Don't Be a Goob!
Howdee....
I hope this post finds you all bubbly and filled with joy. It has been a good week. The Queen survived a few days away from us, and we survived the same. We were definitely glad to have her home.
It has also a been a week of adventures for many of us. I love when the adventures of other are shared to bring a smile or cause one deeper thought and evaluation. We have had a couple of those this week.
First my thought and pondering of the week has been focused on 2 Thes.2:1-3. Here we have a word of council. Yes I know, it is coming from the Bible and when we read such things, I am sure you are saying, "Dad, enough already. I am not falling away, so how does it apply to me?" I understand that. I find myself saying the same thing when I ponder these verses. So, THE KING OF EGYPT (new saying around here), how did I apply it this week? "Don't be a Goob!"
As I have been pondering the ins and outs of this week, the verses of this chapter, and such, I am reminded of a fun little movie, "Meet the Robinsons". My thoughts apply to both the spiritual and the temporal. Sometimes, the shaken mind, troubling spirits, deceit, and such don't start with spiritual matters, they start with the temporal. If we are troubled temporally, it has a tendency to bleed over into our spiritual lives. And what I get from these verses is that it is the little things that we find ourselves being bothered by that grow, build, or are fabricated into something bigger. Note: I am not saying that all of them are fabricated. Sometimes they are real, but in the end, it is how we react to them that make or break us.
Back to our story. Goob was a good kid. He wanted to be successful. He wanted to have recognition for what his part in the game. He gave his all to the game of baseball. He loved the sport. However, he did not seem to get the recognition he pictured would come from dedicating so much time to the team.
He also had a roommate that, like Goob, was obsessed with something in life. Unfortunately, one's obsession had an effect on the other's. Goob was a good guy, he did not want to say anything. He did not want to offend. Maybe he even thought in his own mind that somehow, it was his fault. He just be supportive and that someday it would be his turn. The small thing, just grew bigger and bigger. It completely wiped Goob out.
We all know the result. Goob fell asleep in the game and was given a label in life he did not want. Instead of getting up, dusting off, and making the best of it; he let it become another source of obsession. It consumed him. He was shaken, troubled, and deceived in so many ways. I wonder how many of them could have been stopped if he had just talked about it with his roommate. Would it have gone as envisioned? I don't know. Would it have changed his or his roommates obsession? I don't know. I do know that it would have changed him. He could have chosen a different way to deal with the undesired situation. Once he had talked about it would not mean that he was done. It would mean that a new set of choices would be placed before him and his roommate. Maybe his roommate would have changed. Maybe he wouldn't have. Then Goob would have to make another choice.
Ok, you are saying, what does this have to do with me? Some of you are saying, "Dad, I get it, stop already." But it is more than that. It applies to everything we do. I have the same challenges with this in my life. It is all about that little word that causes big problems, "PRIDE". It is one of the hardest challenges we all face.
Now I am saying, it does not all have to with sports. It could be a position at work, a calling in church, a relationship with a spouse, sibling, or child, a position in the band, a office of election, or any number of other things. It applies to everything we do. The hard part is making sure it does not consume us and/or destroy us. The hard part is that we react in the best way. What is that way? Doing our part and doing it as best we can. If we do, then it will all work out in the end. It may not be the way we would envision it, but it will work out for the best.
I am reminded of a story shared about one of my Grandfathers and an Uncle. I am grateful to be reminded of his advise. My Uncle was approached on summer with a job opportunity. He was excited to not only prove himself, but looked forward to having the pocket change. He worked hard at the job. He built up in his mind what he was going to do with the pocket change. He created visions of how this opportunity would open up so many more doors. He did his danged us to perform well.
At the end of the summer, the job was complete, he was a great success. However, he was not paid for his services. He stewed about it for a long time. At first, he made excuses for his employer. Then he blamed himself, maybe he had not done the job well enough. Then he realized he had and got frustrated. Then he let it consume him. My Grandfather recognized how poorly my Uncle was doing. He ended up pulling him aside to find out what was going on. My Uncle let it all out, his hurt, his anger, he disappointment, his guilt, his blame and such. The words of my Grandfather have stuck with me. He asked my Uncle if he had done his best. My Uncle told him he had given it his all. "Then that is all that matters", was my Grandfather's response. "Your employer will have to deal with his own faults. You did your best. Whether you are paid or recognized for it now does not matter. What matters is that you held up your end of the deal."
