Tag: family

Why So Mad at Phillies Karen?

From time to time, a seemingly insignificant event is caught on camera, and it galvanizes the nation. Such an event took place this past week at a Phillies/Marlin game.

A homerun was hit into the upper deck of the left field seats, which, as usual, prompted a massive scurrying of fans to collect the much-coveted souvenir. A father came away with the ball and handed it to his son.

This situation plays itself out hundreds of times throughout the course of every baseball season. A ball is hit into the stands, fans scurry for it, the victor claims his prize, and on some occasions, there is a confrontation over who the rightful owner of the ball is. Again, this happens all the time.

What happened this time, however, is that the lady confronting the man over the ball was so adamant, the man wound up taking the ball from his son and giving it to her.

Recently, I took two of my kids to a Round Rock Express game. We got free admission to the left-field upper deck with the donation of canned goods. During the game, a homerun was hit into our section. My son pursued the ball, only to break off the pursuit when he saw the father of a young child going after it.

Again, these situations happen all the time.

Just me and a couple of my kids taking in a ballgame

So, why is the entire country mad at this one woman? Here’s why, and it’s an answer that the country is not ready to discuss at this moment.

A father taking his son out to a baseball game is one of the last remaining safe-havens of childhood. Few things remain as a part of childhood that are as pure, innocent, peaceful and fun as that.

Think about it. We still sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh-inning stretch. That song is obviously written from a child’s viewpoint.

“Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks. I don’t care if we never get back.”

If you go to a minor-league game, you will see that the entire event (except for the beer sales) is centered around creating a wholesome event for the family… for parents and children.

Everything from the team name (What is a Sodpoodle anyway?), to the games they play between innings (Tricycle races, etc) which are usually played by kids picked at random from the stands.

Baseball is still America’s pastime. It is still where people go to leave their problems at the gate and enjoy some peaceful, fun time with the kids, and to make memories.

There’s nothing like the view from the cheap seats. Dell Diamond, Round Rock, TX.

And… on occasion, the families are able to take home a souvenir, whether it is a t-shirt shot into the crowd, or a baseball hit into the stands. The baseball is the ultimate prize. You take home a piece of the game, handled by the actual players, and catching it (or retrieving it) is the ultimate accomplishment.

To have your dad catch a homerun ball at a major league game? That’s the kind of formative memory that sticks with you. That’s a story you tell your grandkids when they come visit you in the nursing home 70 years later.

This is why, when Shannon Stone died trying to catch a ball for his son at a Texas Rangers game, it became a national tragedy. As a local reporter, I covered the funeral, stationed next to ABC News, Univision, ESPN, CNN and others.

If any other fan had died in the same way, it would have been written off as a tragic accident, and no big deal would have been made. But in this case, it was a father, looking for a souvenir for his son, who called out to Josh Hamilton for the ball. Reached out for the catch, lost his balance, and fell.

In a press conference following the tragedy, Rangers owner Nolan Ryan said, “This hits us at the core of who we are.”

As a way of helping fans grieve, recover and move on, the Rangers erected a statue of Stone and his son outside the gates of the stadium, to remind us who we are, and why we bring our kids to the game.

Which brings us back to Phillies Karen. The father catching (or retrieving) the ball for his son is an emblematic moment, in this case shattered by the selfishness of an irate individual.

The audacity not only offended fans at the game, but the TV commentators, the Phillies organization, and social media. Why?

Because without even realizing it, this moment encapsulates the ongoing war our culture has with the innocence of childhood.

Let’s be honest. Our culture is at war with childhood. The sad part is, that war was never officially declared. It just sort of happened. And those warring against childhood often don’t even realize that they are.

Like the situation with the baseball at the Phillies game was driven by the selfishness of adults, the war on childhood is driven by the selfishness of adults.

Kids can no longer just enjoy playing summer baseball. Now, every level of youth sports is seen as a preparation for the major leagues. Sure, the leagues now hand out participation trophies, but I believe that is even driven by the selfishness of adults.

Does a 5-year old joining his first T-ball team really hope the league prepares him for the next level? No. He just wants to play and have fun. It’s the parents who are looking for validation from the child’s on-field performance. And the problem is not limited to youth sports either.

Recently, Snoop Dogg drew criticism for saying he was afraid to take his grandkids to the movies for fear of having to explain same-sex relationships (and other adult themes) when they are depicted in children’s movies. Now, Snoop is shrugging off the controversy and stands by his statements, but that controversy raises another question…

When was the last time Hollywood truly produced a movie for kids?

When was the last time they produced something as benign as “Bambi,” as adventurous as “The Jungle Book,” as fantastical as “Mary Poppins,” or as sentimental as “The Land Before Time?”

When was the last time a movie was produced for kids for the sole purpose of taking them on a big adventure?

