So one of the last things I wrote on here was about Dora the Explorer and how there were some things about it that just made me go "Hmmm." Well here is a little bit of a follow up to that post for you.
Top 10 Signs my two year old is watching too much Dora
1) When he can name pretty much all the characters on the show, but still struggles to say the names of his sisters.
2) When he suddenly screams "DORA!!" when he is supposed to be going to sleep.
3) When he knows the answers to the questions Dora asks, but still doesn't speak in complete sentences to me.
4) When he has figured out how to open both the DVD player and case and can almost work it all on his own.
5) When he cries because he doesn't get to wear the Dora costume around the house.
6) When the first thing he does in the morning is to walk into the living room, point at the TV and say "Dora."
7) When he seems to believe that he can let himself out the front door and roam around on his own.
8) When you are afraid that you will have to have an intervention at the age of two.
9) You start seriously considering the idea of starting a Dora the Explorer support group.
10) When we go to Gran'maw's house and he immediately goes to the movie selection and begins bringing in all the Dora tapes.
Peace and Love y'all.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
An Investment
I have been doing youth ministry now for a long time. Long enough that I could for sure call it a career it seems. I have been doing this for 13 1/2 years now, and most of those have been full time. It has been something that I have loved doing, something that has been full of joy (and a little bit of pain) and has been very rewarding. I have built relationships with students over the years that I am able to still nurture today. These have been an incredible part of what God has called me to do.
In fact I would say that building relationships is the thing that I do best, and it is for sure one of my favorite things to do as far as youth ministry goes. I have learned that it is well worth it to invest in the lives of these young people. I have learned that that is one of the key elements to doing this job. It is that willingness to pour oneself out into the life of a student that can make all the difference really. Usually I am happy to do this, to pour myself into building these relationships. This I believe is one of the key elements to youth ministry. Many times it is easy to do this, to want to do this. There have been students that I have been willing to pour every last ounce of me into...they were the easy kids to minister to.
But what about those kids that aren't as easy to pour in to? Sadly, I can say that I have dealt with this in the past. There have been kids that I have had in my youth groups that I, for one reason or another, just didn't want to take the time to really invest in. I didn't pour myself out as willingly as I did with other kids. I know that there are these kids in every single youth group. For some reason there is just something about them that doesn't click with me and it is a struggle for me to be willing to invest myself into that kid. Why does this happen? Shouldn't I be willing to pour myself in to every student regardless?
I wonder if this was ever something that Jesus dealt with? Were there times when He and the 12 would be traveling and make camp for the night and Jesus would look around and think "Man, I really hope Andrew doesn't want to hang out tonight, because I know he stepped in a pile of something back there and I can still smell it." I wonder if he ever thought about things like this with Judas, especially as the end drew closer? Somehow, even if the thoughts and ideas occurred to him, I doubt that Jesus acted on them. I find it hard to believe that Jesus didn't invest as equally as he could into all 12, no matter what they may have stepped in to.
In the end, it is about taking an interest in kids and their lives. It is about investing myself in others even when it means that I don't really want too. I know that when I take time to be interested in the students' lives, the reward will be far greater than anything else I can do. Peace and Love y'all.
In fact I would say that building relationships is the thing that I do best, and it is for sure one of my favorite things to do as far as youth ministry goes. I have learned that it is well worth it to invest in the lives of these young people. I have learned that that is one of the key elements to doing this job. It is that willingness to pour oneself out into the life of a student that can make all the difference really. Usually I am happy to do this, to pour myself into building these relationships. This I believe is one of the key elements to youth ministry. Many times it is easy to do this, to want to do this. There have been students that I have been willing to pour every last ounce of me into...they were the easy kids to minister to.
But what about those kids that aren't as easy to pour in to? Sadly, I can say that I have dealt with this in the past. There have been kids that I have had in my youth groups that I, for one reason or another, just didn't want to take the time to really invest in. I didn't pour myself out as willingly as I did with other kids. I know that there are these kids in every single youth group. For some reason there is just something about them that doesn't click with me and it is a struggle for me to be willing to invest myself into that kid. Why does this happen? Shouldn't I be willing to pour myself in to every student regardless?
