"Have A Nice Day" or "What Did She Say To Me?"

The other day Steph and I were eating at a restaurant in Evansville. It is a friendly place where all the employees that work there yell welcome when you enter and Good Bye when you leave. So, while we were sitting there, a couple of ladies left and the girl behind the counter yelled out, "Have a nice day!". The 2 ladies stopped and came back into the store and one of them asked, "Do you know her?" The girl politely said no and then the lady began to berate her. I can only guess that the problem was, at best, being friendly, or at worst, doing her job.
I was just amazed that someone would just offended simply because of a cordial greeting. The ladies made such a fuss and demanded the girl be fired. This bothered Steph to the point she stayed a few moments to make sure the manager heard what had really happened. I wanted to go after the ladies and tell them to get over themselves, but Steph saw the real need and rushed to meet it. I have been so proud and humbled by her actions they have inspired to look for the opportunities to reach out when I can. Let's not miss the chance to make a difference in someones life when we can.
By the way, The manager followed us out to our Jeep and thanked us for staying and saying something. And you know what he said, "Have a nice Day!" Can You believe that?!?!?!

"Finding Superman" or "Being Adventurey" - Part 2

For some background on the situation I am expanding on read Part 1.

After we left Metropolis, IL, then we headed over to Cave In Rock State Park. While we were there we hiked, explored the caves and enjoyed the brisk air. In the middle of our excursion, Kianna yells out, "I love being adventurey! I am an adventurey girl!"
I had to stop an think about what adventurey meant. The best I came up with is "the state of loving and seeking adventure!" Today she got up and talked about how bored she was with the "same ole', same ole' things". She wants adventure.
Adventure is is that great call from the unknown and the unfamiliar. It is the promise of fun and challenge. It is the unpredictability of what you will face and the test of who you will become. A true adventure is unforgettable and life changing. It is a molding experience which pushes you beyond the limits of comfort and sometimes ability.
I guess that is why life is considered such an adventure. You just never know what is around the corner. We plan, save, prepare, and study up for every possible situation and never the less we still get blindsided. That is what makes life so hard but it also what makes life so great!
So get out and enjoy what God has made for us. Get out and explore this vast creation before us. Get out and be adventurey!

"Finding Superman" or "Being Adventurey" - Part 1

The other day we went and watched Mykaela run in Marshall County and after the race we decided to go on a day trip. We decided to go to Metropolis. Yes, that's right, the home of Superman. So there we are in Metropolis and there in the city is a huge statue of Superman. We go ahead and take the obligatory pictures of us posing like the man of steel, and then tour the gift shop where you could buy everything Superman. From tshirts to underwear, from capes to wigs, it was all on sale. Everything you would need to be your very own Superman! And I have to admit, it was all very tempting. This lure to become something more, something better, something bigger than myself.
We all want to be Superman or Spiderman or Wonder Woman or a superhero of some kind. We want the special powers. we want the abilities that make others gasp in wonder and awe. we all want to do something greater than ourselves. That's the beauty of Superman.
So, in order to become our very own Superman, we work out, eat less, spend more money on gadgets (Batman?!?!?), or attempt to do something great. The funny thing is the Word of God gives us the prescription to becoming great. But it's not easy. It can be painful. It is to live humbly before our God and follow His commands. When we do that, then we will see things we never thought possible, and won't even need a cape to do it. Although capes can be cool!

P.S. Next week I'll tell you about the rest of that trip.

"Tough Choices" or "Fantasy Football Dilemas"

This year I have been participating on a couple of Fantasy Football Leagues. (I know I'm a Dork! Are you surprised by that????) These leagues have really changed my perspective on watching football. I am now watch games of teams I used to not care about about whatsoever. It has also put me a bit of a quandary. When ever one of my players are playing my beloved Cowboys, how do I cheer? Who do I root for? What is more important? Do I cheer the team I have rooted for as long as I have watched football or do I encourage the player on the other team which will help me win? You can see my dilemma?
These decisions are not all that different than some choices we make everyday. There are times when we come to a crossroad in our lives and we have to decide between the God who has always been there for us and has helped throughout our lives or the new desires or opportunities or the new relationships we have in our lives. We know the right answer but the decision is really tough. Do we go with what is right or with what we want?
Stay firm. Stay Loyal. Choose God and His will. That way He always win. He's gonna win anyways.