Today, even the children’s movies have an agenda to advance the cause of certain adult groups.

So, we’ve ruined youth sports. We’ve ruined movies. The kids cannot open a lemonade stand without getting a tax-use permit and a permit from the health department (because cities now lack the capability to distinguish between legit businesses and kids trying to pass the time and make a quarter.)

I could go on citing different examples from different areas of life, but that would be exhausting for both you and me. The war on childhood and the innocence thereof is a complex issue that requires much discussion.

And it’s hard to encapsulate that issue and how it truly makes us feel. That is, until a random stranger at a ballgame we aren’t watching takes a ball from a child whose father just gave it to him. Then it all comes to a head.

To a large degree, I believe some correction is needed on our part. We need to allow youth sports to return to the simplicity of a season played, with scores kept, wins and losses, and a champion crowned. But when the season is over, let the kids do something else for a while.

We need to let kids be in the moment, and enjoy the simplicity and the joy of the moment. Not every activity needs to be a preparation for a competitive career.

And finally, we need to quit making the minds of our children the latest battleground in the culture war.

We need to restore childhood to what it ought to be, an innocent period of discovery and imagination. A time of learning and of play.

If we accomplish that, angry adults may still take homerun balls away from kids during the game. But, if they do, it’ll be far less triggering.

5 lies parents bite, hook, line and sinker

15675996_10211148555255566_9200556580741383012_o I have found that in whatsoever setting I have found myself, I am surrounded by parenting experts. Some days, it seems that everyone knows what to do with my children but me. In the course of some of these enlightened discussions, bits of foolishness disguised as universal wisdom tend to surface time and time again. It is my endeavor to expose these lies for what they are, and to reassure you that your God-given reaction to these things is justified.

1. Bad decisions are a rite of passage.

“Oh, we all did that when we were that age.”

“All teenagers do it.”

“It’s really no big deal.”

Whether the topic is alcohol consumption, experimentation with marijuana, sexual experimentation, truancy, shop-lifting, criminal mischief, or basic defiance, today’s street-side parenting experts will excuse your child’s behavior by explaining that you did the same thing as a child, and you turned out fine.

In fact, some have even argued that these bad decisions are so normal, that it is impossible to teach your child to abstain from them. Therefore, your job as parent is to make sure that your child makes a bad decision in the safest way possible.

Think about that last statement. The so-called “parenting experts” that surround us, and constantly barrage us with parenting advice, want us to let our children make bad life choices, but in a safe manner.

Nowhere is this mentality more prominent than in the debate over sex-education in the public schools. There are those who advocate for abstinence education. Others belittle that approach, saying that kids are “going to do it” anyway, so we need to make sure they have condoms and access to abortion. (Never-mind the failure rate with condoms, the potential for sexual abuse, or the regret and emotional trauma caused by bad experiences).

You also see this mentality present with parents who provide alcohol to teenagers under the guise of “providing a safe environment” for underage drinking, or drug use.

We experimented. We made mistakes. Our children, too, will experiment and make mistakes. It’s a rite of passage. Part of growing up. It’s normal. Hogwash and horse-feathers!

Looking back on my teenage indiscretions, I regret many of them. I made choices concerning alcohol and substance abuse that I regret. I wish I had begun adulthood with a healthier understanding of sexuality. I have regrets.

Scripture speaks to this in Romans 6:21, “What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.”

In our youthful indiscretions, what fruit do we have in those things, of which we are now ashamed? Should we resign ourselves to the idea that our children, too, will make the same mistakes and have the same regrets as we?

I say, Nay! Nay!

Our job as parents is not to make sure our kids have the same experiences we had, nor is our job to navigate our children through the same pitfalls we fell into as kids. Our job as parents is to use our experience to our kids’ benefit. Our job is to steer our children away from the pitfalls we fell into, drawing on our experiences and teaching our kids to make the decisions we didn’t.

Setting your children up for a better life than you had used to be a virtue. It’s time we restore that virtue.

2. I have to allow my child to make their own mistakes, and learn from them.

This lie comes from the same mentality as the 1st lie… that bad decisions are inevitable, therefore we should teach kids to make them in a safer manner.

Bad decisions may be inevitable, but our job as parents is to warn our kids against them, steer them away from those bad decisions, and hold them accountable for their decisions, and for the behavior leading to those bad decisions.

Ephesians 6:4 tells us to bring our children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. The meanings of these words carry the notion that our role as parents (and more specifically, the role of fathers), is to constantly warn children against sin and rebellion. This means to warn them, not only of God’s consequences, but of the worldly consequences of sinful choices.

To stand idly by while our kids “make their own mistakes” is an abdication of a God-given responsibility, and a rebellion against a God-given commandment to parent our children.

3. I have to be my child’s friend, or, my child is my best friend.

If you’re looking for validation or affirmation from your child, you’re doing life wrong.