I wonder if this was ever something that Jesus dealt with? Were there times when He and the 12 would be traveling and make camp for the night and Jesus would look around and think "Man, I really hope Andrew doesn't want to hang out tonight, because I know he stepped in a pile of something back there and I can still smell it." I wonder if he ever thought about things like this with Judas, especially as the end drew closer? Somehow, even if the thoughts and ideas occurred to him, I doubt that Jesus acted on them. I find it hard to believe that Jesus didn't invest as equally as he could into all 12, no matter what they may have stepped in to.
In the end, it is about taking an interest in kids and their lives. It is about investing myself in others even when it means that I don't really want too. I know that when I take time to be interested in the students' lives, the reward will be far greater than anything else I can do. Peace and Love y'all.
Friday, November 20, 2009
Dora, Dora, Dora the Explorer
We have been watching a lot of Dora the Explorer here at the Durham house recently. I don't know what it is about that show that seems to just fascinate my children. Boo was a huge fan when she was young and Puck still watches it most mornings. But it is Little Man that is the biggest fan now. He knows where all the DVDs of Dora are and how to get them out of their cases and how to open the DVD player and the XBOX and try to get them in there. And he will ask for the show by name, although to be real honest at this point if you didn't live with him you would think that we let him watch The Simpson's because what comes out is "D'Oh" and that means Dora.
For real though, I'm not totally sure why it is that this show is so very popular in the 18 month -4 year demographic. I guess that if I were in that demographic maybe I would understand better what it is. As an adult though, I just have questions:
1) Dora is like 5, maybe 6 years old, and yet she runs around all over the place without ever letting her parents know what she is doing. Seriously, we have just recently started letting Boo walk to the post office alone, and it's only one street away.
2) Why is it that they always have to say the Spanish words and then follow it up with the English translation? Not saying that it is a bad thing to learn a new language, just I'm pretty sure that not everyone speaks Spanish. There was an episode the other day where twin brothers, who looked to be Swedish, automatically were able to speak Spanish to Dora. Weird.
3) Is it not weird/disturbing to anyone that Dora runs around with a talking monkey named Boots? Her parents seem to be totally fine with it, but again, it is a talking monkey who wears bright red boots.
4) Dora's backpack is from the same store as Mary Poppins' handbag it seems. I mean that kid carries everything you could possibly think of in that thing: scissors, markers, library books, life vests, ladders, English/Spanish dictionary, rope and stars...and it sings and talks to her too. I usually wear a backpack to the office or when I going somewhere, but her's is truly amazing.
5) Where does she live that every time she needs to go some place she has to cross rivers and climb mountains and out smart a fox that want to steal her stuff? "We are headed to the library to return my books. First we go over the crocodile infested river; nest we have to climb the nearly erupting volcano, and finally we go through the deep dark woods to get to the library." I think I would just keep the books and pay the fines.
6) One thing that might be really nice though would be to have the little insect mariachi band that plays every time Dora gets to a milestone of her journey. This would make it so much easier in the car to answer the question "Are we there yet?" "Have you heard the band yet, has the insect mariachi band marched past us playing the song yet? No? Then we are not there yet are we?"
Like I said earlier, I don't understand it, but for my kids its like baby crack (thanks Jon Acuff for that term). Peace and Love y'all.
For real though, I'm not totally sure why it is that this show is so very popular in the 18 month -4 year demographic. I guess that if I were in that demographic maybe I would understand better what it is. As an adult though, I just have questions:
1) Dora is like 5, maybe 6 years old, and yet she runs around all over the place without ever letting her parents know what she is doing. Seriously, we have just recently started letting Boo walk to the post office alone, and it's only one street away.
2) Why is it that they always have to say the Spanish words and then follow it up with the English translation? Not saying that it is a bad thing to learn a new language, just I'm pretty sure that not everyone speaks Spanish. There was an episode the other day where twin brothers, who looked to be Swedish, automatically were able to speak Spanish to Dora. Weird.
3) Is it not weird/disturbing to anyone that Dora runs around with a talking monkey named Boots? Her parents seem to be totally fine with it, but again, it is a talking monkey who wears bright red boots.
