Brutal. That's all I can say at this point.
If I had a sandwich board sign with the word DUNCE in huge letters, I would need to wear it, and walk up and down the street drawing attention to my ignorance.
Last summer, I signed up for a promotion for a FREE two-night hotel stay. It coincided with Father's Day, and if we purchased more than $100 of Dockers clothing at a Kohl's department store, we were eligible to get the voucher. I even did my homework. I thoroughly researched the restrictions and the list of participating hotels. All looked good.
But, it couldn't be THAT easy, could it? Of course not. Here I am, eight months later, and I still do not have confirmation on my requested hotel nights. In fact, I just got off the phone with the "Customer Concierge," and they told me that it's too early to confirm my reservation. The trip I am planning is in late May. We're only 90 days out, but they tell me it's TOO early to confirm it.
Add to that the fact that we have already booked our flights in and out of Boston for the requested weekend, and if you are as pessimistic as I am, you see that this is the perfect recipe for disaster. I could spend days typing out this entire ordeal from beginning to end, but I'll spare you. Suffice it to say that it has been ridiculous. I think I have a pretty good idea what Jesus' brother, James, meant when he talked about being "tossed about like a wave in the sea." I'm not sure why companies put their customers through this amount of grief to cash in on a promotion that benefits WHO? Oh yeah, it's supposed to benefit me. I must have forgotten that in the dozen phone calls I have made to try and speak to someone who can give me some answers.
Just remember that things are rarely as they appear. And, usually a much bigger headache.
Entertainment Weekly's Top 10
Greatest Sidekicks of All-Time
Source: ew.com10. Dwight Shrute (sidekick to Michael Scott) - The Office
9. Tattoo (sidekick to Mr. Roarke) - Fantasy Island
8. Ed Norton (sidekick to Ralph Cramden) - The Honeymooners
7. Samwise Gamgee (sidekick to Frodo Baggins) - Lord of the Rings
6. Dr. Watson (sidekick to Sherlock Holmes) - Sherlock Holmes mysteries
5. Ethel Mertz (sidekick to Lucy Ricardo) - I Love Lucy
4. Chewbacca (sidekick to Han Solo) - Star Wars
3. George Costanza (sidekick to Jerry Seinfeld) - Seinfeld
2. Robin (sidekick to Batman) - Batman TV Series, Movies, and Comics
1. Ed McMahon (sidekick to Johnny Carson) - The Tonight Show
One of the toughest things as a parent is watching your child struggle or fail at something - particularly something you excelled at when you were young. But, even tougher than watching your child fail is allowing your son or daughter to fail.
As a dad, when I see either of my little boys struggle, my tendency is to protect them from failure. I step in. I rescue them. Not because they want to be rescued, but because it hurts me to see them make errors and mistakes. But, isn't that how we all learn...through our mistakes??
It's funny. My sons' mistakes bother me a heck of a lot more than they bother them. They don't think much of it. They shrug it off, and they're ready to try again. That is, until I discourage them with negative words, expressions, or actions. That's when they want to stop. That's when it's no longer fun.
I've heard this expression many times before, but someone pointed out recently that when a baseball game begins, the umpire yells two words: PLAY BALL! And, I'll be honest...I've not thought too much about it. But, to overlook the first word - PLAY - is a dangerous thing. The expression isn't "TRY HARD BALL" or "BE DISCOURAGED BALL" or "WIN AT ALL COSTS BALL" - it's Play Ball!
Now, I am an extremely competitive person. I want to win...badly. But, if I have won the game and caused three or four of my players to never want to play baseball again, have I won? Of course not.
In Matthew 16:26 Jesus says this: What good will it be if a man gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul?
Man, those words sting. But Jesus knows that often times we sacrifice the best things in the long run for the things that satisfy us for only an instant. I've really had to work these past couple years at allowing my son to PLAY the game of baseball. I want him to be the best. I want him to get a base hit every time. I want him to catch every ball thrown or hit his way. And, rarely do I think about the enjoyment he gets out of just being on the field with his buddies. Playing.
As parents, we've gotta let 'em play. It's likely they won't get to play beyond the age of 18 or so. They've gotta cram a lot of play in just 10-12 years. And, it'll fly by.
But, that 10-12 years could become 1 or 2 if we don't let them fail. If we don't let them make mistakes, and rebound on their own. If' we don't let 'em play.
Let's face it. The minute we are born, we begin to die. Well, at least physically. Kind of a depressing thought, isn't it?
But here's the deal: it's only depressing if we focus on dying. Personally, I don't like to think about death at all. However, in the Book of Ecclesiastes, King Solomon had this to say:
A wise person thinks a lot about death, while a fool only thinks about having a good time. (7:4)
In Psalm 90:12, Moses tells us basically the same thing:
Teach us to realize the brevity of live, so that we may grow in wisdom. (NLT)
I think what God's word is telling us is to always keep in mind that we are going to die, but not to stop living.
I recently had the opportunity to view a powerful speech that perfectly illustrates this line of thought. A gentleman by the name of Randy Pausch, who is a professor at the esteemed Carnegie-Mellon University in Pennsylvania, was reprising what's known as his "last lecture" to his students. You see, Randy is dying. He has pancreatic cancer, and he has been told he only has a couple months to live.
And, that is exactly what he is doing. He's LIVING. He's not spending his final weeks on earth dying. He's passionately sharing his LIFE with anyone and everyone who will listen. He is continuing to touch lives, and will likely touch millions more even after he passes away.
As I watched Dr. Pausch, choking back tears all the while, I couldn't help but ask myself one question: WOULD I BE FOCUSED ON LIVING, OR DYING, IF I WAS IN HIS SITUATION?
I was inspired by his words, lifted by his positive attitude, and challenged by his resolve in sharing his "final" message - not with the world - but with his three children.
I hope you can take 11 minutes out of your hectic day to watch this life-changing speech. If you do, I think you'll get a picture of a life that Paul said builds a "solid foundation for the future, so that we know what true life is like."
To view the video, please click HERE.
Hottest Temperatures Recorded in 10 Places
in the World
Source: infoplease.com
North America: Death Valley, California - 134 degrees (1913) Asia: Tirat Tsvi, Israel - 129 degrees (1942)
Australia: Cloncurry, Queensland - 128 degrees (1889)
Europe: Seville, Spain - 122 degrees (1881)
South America: Rivadavia, Argentina - 120 degrees (1905)
Canada: Midale and Yellow Grass, Saskatchewan - 113 degrees (1937)
Oceania: Tuguegarao, Philippines - 108 degrees (1912)
Persian Gulf (sea-surface): 96 degrees (1924)Antarctica: Vanda Station, Scott Coast: 59 degrees (1974)
South Pole: 7.5 degrees (1978)
Bonus: Highest Recorded Temperature on Earth - El Azizia, Libya - 136 degrees (1922)