Your job as parent is to prepare your child to launch into the world, not to establish your child as a lifelong companion and confidant. Your role as parent involves giving your child the tools they need to succeed in life, spiritually, economically and socially. Your child is not there to meet your needs. You’re there to meet your child’s needs. And what your child needs from you is not another friend or buddy (honestly, they should be making those from kids in their own age-group), but rather the guidance and leadership that will prepare them for the next phase in their life.

This involves discipline. This involves tough choices. This involves denying them things that you really want to give them.

This is a tough road, and it’s not for the faint of heart.

Scripture says “foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it far from him.” For your child’s safety, survival and betterment, you must use the rod of correction to drive the foolishness from your child’s heart.

And while that verse is often associated with spanking, the rod of correction can take on many forms. It can be a mode of punishment, or, like the shepherd’s rod, it can be a guiding force.

The rod of correction can come in the form of grounding, lost privileges, chores, consequences, earned privileges, and earned rewards.

The rod of correction, that is, discipline, is not merely punishment. It is the shaping of proper behaviors and attitudes within your child. And no matter how positive you try to make it, it will not be an easy road for your child.

They will tell you they hate you. They will call you the worst parents ever. They will say they wish they had never been born. They will threaten to run away. If your personal validation requires positive feedback from your children, this is where you will implode and fail. You must be strong. You must know your role. You must remember the goal.

In the short term, you will find yourself at odds with your child, and your feelings hurt. In the long-term, you are shaping the world view, moral character, and if done Biblically, the Spiritual fortitude of your child. In the long-term, your child is better off for it, and will love you for it.

To borrow a cliche, “They’ll thank you someday.”

Okay, maybe they won’t thank you. But then again, that’s not why you parent in the first place.

4. I want to give my child everything I didn’t have.

This is a materialistic mindset. Your goal is not to give your child a better material life, but a better start in life, and a better life overall.

If you didn’t make the team, weren’t elected class president, or weren’t accepted into Harvard, do not make it your mission to make sure your child gets all of that.

If you didn’t have your own car in school, don’t make it your mission to buy your kid a car.

Make it your mission to equip your child for adulthood.

5. My child deserves the best.

Yes, and no.

Your child deserves your best. However, your child does not deserve the best the world has to offer. That has to be earned.

A better mindset is that your child needs to learn to make the best of what they have. If you can teach them that, then they are head and shoulders above the rest.

The conclusion of the matter.

Parenting is an 18-20 year journey full of ups and downs, hills and valleys, roadside raiders and landmines. It’s not for the faint of heart. If it were easy, Dr. James Dobson would be running a hotdog stand in Anaheim.

There are times you won’t know what to do. There are times you will make mistakes. There are times you will wonder why God trusted you with your children in the first place.

God didn’t make a mistake. Trust Him, trust His model for parenthood. And reject the lies that the world throws at you regarding parenthood.

Love your child. Prepare them for adulthood. In the end, you will see a blessing.

Are there any other parenting misconceptions out there? Feel free to post them below. God bless you.

Why we love Star Wars

Movies succeed at the box office due to effective marketing campaigns. Movie franchises, like Star Wars, the Hunger Games, or Jurassic Park, thrive because they either (a) mirror our lives or (b) speak into our human nature on a deep level.

Jurassic Park thrives because, in addition to capturing our imaginations through the resurrection of the dinosaurs, it poses the question as to whether man has the ability to create life, species, and whether we can overcome the natural order set forth by our Creator. Spoiler alert: We fail every single time.

The Hunger Games succeeded because it captured man’s natural desire to be free, the fact that hope never completely dies, and the lengths to which man will fight to win his freedom. All of that was embodied in the main character, Katniss Everdeen, who struggled through poverty, oppression, imprisonment, torture, and PTSD to lead a rebellion against a powerful overlord who subjugated everyone. Most who watched that series could identify with Katniss on some level, which is why the series succeeded.

The success of both of those franchises, however, pales in comparison to the success of the Star Wars franchise, which has become the definitive movie franchise for three generations due to the fact that it speaks into virtually every aspect of our lives, from our family life, to our professional life, to our philosophical life. Star Wars touches on family drama and pain, captures the plight of characters who are trying to overcome their station in life, and poses the bigger questions of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

On this level, Star Wars speaks to our entire persona. We are all trying to make our way in this world, battling the elements of opposition as we try to climb the corporate ladder, move into the next tax bracket, or obtain the next level of education. While we fight those battles, we deal with issues at home. We struggle to repair or maintain relationships with our parents, to make our marriages work, to give our kids positive direction, and to keep from losing touch with those closest to us.

This multi-generational family story is laid against a back-drop of intergalactic battles, space ships, and planetary conquests.

In an interview after he sold the franchise to Disney, George Lucas said, “Star Wars isn’t about space ships and aliens, it’s about family.”