4) Dora's backpack is from the same store as Mary Poppins' handbag it seems. I mean that kid carries everything you could possibly think of in that thing: scissors, markers, library books, life vests, ladders, English/Spanish dictionary, rope and stars...and it sings and talks to her too. I usually wear a backpack to the office or when I going somewhere, but her's is truly amazing.
5) Where does she live that every time she needs to go some place she has to cross rivers and climb mountains and out smart a fox that want to steal her stuff? "We are headed to the library to return my books. First we go over the crocodile infested river; nest we have to climb the nearly erupting volcano, and finally we go through the deep dark woods to get to the library." I think I would just keep the books and pay the fines.
6) One thing that might be really nice though would be to have the little insect mariachi band that plays every time Dora gets to a milestone of her journey. This would make it so much easier in the car to answer the question "Are we there yet?" "Have you heard the band yet, has the insect mariachi band marched past us playing the song yet? No? Then we are not there yet are we?"
Like I said earlier, I don't understand it, but for my kids its like baby crack (thanks Jon Acuff for that term). Peace and Love y'all.
Monday, November 9, 2009
The Big 2 and New Info about Dental Health
So the Little Man turned 2 today. It is hard to believe that this time two years ago, I had welcomed my son into the world. Time has gone by so fast. There have been such crazy changes in that time it's unbelievable almost. We went from being in a "big" church to no church (or ministry job) to living with parents (hard to do as a family of 5) and working for a scaffolding company, to being in a smaller church that has a big heart and loves us and all our children a great deal. God has blessed us in these last two years.
So they say that this is the age where the child begins to want to assert themselves a bit more and they get to be a bit more of a challenge, thus it is dubbed the "Terrible Twos" (honestly, I'm not sure why it is plural). With the girls, this didn't start really until the year after at 3. With the boy, well lets just say he got the memo early about asserting his independence.
It has been so different having him around. He is just something else. A few weeks ago he got me up about 4:30 in the morning and took me to the living room. Once we were there, he turned on the TV, which happened to be tuned to ESPN, and started watching the replay of Boise State and Tulsa from earlier that evening. About a week ago he took me to the living room about 5:30ish. I tried to get him to lay on the couch with me to go back to sleep, but he wasn't having it. Instead, he directed me to the kitchen, had me get him a Pop Tart and some juice, and then and sat on the couch and turned on SportsCenter. He is quite the little man.
I can't imagine my life without him now at this point. He is a very special little boy to his Moma and I as well as to his sisters. We love him very much, and are so happy to get to celebrate two years of him being a part of this family.
Now onto the new info about dental health. For those of you who don't know, I have a tooth that is discolored. The reason for this is the fact that as a Freshman in high school I had it broken in half one day at basketball practice. It has never really been the same colorwise since that day. I have come to terms with this. It seems however that it is something that stands out to young kids. Puck as of late seems to have noticed this. Tonight, as we lay on the couch trying to get her to go to sleep, she started telling me about teeth a bit. Mainly she informed me that if people drink lemonade, that will turn their teeth yellow...like my tooth that I have. So glad to know that that is the reason that the tooth is discolored, it is simply from all the lemonade that I drink. So remember, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, but realize that if you drink that lemonade, it will turn your teeth yellow. I guess that is chance you have to be willing to take. Peace and Love y'all.
So they say that this is the age where the child begins to want to assert themselves a bit more and they get to be a bit more of a challenge, thus it is dubbed the "Terrible Twos" (honestly, I'm not sure why it is plural). With the girls, this didn't start really until the year after at 3. With the boy, well lets just say he got the memo early about asserting his independence.
It has been so different having him around. He is just something else. A few weeks ago he got me up about 4:30 in the morning and took me to the living room. Once we were there, he turned on the TV, which happened to be tuned to ESPN, and started watching the replay of Boise State and Tulsa from earlier that evening. About a week ago he took me to the living room about 5:30ish. I tried to get him to lay on the couch with me to go back to sleep, but he wasn't having it. Instead, he directed me to the kitchen, had me get him a Pop Tart and some juice, and then and sat on the couch and turned on SportsCenter. He is quite the little man.
I can't imagine my life without him now at this point. He is a very special little boy to his Moma and I as well as to his sisters. We love him very much, and are so happy to get to celebrate two years of him being a part of this family.