I hope that makes sense. There have been many adventures this week where these principles and thoughts apply. I will let you apply them as you see fit. Just make sure you talk about it when needed, don't hold it inside and make it something it is not, and always do your best.
On with the week:
The Queen spent most of the week or a good part of it in the Windy City. It was filled with bone chilly cold, late nights and early morning, and a great deal of sitting in awkward places. She came home very, very, tired. She also missed out on a long night of polo. Games did not start until 5. Not everything went as envisioned, but best efforts were given, the teams played well, and both came out victoriously. In fact, it was a great night of polo. It will be interesting to see how many more of our Hunter friends come over to the Pirate life. I do believe they can be a greater force than they already are stacking up to be.
The Professor had a week full of adventures. They came in the forms of volleyball, head concussions, and Great Clip wanna be's. I have permission to share the latter.
Late in the week, she was wrapping up her day. In fact, I don't believe there were more that five minutes left before the final bell released the minions for the day. It was at this point that one of her young female students approached her desk and informed her that the young man behind her had cut her hair and put the evidence in his desk.
What do you do?
First, she looked to see how bad the clipping was. As it turned out, you really could see that her hair had been cut. Therefore, as not to cause a scene, she asked the young man to join her in the hall.
This is what we got from the conversation:
Professor: Did you cut this girl's hair?
Boy: (pause) Maybe.
Professor: That question was a Yes or No answer question. Did you cut her hair?
Boy: (pause) Yes.
Professor: Why did you cut her hair:
Boy: I wanted to see what would happen if I boiled it?
Professor: Did she give you permission to cut her hair?
Wait! Did you hear what he said? He cut her hair because he wanted to know what would happen if he boiled it. Where are you going with this? Sorry, you know me. I have throw in questions while the story is being told. I am not selective to whom I do this. She did hear his response, by the way.
Boy: No, but she knew I wanted to.
Professor: When you told her you wanted to cut her hair, what did she say or do?
Boy: She kind of started avoiding me.
Professor: Do you understand that what you did is wrong?
Boy: I know it is supposed to be wrong, but I don't know why.
Professor: You invaded her personal space. You touched body, yes, her hair is part of her body, without permission. You violated her by cutting her hair. You would not want someone to touch, cut, or do anything to you without your permission would?
Boy: No.
Professor: Do you understand why what you did is wrong?
Boy: Kind of, but I just wanted to see what would happen if I boiled it.
Can I just say, "What a Goob!"
As it turned out, he was required to write a letter of apology at home and put in "Think Time" first thing the next morning. An email was sent to both children's parents and the administration. Come to find out, the girl's mother responded right a way. She said it was a good thing that her daughter was composed enough not to freak out until she got home. It was true, the small amount of hair he go was not noticeable in any way, but the concern she had was the reason.
Right! That is what I was saying.
Oh no, it is worse. You see, what the boy told the girl is that the reason he wanted to boil the hair was to obtain her DNA. He could then clone her and then BLOW HER UP! What! Evidently, he does not like this girl. He has told her that he is going to bring an axe or chainsaw to school to cut her up.
I don't know what she did or didn't do. I am not sure why he is so upset. But, come on, say it with me, "He is a GOOB!"
Tall Man has been flying under the radar this week. I was able to have dinner with him on Tuesday. It was nice to see him, talk to him, and hear a little about him. He is super involved in school, wedding planning, and getting healthy. Doctor gave him some medication and exercises to help.
SnackPack had a full week. Polo, hiking, festival, and flood lights. I know that festival did not go as envisioned. But I am extremely pleased that he did his best. Even when others stopped, he kept on going. I hope that it will be a lesson he will be able to learn from and teach others from in the years to come. Having him share it with us, was a great lesson and reminder for me. Ask him about it. I hope he will share when he is comfortable.
Though the flood lights are not attached to the house, we did come to a compromise that works well. He was able to play basketball in the dark.
I have yet to see pictures of the hike, this is two of them now, but I understand it was time well spent with friends.
I know this has been long. Hopefully you got something out of it. I know I have.
Love you all. Until next time, just keep doing your best!
