Friday, January 18, 2008
My blog has taken up residence at the GodTalk.com blogger page...
Thanks for joining me here. Today we launched the newly re-designed GodTalk.com website and it provides a new home for my musings. Swing by and join me there at www.godtalk.com/blog.
Friday, January 04, 2008
The SelfTalk or GodTalk caller!
I'm kicking off the New Year with a very basic question which was posed to me and Greg on the radio show in a most poignant, clear and compelling way. At the end of 2007 David called in after listening to us for a while and made his assessments of us as individuals and how people try to make it in life. His question and suggestion (click the link to hear his call) has stayed with me over the past couple weeks as I've looked back over 2007 and into 2008. David wondered out loud with us whether we might be capable of managing life ourselves - "internally", rather than framing life through relationship with an "external" Being.
I appreciate David's call immensely because it really boils down what I'm up against in this world. Am I good to go without God, or will I go with God?
David wondered why seemingly fairly balanced individuals would resort to going it with God? In short, I know some of my own weakness enough to believe that being the kind, generous, loving and patient person I'd like to be is going to take a lot more than what I've got when I talk with myself. For me, it's going to take some God talk to make this self good.
I appreciate David's call immensely because it really boils down what I'm up against in this world. Am I good to go without God, or will I go with God?
David wondered why seemingly fairly balanced individuals would resort to going it with God? In short, I know some of my own weakness enough to believe that being the kind, generous, loving and patient person I'd like to be is going to take a lot more than what I've got when I talk with myself. For me, it's going to take some God talk to make this self good.
Friday, December 21, 2007
Happy New Year!
Just a quick note to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I'm really looking forward to 2008, thank you for making this blog part of your experience this past year.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Why I returned Winnipeg's only Wii!
The look on the Best Buy guy's face said it all. It was a healthy mix of disbelief, horror, fear and flat out perplexity. If you ever want to leave a salesperson in a silent inexplicable stupor, just hold up a brand new, unopened Wii at the Returns Counter and tell them you're returning Winnipeg's only available Wii because you'd like to get your kids something great for Christmas. That's exactly where I found myself the other day and that's exactly what happened.
Of course my true story doesn't start there. It was two days earlier when I had ventured into Best Buy, frankly looking for a big screen TV that would give me a few minutes of sports. I wandered down the Wii aisle because it had come to my attention that this was the "must-have" game of the Christmas season (and year for that matter). Finding none, I asked a passing salesperson if there might be any available (I had a hunch what the answer would be). "None available and we can't say when they'll come in." I thanked him and did another loop. No less than 2 minutes later, he was back and handed me a brand spanking-new Wii with this comment, "This one was on Web pick-up, the person missed the deadline and I'm re-shelving it, it's yours if you want it." Unbelievable! Without even getting up at 4am to wait in the bitter cold for hours to get one of 12 units shipping in, here I had the coveted prize that would bring joy to my world. A quick call to my wife and we were the proud parents of soon to be happy children.
Two days later, I found myself confidently walking up to the other end of that same checkout counter, handing the coveted prize back to its corporate citizens. And that's where the bewilderment, the amazement, and the silent stupor occurred. You see, it's Best Buy protocol that you must ask the customer why it is that they are returning the product.
I've told this story to a few closer relations, and I have received similar reactions - the bewilderment, the disbelief. My reasoning goes like this. Do I think my kids would be entertained by a $400 Wii (don't forget the must-have controllers and games)? They would. But, if it's a $400 forced choice investment into my kids' lives - as in, their sense of self, worth, and character...then a Wii doesn't cut it for me.
Call me crazy, I'm sure I'm the only guy on the planet who literally had a Wii dropped into their lap and then decided it wasn't going to cut it as a gift idea. I must admit, for a moment there at that Returns Counter, I actually felt like a bit of a revolutionary, taking back some parenting ground lost to the malaise of a material world.
So, the question remains, what am I getting my kids for Christmas?! Well, while I don't anticipate my 8 year old surfing over to my blog tonight, I wouldn't take the risk to spill the beans here. Perhaps in a post-Christmas blog I'll let you know. For now, all I can say is, I'm looking forward to enjoying what emerged in my imagination once I had sorted out some of the clutter.
And no, the kids haven't heard this story. It will be an interesting conversation when they do!
Comments welcome...
Of course my true story doesn't start there. It was two days earlier when I had ventured into Best Buy, frankly looking for a big screen TV that would give me a few minutes of sports. I wandered down the Wii aisle because it had come to my attention that this was the "must-have" game of the Christmas season (and year for that matter). Finding none, I asked a passing salesperson if there might be any available (I had a hunch what the answer would be). "None available and we can't say when they'll come in." I thanked him and did another loop. No less than 2 minutes later, he was back and handed me a brand spanking-new Wii with this comment, "This one was on Web pick-up, the person missed the deadline and I'm re-shelving it, it's yours if you want it." Unbelievable! Without even getting up at 4am to wait in the bitter cold for hours to get one of 12 units shipping in, here I had the coveted prize that would bring joy to my world. A quick call to my wife and we were the proud parents of soon to be happy children.
Two days later, I found myself confidently walking up to the other end of that same checkout counter, handing the coveted prize back to its corporate citizens. And that's where the bewilderment, the amazement, and the silent stupor occurred. You see, it's Best Buy protocol that you must ask the customer why it is that they are returning the product.
I've told this story to a few closer relations, and I have received similar reactions - the bewilderment, the disbelief. My reasoning goes like this. Do I think my kids would be entertained by a $400 Wii (don't forget the must-have controllers and games)? They would. But, if it's a $400 forced choice investment into my kids' lives - as in, their sense of self, worth, and character...then a Wii doesn't cut it for me.
Call me crazy, I'm sure I'm the only guy on the planet who literally had a Wii dropped into their lap and then decided it wasn't going to cut it as a gift idea. I must admit, for a moment there at that Returns Counter, I actually felt like a bit of a revolutionary, taking back some parenting ground lost to the malaise of a material world.
So, the question remains, what am I getting my kids for Christmas?! Well, while I don't anticipate my 8 year old surfing over to my blog tonight, I wouldn't take the risk to spill the beans here. Perhaps in a post-Christmas blog I'll let you know. For now, all I can say is, I'm looking forward to enjoying what emerged in my imagination once I had sorted out some of the clutter.
And no, the kids haven't heard this story. It will be an interesting conversation when they do!
Comments welcome...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