Those who understand that statement will understand Star Wars that much better. The franchise follows the plight of a single family, the children of Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala, as they learn their family history and fight to keep the galaxy free. Skywalker was overcome with rage and a desire to rule the galaxy, so Amidala took her two twins and hid them in separate places with friends and family.

Their circumstantial reunification and new-found purpose became the first Star Wars Trilogy, Episodes 4-6. In order to explain that trilogy, Episodes 1-3 were later released (for better or worse) in the 1990s. Now, we’re working on the third trilogy, which will follow the plight of the third generation of Skywalkers.

You see the family drama at work when Darth Vader is reunited with his son, Luke Skywalker, as well as when Hans Solo and Leia pine for their wayward son, Kylo Ren. Rey is trying to solve the mystery of who her family is, and why they left her on a desert planet, and Finn is the orphaned former Stormtrooper who’s searching for belonging.

You see the quest for betterment as Hans Solo continues his career as a smuggler, as inn-keepers and bar owners struggle to stay in business, or when Rey seeks Jedi training.

And then there’s the forbidden love between Anakin and Padme. Those two had to defy all customs and protocol in order to be together.

The issues that these characters deal with are issues we can all relate to. We’ve had family struggles. We’ve experienced lost love. Our kids have turned on us. We struggle to overcome, and we often feel like we get caught up in world affairs beyond our control.

And that’s why we love Star Wars. We see a little bit of ourselves in those characters, and so we root for them. We rejoice with them, we cry with them, and we die (figuratively speaking) with them.

Right now, critics and fans are debating whether “The Last Jedi” lives up to the hype. If it turns my life into another sci-fi thriller, it most certainly will.

The Lost Art of Leisure

16708472_10211627013496723_1898660107827657514_n “The world went and got itself into a big ole hurry,” wrote Brooks Hatlin to his former cellmates at Shawshank prison in the movie, The Shawshank Redemption. Brooks had served a 50 year sentence in Shawshank before being paroled in 1954.

While the pace of life in 1954 seems like a leisurely dream today, it moved at a breakneck speed for those accustomed to the pace of life in 1904, like Brooks.

The more time passes, the faster the pace of life. It’s not your imagination, and it’s not the effect of age. Life is really more hectic today than it was in 1954, or 1984, heck, even 2004.

The fast pace of life today would surprise futurists of the 1960s, who predicted that computer technology and automation systems would reduce Americans’ workloads, resulting in more time for leisure. Instead, computer technology and automation systems led to large scale layoffs. While those laid-off workers ultimately found new work in a growing economy, the fact remains that automation didn’t cut down on workload, but rather increased the demands that employers placed on workers.

It’s a far-cry from the world envisioned by Walter Cronkite on his 1967 CBS News special which looked forward to life in 2001. Instead of a life of leisure, Americans are spending one of the most prosperous and technologically advanced periods in world history trying to keep up with rising demands.

Lost in all this is the art of leisure. In time past, workers had weekends off. Fathers took their kids fishing, or to their Little League baseball games. Extended families gathered for cookouts in the back yard, weekend trips were taken, and nobody batted an eye when you took your annual two-week road-trip vacation.

Offices observed all the national holidays, and life really slowed down around Christmas, with many companies offering paid time off between Christmas and New Year’s.

All of that has gone by the wayside. Vacations are now four-day adventures in resorts, hotels, cruises, or the ever-so-popular “stay-cation,” where you take time off, but never leave the house.

At one time stores were closed on Sundays. Today, they remain open. Retailers open on Thanksgiving to get an early start to the Christmas shopping season.

All of this has built into a perfect storm where Americans not only face ridiculous expectations at work, but also live their off-time in a frenzy, trying to accomplish as much as possible in as little time as possible, all while neglecting to rest.

During a recent interview with Michael P. Foley, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Christianity, I asked what we could do as Americans to defend and preserve Christmas traditions. Foley said that we can preserve and defend Christmas simply by taking the time off and enjoying the holiday. He noted that we used to take Christmas off, as well as every Sunday, for leisure, adding that God gave us one day of rest per week.

He said if we truly want to preserve Christmas, we should observe it by taking the time off and enjoying that time with our families. Obviously, if you are in the military or are a first responder, this may not be an option. For those of us who have this option, however, we should take it.

It’s time that we all stop and take a look at what’s important in life. Look at your commitments, prioritize what’s most important to you, then budget your time and money accordingly. As you do this, set aside time for leisure. Take a day a week where you have no commitments, where you take a day to do nothing. Go fishing. Play a board game with the kids. Go to the local park. Take leisure.

Doing so doesn’t make you lazy. It brings you into harmony with God’s plan, which offers a day of rest every week, and periodic rest throughout the year. As Psalm 127:2 says, “He giveth his beloved sleep.”