Empathy

The past couple of weeks have been hard on my family. To protect everyone involved, I will keep it that vague. But something happened recently that just blew me away. I came home after a particularly rough day and had a good cry in my bedroom. Then I came back out to eat dinner with my wife and son. I looked at Marcy and said, "You need to pray." The three of us held hands as she started to pray. Then, I lost it. I started crying uncontrollably over my dinner. In response to this and her own emotions, Marcy started crying, too. So here we are, in the quietness of the evening, holding hands and crying. Then, out of nowhere, Colin started crying. Not just crying, but wailing! He saw his mommy and daddy crying, and he completely lost it! Never have I seen such empathy before. Marcy and I had to compose ourself quickly to go and comfort him. It was about the sweetest thing I have ever experienced!

Romans 12:15: Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.

NOOMA Shirts

I just received an e-mail from NOOMA.com. NOOMA is the company that produces the short videos based on sermons by Rob Bell from Mars Hill Bible Church in Michigan. The e-mail advertised an auction that is being held to sell the t-shirts that were used in the latest video, 018/Name. The t-shirts are single-color with one word printed on the back. I was interested to find out how much the t-shirts were going for, so I clicked on the link, which took me to the Ebay site with the merchandise. I was intrigued to discover which items were fetching the high-dollar bids, and which weren't:

• Committed - $115.50 - We all want to be seen as Committed...
  
• Kind - $102.50 - And Kind.
  
• Artist - $255.00 - I thought artists were starving!
  
• Stylish - $255.00 - Well, of course.
  
• Compulsive - $46.00 - I figured this would be more.
• Double-Degree - $61.00 - Yeah, that's prestigious.
• Insecure - $63.00 - That seems pretty secure to pay that much for a shirt that says that you're insecure.
• And the bottom four are:
• Self-Loathing - $17.50
• HIV+ - $17.50
• GED - $15.50
• Anorexic - $15.00

It just breaks my heart that our society - and the Church, in many ways - has so shunned people that they feel like they have to stay in the shadows. Let us be Jesus to the world and embrace people so that they can come out of the shadows to strive to be all that He wants them to be.

Here's a preview of the video, by the way...

When Do We Lose It?

Colin is at a stage in his life where everything is exciting. Not just exciting things. EVERYthing! Colin sees a ball - one that he has seen hundreds of times - and he shrieks out, "BAW!" Or we'll be in his bedroom and he sees his bed and he hollers, "BAW!" Or he hears the horn of a train going by and he squeals, "BAW!" (Pretty much everything is 'baw') This persistent excitement about everything prompted me to ask Marcy yesterday, "When do we lose it? When do we stop getting so excited over the smallest things?" When does life get so mundane and boring that we lose the zest we once had when everything was new? I hope Colin doesn't lose it for a very long time...but I do hope he starts calling things by their real names, and not simply 'baw.'

The above image has nothing to do with this post. It was just too cute to keep to myself. We took it last night as we went to bed.

A Bunch of Colin

Here's a little something I recently put together while goofing around at Photobucket.com. Enjoy!

2nd Ain't So Bad After All

I think I have finally become comfortable finishing in 2nd place. It had been so frustrating this year for all of my teams to finish in 2nd place, instead of just one of them breaking through to win it all. It started with the Buckeyes football team getting thumped in early January. Then, the basketball team did the same thing in March, although they didn't get beat quite as badly. Then, the Cavaliers found out what a team - as opposed to a one-man-show - looks like when they ran into the Spurs in the Finals. And most lately, the Indians finished in 2nd place. I know what you're thinking: "No they didn't. The Rockies did." Really? Did the Rockies put up a fight against the Red Sox? No. The Indians were the only ones in the postseason that gave them any trouble whatsoever, so as I see it, the Tribe was the 2nd best team in baseball this year. That's not too bad. That's better than 28 of 29 other teams. And the Cavaliers were better than 28 of 29 other teams, too. And the Buckeyes' teams were each better than over 100 other teams. So 2nd? Not so bad after all.

Now here's what happens when two guys have way too much time and money on their hands. Enjoy!

Transition Time

Colin has now reached the age at which we are attempting to make a few transitions...or at least starting to attempt. One such transition is trying to get him used to using a potty, the first step in the arduous potty-training routine. No real newsworthy stories here, but it is a good excuse to show a picture that will haunt him later in life:



The other transition is from his crib to a Big Boy Bed. Some might call it a toddler bed, but not us. For us, it's a Big Boy Bed. Last night was his first attempt in the bed, and as near as we can tell, it went quite well. This afternoon, his nap attempt is not going as well. So far, he has come out of his room smiling at us twice. After a firm rebuking each time, it was back to bed. Now, it seems that he is staying put.