Now onto the new info about dental health. For those of you who don't know, I have a tooth that is discolored. The reason for this is the fact that as a Freshman in high school I had it broken in half one day at basketball practice. It has never really been the same colorwise since that day. I have come to terms with this. It seems however that it is something that stands out to young kids. Puck as of late seems to have noticed this. Tonight, as we lay on the couch trying to get her to go to sleep, she started telling me about teeth a bit. Mainly she informed me that if people drink lemonade, that will turn their teeth yellow...like my tooth that I have. So glad to know that that is the reason that the tooth is discolored, it is simply from all the lemonade that I drink. So remember, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade, but realize that if you drink that lemonade, it will turn your teeth yellow. I guess that is chance you have to be willing to take. Peace and Love y'all.
Monday, November 2, 2009
The Greatness of Metallica
So I was walking over to the house today around lunch time and the guys at the construction site had the radio going. The song that was playing was "The Memory Remains" by Metallica. Now, I have only owned one CD by Metallica ever in my life, but it was a disc that I really enjoyed. As I was walking and and listening to the song playing, I got to thinking about a few things that I have been informed that Metallica helped to inspire. So this of course got me thinking and wondering what else they may have influenced. So I decided to make a list. Here you go.
1)The Faux-hawk- That's right, believe it or not I have been informed that the fauxhawk was inspired by James Hetfield, the lead singer. I think it was on a day when he had really bad hat hair combined with some serious static electricity. True story.
2) The chin only gotee- Again Mr. James Hetfield is responsible for this look. After being burned in a pyrotechnics accident he grew out only his chin hair to cover the scarring. On a side note, the three little pigs would like to dispute this, claiming they had the look first by the hair of their chinny, chin chin.
3) The Beatles- I know!! It seems that Metallica is so incredible that they once traveled back in time in order to help a little band from Liverpool get their start.
4) The Titanic- Though the great ship was not directly inspired or influenced by the band, had they been aboard on April 15, 1912 they would surely have been able to prevent the great ships sinking by their mere presence.
5) A Cure for cancer, AIDS and the eradication of the H1N1 flu- In the future scientists will discover the cure for these and many other diseases simply by playing all of Metallica's albums backwards. Tipper Gore really was on to something.
6) Mythology- The ancient gods were actually based on the band members of Metallica.
7) The Book of Revelation- It was actually a glimpse of a Metallica show that John saw.
8) Chuck Norris- He had to be inspired somewhere along the line to be as awesome as he is right?
9) The American Revolution- And you thought it was just taxation without Representation...we've already talked about the Metallica time machine.
10) The extinction of the dinosaurs- They just really rock that hard man...and there is that time machine again.
There you have it. My list of things that Metallica is somehow linked to. Peace and Love y'all.
1)The Faux-hawk- That's right, believe it or not I have been informed that the fauxhawk was inspired by James Hetfield, the lead singer. I think it was on a day when he had really bad hat hair combined with some serious static electricity. True story.
2) The chin only gotee- Again Mr. James Hetfield is responsible for this look. After being burned in a pyrotechnics accident he grew out only his chin hair to cover the scarring. On a side note, the three little pigs would like to dispute this, claiming they had the look first by the hair of their chinny, chin chin.
3) The Beatles- I know!! It seems that Metallica is so incredible that they once traveled back in time in order to help a little band from Liverpool get their start.
4) The Titanic- Though the great ship was not directly inspired or influenced by the band, had they been aboard on April 15, 1912 they would surely have been able to prevent the great ships sinking by their mere presence.
5) A Cure for cancer, AIDS and the eradication of the H1N1 flu- In the future scientists will discover the cure for these and many other diseases simply by playing all of Metallica's albums backwards. Tipper Gore really was on to something.
6) Mythology- The ancient gods were actually based on the band members of Metallica.
7) The Book of Revelation- It was actually a glimpse of a Metallica show that John saw.
8) Chuck Norris- He had to be inspired somewhere along the line to be as awesome as he is right?
9) The American Revolution- And you thought it was just taxation without Representation...we've already talked about the Metallica time machine.
10) The extinction of the dinosaurs- They just really rock that hard man...and there is that time machine again.
There you have it. My list of things that Metallica is somehow linked to. Peace and Love y'all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)