year too. The best part about the special day was getting to spend time with everyone. No one had to work. We didn't rush from house to house. There was warmth and familiarity.

Horror Fans and the Holidays

There are tons of Holiday themed horror flicks out there, but few are actually worth watching. None work on both levels, though some of the holiday movies being produced today could easily qualify as horrifying (Santa Paws anyone?).

If the monster in a horror movie is a snowman, Jack Frost, or Santa Claus, prepare yourself for the silliest wastes of time you've ever encountered. Some folks are into that type of thing, movies that are fun to watch for their unintended laugh factor. The movie where Michael Keaton plays a deceased father that turns into a snowman enabling him to learn the value of his surviving son is scary in description alone.

If I had to recommend a few movies, I'd have to push the following:

1972's Tales from the Crypt features a young Joan Collins in its first segment. She plays a wife and mother who gets away with the perfect crime… in a way. This might make you think twice about teaching your kids about Santa Claus or teaching them how to open doors and windows.

The original Black Christmas from 1974 is a perfect horror movie. Pre-dating the slasher onslaught of the eighties, the film avoids most of Hollywood's trappings and delivers a film that's not afraid to leave a bit of mystery in its mayhem. It's also a great 'who done it.' More holiday chill than cheer and full of seventies Christmas decorations and fashions. Avoid the 2006 remake at all costs. They attempt to take all of the mystery away in a very, very lame way.

Let the Right One In isn't exactly a holiday themed film. I caught it in the summer of 2009 at my local Art Institute. The beautiful Winter cinematography plunges you into the film's stark setting perfectly. If you haven't caught this one yet, wait for the rumored upcoming DVD re-release with the original subtitles. They add a little nuance that might be lacking from the current DVD. Note the photo of the fire angel - ouch.

Long Overdue Random Post

• I know. It's been a while. I've been studying.
• When Halloween drops, the holidays just seem to arrive faster and faster every year.
• What's going on with my eyebrows? I'm not even fully adjusted to all the hair growing where it shouldn't. Now, the hair that is supposed to be there is getting unruly.
• Victoria's Secret sells sweaters? Do they have a lot of holes in them? Strategic holes?
• Owen said to me one day that he wanted to be in the other morning Kindergarden/Early Fives class because there's a girl in that class that he likes. He doesn't know her name, but she has brown hair.
• On another day, he told me that he would be growing up soon, and then there would be two papas in our household. And when Gage gets older, there'll be three. I explained that he would likely get married and have children before we would consider him a "papa."
• "Well, who would I marry?," was his response. I explained he would likely 'like' a girl at some point. He said that he already likes a girl, but he also likes some boys but not in the same way. He then supposed he'd marry Kendal, a girl in his class.
• I think Toys 'R' Us should be the first store that allows you to checkout via a microchip in the back of your head. For a store filled with such fun things, their checkout lines always seem to dial up my aggravation level.
• We were in Genesee Valley Mall yesterday (the biggest, most popular mall in our immediate area). It wasn't very busy. There are a lot of empty stores there, and of the few that remain, fewer are very popular. Santa Claus was the biggest draw.
• I started thinking about twenty years ago. I was sixteen. Back then, it was a rare thing to visit the mall. We lived in Lapeer, and we might make it out to Genesee Valley once a year during the back-to-school season. Flint and Genesee County were pretty foreign to me, but my parents entrusted me with the car. I filled it with friends and a few cousins from out of town. I remember the mall being crazy. People were shoulder to shoulder in the hallways. The stores were full of things you couldn't find anywhere else.
• The mall used to be an event. Now, it's just sad.
• Trick or Treating on the 30th because it's a Saturday… lame.
• Chuck E. Cheese has really went down hill. I know they had an increase in violence a few years back when they decided to serve alcohol (by the way, WT?). They replaced/updated their animatronics with versions that look like they came from the sixties, which doesn't really make any sense. They're less cartoony than the old ones.
• Why don't fast food restaurants have recycling bins?
• I decided I wanted to be an artist in the first grade, Owen decided in Early Fives (with no input from me).
• "We're here to laugh at the odds and live our lives so well that Death will tremble to take us." Charles Bukowski
• Gage calls Santa Claus, "Ho-Ho-Ho."
• Sometimes it's just Gage's timing that amazes us when it comes to his ever increasing vocabulary. While taking a vision test last week, he seems to get bored and simply answers, "I don't know." We've never heard him say the phrase prior. "No way" has also come up.
• I heard an interesting perspective on the parcel bombs that someone in Yemen tried to send our way. If the bombs had detonated, they'd likely kill 8-10 people. The entire country would have been in an uproar (which I'm not saying is in any way wrong), but on the other hand, we seem to lack a certain amount of outrage at the estimated 1500 homicides that occur in our country every year.
• There may be photos of me with cheerleaders somewhere out there. It really wasn't my intention.