But the memorable moment for me in this first day of bed transition happened in the middle of the night. I went into his room to check on him, and found him laying in the fetal position sideways on his bed. Judging from the temperature in the room and the tightness of the curl in his body, I was guessing he was cold, so I quietly opened one of his drawers to get a blanket to cover him with, since he was laying on top of the covers on his bed. He apparently heard me enough to rouse him, so he started moving, which forced me to make a quick exit. But after I left his room, I kept the door open enough so I could watch him. As I did, I noticed his head was hanging off of the bed, and his body was slowly sliding in the direction that gravity was pulling his large cranium. I wasn't worried because the bed is not very high off of the floor. I watched as he slid head-first ever-so-slowly toward the floor. His head touched the floor, and then his body followed slowly behind. It was like watching a movie scene in slow motion to make sure you didn't miss something. When the rest of his body fell on the floor, he stood up and scampered to climb back in the bed. It was hilarious! I was glad that Marcy was awake so I could share the experience with her. I was also glad that he liked his new bed so much that he wanted to get right back in after falling out, instead of looking for Mommy and Daddy. Let's hope that continues...

Not Sure How I Feel

(I was asked to post on our church's blog during our 40 Days of Community campaign. Here is what I wrote.)

As my wife and I were reading the 40 Days devotional a few nights ago, a thought popped into my head. I wondered if this whole idea about small groups is a little biased. You see, I'm an extrovert, which means that I like having a whole lot of "friends," but to only get involved at what could best be called a shallow level with them. This extrovert-ness is a part of who I am, it's how I roll. So now, I'm supposed to cast aside that part of me that is integral to who I am so that I can invest and be invested in at a deep level. I struggle with that, to be honest. Could there not be a way for the extroverts among to be built up spiritually and to invest in each other that doesn't look like small groups and deep conversations? That is what I have been thinking.

But maybe, what is really at the core of the matter is that I really don't want people messing in my stuff. I know who I am, and there are times that I don't like that person. Why in the world would I want to get involved in doing life with someone else so that they can also know what a cruddy guy I can be? It's risky. It's scary. Maybe they'll find out who the man is behind the curtain and reject me or, worse yet, throw the curtain wide open for others to see. It's a gamble. But the fact of the matter is that God never promised that living in community would be easy or painless. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, "Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another." Iron is sharpened without the influence of anything else. Rather, it is sharpened when it comes into violent contact with another piece of iron. If iron could feel pain, it would probably reject the proposal of being sharpened in much the same way that I reject the idea of deep community in my life. But regardless of my rejections, if I want to be and stay sharp, it's what I need.

I remember being in a small group while at seminary. I joined it when I was going through a difficult time from a failed relationship. That small group was life to me! I had no idea that I would get to the level of intimacy that I did and share the things I shared. It was scary, and risky, and a gamble. But when I took the risk, the rewards of growth and relationship far outweighed it. The risk is worth it. Now, I just need to keep telling myself that...

Fitz, Youth Pastor

Jones Soda Bottle



I recently have developed a fondness for Jones Soda Cream Soda. It is quite yummy! Marcy had me choose a yummy drink to take on our vacation to Gulf Shores, Alabama, and that was my choice. I thought, "How cool would it be to get Colin's picture on one of their bottles!?" So I submitted one of his birthday pics. You can go here to vote on it and hopefully, they'll choose it...I mean, look at the kid. How could they not?!?

A Great Voice Silenced

I just read that Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007) died late last night after a battle with pancreatic cancer. What a sad day. He was able to do something for me that I would have previously predicted that no one would be able to do: develop an appreciation in me for opera music. His rendition of Nessum Dorma - his signature song - is one of the greatest musical performances ever:




Luciano, you will be missed...

A couple of trivia items regarding Pavarotti - Did you know:

• That he would always perform with a bent nail in his pocket that he had found somewhere on the stage?
• That he holds the world record for the longest standing ovation? Ninety minutes!!! Wow!
  

I am an Entertainer and a Creator

Or so says my personality profile. Inspired by my blogging buddy, DG, I retook my Myers-Briggs personality profile. I came back as an ESFP (which has changed, since I used to be an ENFP). The letters stand for:

• Extraverted: a preference to focus on the world outside the self.
• Sensing: Sensing people focus on the present, they are "here and now" people, who are factual and process information through the five senses.
• Feeling: They are ruled by their heart instead of their head.
• Perceiving: Perceiving people are flexible, like to keep their options open and think randomly.

