Cookie Monster’s Good Friday Message

 

No one likes to wait for cookies.

We all want to enjoy warm, freshly baked cookies. But to enjoy them we must wait for them to cook in the oven. And the waiting can be agonizing – especially if you’re Cookie Monster.

Sure, you can always buy pre-baked cookies. They’re fine. I would never turn down a cookie of any kind.

But there’s something special about the cookies you have to wait for. That’s why Cookie Monster is willing to endure what seems like forever to get his sweet reward.

It’s not just cookies we hate to wait for. Our patience is tested daily in our “on demand” world. We must remember though that good things come to those who wait. Continue reading

Run Onto The Field

IMG_6098Last weekend I ran on the field after a Clemson football game.

You didn’t see it on the news. I wasn’t streaking or trying to tackle one of the players. It’s actually part of the tradition at Death Valley for students and fans to be able to run onto the field and celebrate with the home team after every victory.

We joined arms with the sweaty players who had just busted their tails for 4 quarters to secure a Tigers victory and sang the alma mater alongside them. We even got a selfie with Coach Dabo in the background. It was a fabulous end to a perfect day of tailgating and college football.

Now, I grew up a Tennessee fan and I never thought I’d see myself pulling for another shade of orange on Saturdays. But my wife’s family’s affection for Clemson is pretty infectious. The way the team treats it’s fans is a big part of that. Continue reading

Stop Waiting For God To Call Your Name

IMG_5248It must be one of the greatest feelings in the world to hear your name called to compete on “The Price Is Right”.

I can only imagine the elation running through a contestant’s body when the announcer tells them to “Come on down!” After waiting and waiting they get to be one of the lucky handful of people who actually get to play the game.

Just look at the celebration which took place just the other day as one contestant crowd surfed his way to the stage:

Of course, most of us will never get the chance to be on a game show. We’ll never get the chance to celebrate when an announcer calls our name.

In fact a lot of us spend our days the same way in the audience of life, waiting around for God to call our name. We watch us our fellow contestants have all the fun and hope our turn will come. If only God would call us.

Here’s the thing though: the simple fact that you’re alive means that He’s already called your name. He’s yelling it at the top of his lungs, calling you from out of the crowd and onto the playing field.

If you’re alive, then you’re in the game. You’ve still got a chance to win.

So stand up. Cheer. Get excited. Go crazy. Make your way out of the audience and onto the stage.

The cameras are on. The show’s already started.

Come on down. It’s time to play.

Kid President’s State Of The Union

kpcaptureThe future is scary.

Sure there are a lot of great things to look forward to in 2015. A new Avengers movie. Stephen Colbert taking over The Late Show. Hoverboards.

But for the most part, thinking about the future freaks me out.

Because I know along with all the exciting stuff, the future brings with it the possibility of more terror attacks. More infectious disease outbreaks. More depressing news.

That is, unless we do something about it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j393lNECNGw Continue reading

The #1 Trick To Getting More Treats

FullSizeRender-6Want to know the #1 trick to getting more treats?

Here it is: Don’t expect them to come for free.

Sure – you can get some decent treats in life for free. A miniature Kit Kat is nothing to scoff at.

But if you just go out asking for treats, no one in their right mind is going to give you a King Size candy bar for free.

If you want the biggest and best treats in life you have to pay for them.  Continue reading

How To Win By Losing

In any competition, there can only be one winner.

In many competitions, there is no question who the winner will be.

So if you stand no chance of winning, why bother competing?

Because if you’re anything like disabled dachshund Anderson Pooper, sometimes running the race is victory in itself.

(Click Here if you can’t see the video above)

Sometimes running the race is not simply about winning.

Sometimes God even uses the slowest people on the track to inspire others.

You may not be the winner at parenting, exercising, selling, blogging or anything else you compete at today.

You may feel like a dachshund in a wheelchair who stands no chance at defeating the other dogs in the race.

It’s ok. You’re not always meant to be the champion.

Sometimes victory comes from losing a race which you never thought you’d enter in the first place. 

Disregard your disabilities. Ignore the other dogs on the track. Keep on running the race today.

Happy Friday.

(Credit to Deadspin for the fantastic video.)

Life Is A Maze

Today, the 4th of July, we celebrate the true American heroes – The American Gladiators:

(Click Here if you can’t see the video above)

Not to take anything away from the men and women who fight everyday to protect the United States.

I just don’t think the men and women who fought every Sunday morning on syndicated television defending the gladiator arena get enough love.

After all, American Gladiators taught me an important lesson during my youth: Life is a maze.  Continue reading

When Was The Last Time You TGIF’d?

I want to wish you a Happy Friday today.

After all, I think Fridays are something to celebrate.

Why should you celebrate this Friday? Because the worst fears about this week you had back on Monday did not come true.

Fridays are like the sunrise of the the week. Just as the sun rises on each dark night, the pain of every rough week is interrupted by the hope a Friday brings.

If we can stand strong, Friday will always come.

But as much as we mire in the morosity of Monday, we don’t always celebrate on Friday.

meme Continue reading

How To Turn Hate Into Love

What happens when the commercial you’ve produced to promote your graham cracker company ignites a firestorm over gay marriage?

You turn hate into love. 

Earlier this year Honey Maid released a commercial called “This Is Wholesome”. It depicted a number of modern families enjoying their products including an interracial family and a child with two dads.

(Click Here if you can’t see the video above)

Of course, as everything does on the internet these days, this simple commercial caused some extremists to lose their minds spouting off hateful tweets and emails about the company’s lack of morals.

It’s incredible. The things we work so hard on to share with the world can sometimes be completely rejected. What we planned to be beautiful and inspiring often becomes ugly and falls on deaf ears.

So what do you do when the gift you offer to the world gets rejected?

You do this: Continue reading