Restless

I feel a lot like the dog in this video today.  My sleep was very restless last night as I thought about Youth Ministry and new ideas for connecting and relating with students.  My mind really never shuts off.  One of my latest ideas (I’ll share more on this later) had me spinning all day and all night last night.  I love and hate new ideas.  It’s fun to dream and it’s a nightmare when I can’t stop thinking about it.  On top of it, I’ve got a small cold (Work Your Magic Zicam!).   So… it’s 9 something in the morning and I’m drinking coke and feeling the after affects of a day (and night) of  thinking.   My prayer is this “Dear God, I hope my dreams are you dreams because if not, I just wasted 24 hours.”

I hope you slept better than me and rover did.  ~ todd

Brickhouse Joins Up With Hearts In Motion

This past Saturday (April 4th) bh students and youth coaches teamed up Hearts In Motion coordinators and others from the community to unload two storage units that had been packed from top to bottom & front to back with medical supplies.  Volunteers split into two teams and began unloading the units.  The contents of both units were unloaded and then re-loaded onto a huge box semi-trailer destined for Guatemala.

I was amazed at the height of the boxes, bags, wheel chairs, and walkers that had been piled well over my head in our assigned storage unit.  I found my height useful as I carefully concoured “mount-medical”.  Once we got further back in the unit, teen climber, Jeff Nottingham made his way to the summit where he could help the process along and save us from being crushed in an avalanche of boxes.  It was great to see so many of our Brickhouse teens working together and alongside complete strangers.  We all knew that what we were doing was greater than just providing some medical supplies to impoverished people.  We knew that we were participating in God’s Redemptive Work in the world.  In some beautiful and mysterious way we were partnering with God.  I had the deep since that God was already at work and I should simply count myself privileged to join Him in it.  And I did.

Fool & Be Fooled!

Last night (March 31st.) my daughter Evalin came up to me and asked if she could “speak to me in private”.  This seemed odd to me, but I went along with it.  We got to a “Private Location” and she proceeded,  “Dad, tomorrow is April Fool’s day and we wanna get mom!”  I laughed while I asked, “so, what are you gonna do?”  She said… “We don’t’ know, but you can’t tell mom!”  I made no promises… “you don’t have any ideas?” I asked.  “Well, we’re thinking about covering ourselves in catchup and freaking her out making her think we got hurt or killed or something.”  I quickly shot that one down, “No, you can’t do that one.” I said, as I thought back to the time my brother and I did that to my mom.  Once my mom found out we were not hurt or dead she nearly killed us!

Anyway… It seemed that my enthusiastic daughters were going to need a little help.  So, I devised a plan… “How about this… I’ll put some runny oatmeal in the ‘throw up’ bowl’ [a huge bowl we use when the kids are sick] and you can come in and tell mom you got sick!  Then you can all say… APRIL FOOLS!!!”  Evalin ran off with to tell her sisters the plan.  My oldest daughter came up just a few minutes later with a mix of laughter and pride and said, “Popa you are brilliant.”  I agreed with her and told her to get ready for bed.

After the kids went to bed my wife asked me, “So, what did Evalin want to talk to you about?”  I told her about the plans the girls had [remember... I made no promises!] and together we devised a plan over our own.  We were tired so we didn’t put a lot of thought into but we decided on an idea and went to bed.

So this morning I did my thing as promised.  There was much laughter and anticipation as the girls immagined mom’s reaction.  Then came the moment of truth.  Evalin was supposed to play the part of the “sick one” but she said, “I can’t do it!  It’s embarrasing!”  So everyone looked to Madelin.  She took the bucket and started off but then turned back and said, “I’m scared!”  So the lot fell on Jaylin (who had actually had oatmeal for breakfast).  She showed us her best “I’m Sick Look” and carried it through to the livingroom where mom was watching some morning TV.   We heard her from the kitchen, “Mom, I’m sick… I threw up.”  Tami played along, “Oh honey, are you ok.  Do you think you need to stay home from school???”  Jaylin couldn’t keep the gag going.  So she cracked up laughing and all the girls rushed in… “APRIL FOOLS” and laughed at mom.

That’s when mom’s fun began.  “You got me girls!  I didn’t see that comming!  come give me a hug.”  All the grils made there way close to mom for a hug and that’s when Mom’s Revenge began.  With a twinkle in her eye, Tami threw back the blanket she had been wrapped in and began spraying the girls with water from her fully loaded spray bottle.  The girls were so suprised.  Everyone tried to duck and cover but no one escaped.

I went back to doing the dishes laughing and replaying the scene in my mind.  It was very funny.  I wish I would have gotten it on video.  It was so much fun playing for both sides.  What a way to start the day!

So… what about you?  Was it Fool or be Fooled at your house, work,  school today?