Archive - September, 2009

Famous Failures to Encourage Your Child

Posted in: Relationships
September 23, 2009 with 0 Comments

Has your child experienced failure recently?  Are they getting discouraged? Watch this video with your children to help them see the positive side of failure!

Can’t view the video? Go here.

I inherited a football team…

Posted in: Just for Fun
September 9, 2009 with 2 Comments

I recently inherited a football team.  I took over the “team mom” role for my son’s junior varsity squad. With the team, I received a rather involved but thorough notebook, filled with plans, instructions and committee assignments designed to make the job run smoothly. I immediately began my quest to narrow this job down.  Simplify, simplify… address the most immediate needs first, and table the inconsequential ones until later.

So I tabled the popsicles.  I really could not see how growing, hard-hitting 15-and 16-year-olds could get any satisfaction out of a skinny 2-ounce popsicle.  A popsicle was something we gave them in pre-K, I reasoned.  A gallon of cold Gatorade made more sense to me.  Besides, I had more pressing issues to tackle first.

Within a week of inheriting my precious team, all my “important” committee assignments had been typed up, divvied out and put into action.  Except for the popsicle committee.  Does it really take a whole committee to give out a treat?  Okay, so we are supposed to do it several times a week and there are 70 kids.  And of course 15 moms signed up to be on the popsicle committee.  I remember thinking I needed to get on it, to schedule “popsicle days” and stop procrastinating. So I committed to take care of it before the weekend, and headed to the supermarket to take care of the immediate – dinner for my family!

Then it happened. Out of nowhere, on Aisle 15, a blindsided tackle.  POPSICLES: BUY 1 GET 1 FREE.  I really do get a kick out of how God has to literally tackle me to get me to see the simple things in life.

I bought those popsicles and I made it to the school just as practice was breaking.  Those hot, tired, sweaty teenage boys saw me standing there with my cooler and asked, with hopeful excitement, “Is it popsicle day?!”

From one straggling group to the next, across the parking lot, the joyful cry rang out… “It’s popsicle day!…. Guys, it’s POPSICLE DAY!” The boys raced to the locker room to ditch their equipment. Seconds later I was swarmed by 72 newly-energized players – so happy to receive their tiny little popsicle, fighting over flavors and even the superheroes on the wrappers!

So my lesson? Simplify yes, but don’t forget the power of the simple pleasures in life – like a popsicle.