I hope this post finds you all bubbly and filled with joy. It has been a good week. The Queen survived a few days away from us, and we survived the same. We were definitely glad to have her home.
It has also a been a week of adventures for many of us. I love when the adventures of other are shared to bring a smile or cause one deeper thought and evaluation. We have had a couple of those this week.
First my thought and pondering of the week has been focused on 2 Thes.2:1-3. Here we have a word of council. Yes I know, it is coming from the Bible and when we read such things, I am sure you are saying, "Dad, enough already. I am not falling away, so how does it apply to me?" I understand that. I find myself saying the same thing when I ponder these verses. So, THE KING OF EGYPT (new saying around here), how did I apply it this week? "Don't be a Goob!"
As I have been pondering the ins and outs of this week, the verses of this chapter, and such, I am reminded of a fun little movie, "Meet the Robinsons". My thoughts apply to both the spiritual and the temporal. Sometimes, the shaken mind, troubling spirits, deceit, and such don't start with spiritual matters, they start with the temporal. If we are troubled temporally, it has a tendency to bleed over into our spiritual lives. And what I get from these verses is that it is the little things that we find ourselves being bothered by that grow, build, or are fabricated into something bigger. Note: I am not saying that all of them are fabricated. Sometimes they are real, but in the end, it is how we react to them that make or break us.
Back to our story. Goob was a good kid. He wanted to be successful. He wanted to have recognition for what his part in the game. He gave his all to the game of baseball. He loved the sport. However, he did not seem to get the recognition he pictured would come from dedicating so much time to the team.
He also had a roommate that, like Goob, was obsessed with something in life. Unfortunately, one's obsession had an effect on the other's. Goob was a good guy, he did not want to say anything. He did not want to offend. Maybe he even thought in his own mind that somehow, it was his fault. He just be supportive and that someday it would be his turn. The small thing, just grew bigger and bigger. It completely wiped Goob out.
We all know the result. Goob fell asleep in the game and was given a label in life he did not want. Instead of getting up, dusting off, and making the best of it; he let it become another source of obsession. It consumed him. He was shaken, troubled, and deceived in so many ways. I wonder how many of them could have been stopped if he had just talked about it with his roommate. Would it have gone as envisioned? I don't know. Would it have changed his or his roommates obsession? I don't know. I do know that it would have changed him. He could have chosen a different way to deal with the undesired situation. Once he had talked about it would not mean that he was done. It would mean that a new set of choices would be placed before him and his roommate. Maybe his roommate would have changed. Maybe he wouldn't have. Then Goob would have to make another choice.
Ok, you are saying, what does this have to do with me? Some of you are saying, "Dad, I get it, stop already." But it is more than that. It applies to everything we do. I have the same challenges with this in my life. It is all about that little word that causes big problems, "PRIDE". It is one of the hardest challenges we all face.
Now I am saying, it does not all have to with sports. It could be a position at work, a calling in church, a relationship with a spouse, sibling, or child, a position in the band, a office of election, or any number of other things. It applies to everything we do. The hard part is making sure it does not consume us and/or destroy us. The hard part is that we react in the best way. What is that way? Doing our part and doing it as best we can. If we do, then it will all work out in the end. It may not be the way we would envision it, but it will work out for the best.
I am reminded of a story shared about one of my Grandfathers and an Uncle. I am grateful to be reminded of his advise. My Uncle was approached on summer with a job opportunity. He was excited to not only prove himself, but looked forward to having the pocket change. He worked hard at the job. He built up in his mind what he was going to do with the pocket change. He created visions of how this opportunity would open up so many more doors. He did his danged us to perform well.
At the end of the summer, the job was complete, he was a great success. However, he was not paid for his services. He stewed about it for a long time. At first, he made excuses for his employer. Then he blamed himself, maybe he had not done the job well enough. Then he realized he had and got frustrated. Then he let it consume him. My Grandfather recognized how poorly my Uncle was doing. He ended up pulling him aside to find out what was going on. My Uncle let it all out, his hurt, his anger, he disappointment, his guilt, his blame and such. The words of my Grandfather have stuck with me. He asked my Uncle if he had done his best. My Uncle told him he had given it his all. "Then that is all that matters", was my Grandfather's response. "Your employer will have to deal with his own faults. You did your best. Whether you are paid or recognized for it now does not matter. What matters is that you held up your end of the deal."