"A Unwelcome Revelation" or "Finding Common Ground"

O.K., it's official, I am old and fat. This information hit me like a ton of bricks yesterday. I have been running with Mysha's Cross Country team, (which is where the fat part comes in), and we were trying to teach the kids about speed and determination. The coach and I tried to come up with examples of this to illustrate to the kids about what we were talking about. First we tried to use Carl Lewis, which was met with blank stares. Then we tried Michael Johnson, still no connection. Finally, we mentioned Usain Bolt and Tyson Gay, then the knew what we were talking about. Then it dawned on me that most of these kids weren't alive or old enough to see or know Michael Johnson or Carl Lewis (That's were the old part came in). They had never experienced their awe inspiring feats of speed and grace on the track. We had to find a way they could understand and not insist they go home and pull up footage of these two so they could understand what we were saying. We had to relate with them.
Today, we live in a highly unchurched popluation with people who do not know Jesus or the things He did. We are speaking to them of redemption and atonement and they don't have a clue of what we are talking about. Too many times we insist they go home and figure it out on their own but we need to be able to speak their language. We need to show them of what we believe and not try to make them just figure it out somehow. If we don't tell, who will?

"Every Day Counts" or "Being Consistent"

The last time I wrote about Mysha and the legacy she is now continuing in with Cross Country. Well, She had her first meet last Saturday and beat her best time by 2 minutes!!!! I was amazed by the acheivenment and I asked her what made the diference. She looked at me and said, "Every Day Counts, Dad!"
This statement has been marinating in my head for almost a week now. It is so simple and yet so profound. Steph's favorite phrase here lately has been, "Be the Change You Want to See". We sit around waiting for something to happen. We all complain about how things are. We all dream about how things could be. But what do we do about it? We need to be the change we want to see in the world with the understanding that every day does count so let's get started! Thanks Mykaela for those words of wisdom!

"A Proud Daddy!" or "Learning the Hard Way"

O.k. I have to admit I have been a bit excited over the past couple weeks. My daughter Mykaela (Mysha) is now on the Cross Country Team at Henderson County High School. I am so proud because she is continuing a tradition of running on the Shouse family. My Dad ran for Daviess County High School. I ran for Apollo High School. And now here she is, taking the baton of legacy and running as well. It has sparked a unexpected feeling of pride and elation in my heart. She has taken something of mine and Dad's and now is making it her own. The other day we went out and ran more than 2 miles. When we got finished, (more accurately when I was finished) she went out and ran another one.
This is quite different than her initial reaction to the sport just a week ago. It was hard, difficult and tiring. She wanted to quit. I didn't understand why because I had warned her how tough it was. In fact, my exact words was that it was going to be torture for 2 weeks, then it gets easier. I told her it would never be easy but it would get easier. I also told her if it ever got really easy, she probably wasn't doing it right. (Runners know what I am talking about.) I told her of the amazing team she would apart of. There is just something about being apart of a group of people who share blood, sweat, and tears together. I told her that when she got to the meets, she would be so excited and they were thrilling. I told her about the sense of accomplishment of finished a feat of endurance. I told her of the energy she would have with other things. I told her the good and the bad of running, and in spite of all my instruction, encouragement, and truth telling, she still wanted to quit.
I was upset, mad, and a little perturbed that she did not want to finish the 2 weeks I warned her about. But she did finish them and now she loves it!!! She's hooked on it. We now have a bond which others can never understand until they go through the rights of torture we have experienced.
This experience is not an unusual one in life. I read about Isaac not long ago. In the beginning of Isaac's journey in life, he would always talk about the God of Abraham or the God of my Father. Then somewhere along the way it became "my God". Eventually it became the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But it did not start that way. Isaac had to find and discover God on his own. I know Abraham encouraged, instructed, and told the truth about God to his son but until Isaac found God himself, he never quite got it.
After he got it, though, he and Abraham had something no one could understand until they, too, found the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob for themselves.
What about you? Have you found Him? Let me tell, it isn't easy. At times it will feel like torture. But as your faith grows it will get easier, but never easy. In fact, if it is ever easy, you probably not doing it right. But you have to commit yourself to doing it.
Why do those words seem so familiar????