I hope that makes sense. There have been many adventures this week where these principles and thoughts apply. I will let you apply them as you see fit. Just make sure you talk about it when needed, don't hold it inside and make it something it is not, and always do your best.
On with the week:
The Queen spent most of the week or a good part of it in the Windy City. It was filled with bone chilly cold, late nights and early morning, and a great deal of sitting in awkward places. She came home very, very, tired. She also missed out on a long night of polo. Games did not start until 5. Not everything went as envisioned, but best efforts were given, the teams played well, and both came out victoriously. In fact, it was a great night of polo. It will be interesting to see how many more of our Hunter friends come over to the Pirate life. I do believe they can be a greater force than they already are stacking up to be.
The Professor had a week full of adventures. They came in the forms of volleyball, head concussions, and Great Clip wanna be's. I have permission to share the latter.
Late in the week, she was wrapping up her day. In fact, I don't believe there were more that five minutes left before the final bell released the minions for the day. It was at this point that one of her young female students approached her desk and informed her that the young man behind her had cut her hair and put the evidence in his desk.
What do you do?
First, she looked to see how bad the clipping was. As it turned out, you really could see that her hair had been cut. Therefore, as not to cause a scene, she asked the young man to join her in the hall.
This is what we got from the conversation:
Professor: Did you cut this girl's hair?
Boy: (pause) Maybe.
Professor: That question was a Yes or No answer question. Did you cut her hair?
Boy: (pause) Yes.
Professor: Why did you cut her hair:
Boy: I wanted to see what would happen if I boiled it?
Professor: Did she give you permission to cut her hair?
Wait! Did you hear what he said? He cut her hair because he wanted to know what would happen if he boiled it. Where are you going with this? Sorry, you know me. I have throw in questions while the story is being told. I am not selective to whom I do this. She did hear his response, by the way.
Boy: No, but she knew I wanted to.
Professor: When you told her you wanted to cut her hair, what did she say or do?
Boy: She kind of started avoiding me.
Professor: Do you understand that what you did is wrong?
Boy: I know it is supposed to be wrong, but I don't know why.
Professor: You invaded her personal space. You touched body, yes, her hair is part of her body, without permission. You violated her by cutting her hair. You would not want someone to touch, cut, or do anything to you without your permission would?
Boy: No.
Professor: Do you understand why what you did is wrong?
Boy: Kind of, but I just wanted to see what would happen if I boiled it.
Can I just say, "What a Goob!"
As it turned out, he was required to write a letter of apology at home and put in "Think Time" first thing the next morning. An email was sent to both children's parents and the administration. Come to find out, the girl's mother responded right a way. She said it was a good thing that her daughter was composed enough not to freak out until she got home. It was true, the small amount of hair he go was not noticeable in any way, but the concern she had was the reason.
Right! That is what I was saying.
Oh no, it is worse. You see, what the boy told the girl is that the reason he wanted to boil the hair was to obtain her DNA. He could then clone her and then BLOW HER UP! What! Evidently, he does not like this girl. He has told her that he is going to bring an axe or chainsaw to school to cut her up.
I don't know what she did or didn't do. I am not sure why he is so upset. But, come on, say it with me, "He is a GOOB!"
Tall Man has been flying under the radar this week. I was able to have dinner with him on Tuesday. It was nice to see him, talk to him, and hear a little about him. He is super involved in school, wedding planning, and getting healthy. Doctor gave him some medication and exercises to help.
SnackPack had a full week. Polo, hiking, festival, and flood lights. I know that festival did not go as envisioned. But I am extremely pleased that he did his best. Even when others stopped, he kept on going. I hope that it will be a lesson he will be able to learn from and teach others from in the years to come. Having him share it with us, was a great lesson and reminder for me. Ask him about it. I hope he will share when he is comfortable.
Though the flood lights are not attached to the house, we did come to a compromise that works well. He was able to play basketball in the dark.
I have yet to see pictures of the hike, this is two of them now, but I understand it was time well spent with friends.
I know this has been long. Hopefully you got something out of it. I know I have.
Love you all. Until next time, just keep doing your best!
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