Here is the description of that personality from the MyPersonality.info webpage:

ESFP - The "Entertainer"

ESFPs are cooperative, "here and now" people-persons that enjoy excitement and love new adventures. Because of their highly social nature, they are especially lively when they are the center of attention and hate being alone. ESFPs have a practical side that allows them to finish work efficiently and are often good problem solvers.

What do you think? Does this describe me? Let me know...

BTW, here is the badge created for me, which includes my results from that test and another one I took that dealt with multiple intelligences.

Fantasy Football Draft Day

Tonight was Draft Night in the same fantasy football league I have been a part of for the past three years. Once again, I don't expect at all to do well, but I'm in it for the fun of it. I try to do well, but I am in no way self-deceived to think that I have a chance to win. If I do, bonus! Only time will tell. Here is the team I came up with, including their draft order and bye week. Let me know what you think:

1. Larry Johnson - RB - 8
2. Ronnie Brown - RB - 9
3. Donovan McNabb - QB - 5
4. Lee Evans - WR - 6
5. Plaxico Burress - WR - 9
6. Deuce McAllister - RB - 4
7. Vernon Davis - TE - 6
8. Mark Clayton - WR - 8
9. Alex Smith - QB - 6
10. Shayne Graham - K - 5
11. Vernand Morency - RB - 7
12. Bernard Berrian - WR - 9
13. Baltimore - D/ST - 8

I'm a bit RB- and WR-heavy, but that way I have some players that are expendable when I need to pick up a TE, K, or D/ST during a bye week. We'll see if the plan works...I'm not holding my breath. :-)

Colin's Tricks

The Boy just keeps amazing and entertaining us. Enjoy!

WWTCD?

I just read a story of 11 people getting injured on a Tom Cruise movie photo shoot when they fell out of a moving truck during shooting. The article says that "One of them was seriously hurt and had to remain in hospital." This caused me to wonder if Tom Cruise, the staunch Scientologist that he is, would have allowed himself to be taken to the hospital if he had been one of the injured. Scientology, as a "church", has "a long history of opposition to drugs and medical attention of any kind but their own." And it's founder, L. Ron Hubbard, a science fiction writer of all things, once wrote that Scientologists that were taking courses were forbidden to seek medical treatment without permission from the "church," except in extreme cases. Now don't get me wrong, I believe that God - not L. Ron Hubbard, and not my own mind - has the ability to heal. But I also believe that He doesn't always do it in a miraculous way, as we would define miraculous. I believe that he works through doctors and medicine to heal His people and that it makes sense to seek treatment when necessary. For Tom Cruise and his fellow Scientologists to recommend otherwise is only harming themselves and their followers. He, as a main spokesperson, is only leading people astray.

Irony

I re-ran across this photo from our youth mission trip to Birmingham, and I still chuckle over it. It was taken in one of the churches we served while there. To me, it screams, "Irony!"

Procrastination, Procrastination is Making Me Wait...

The life of a procrastinator is not a fun one. It is now getting to the point that I sincerely wish that I had a different personality, one that has everything planned out weeks in advance so that when something big comes up, all I have to do is wrap up a few minor details. But alas, it's hard for a cat to change its stripes (is that how the saying goes?). So now, I find myself in a whirlwind of activity trying to get ready for the fall semester of ministry. We just had a busy weekend that featured a kick-off dinner for our SIMYs (our adult leaders) and our annual youth outreach Mud Olympics. Over 150 students showed up to play in the mud, and it was great fun, but it was scramble time right before, even though we started planning two months ago. Tomorrow, we have a preview night for our new 7th graders, Sunday is our Sunday school kick-off, and next Wednesday is our first Porch youth group meeting. AAAAAUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH!!! Crazy times! It will all get done, and done well, but it is insanity in the meantime. But as I always say, "Why put off until tomorrow what you can put off until day after tomorrow?"...It's sayings like that that get me into trouble...

Simpsons and Religion

On the heels of The Simpsons Movie - which was great, by the way - Beliefnet.com came up with a list of the Top Ten (Plus One) Religious Episodes on The Simpsons. It is fun reading! My favorite has to be Missionary: Impossible ("Save me, Jebus!"). Which is yours?

Back to Blogging

I just received a request from our Executive Director to set up a blog for our 40 Days of Community website, which I am more than happy to do. But it also reminded me how lax I have been keeping this one up to date. And now, since I am mentioned in an official way on our church's website, I guess I'd better be more diligent in posting. Heck, there's been plenty to talk about - sports stuff, family vacations, a preaching gig - but I just haven't had the energy or time to post. Must drink more coffee and find more time to post!!!

I'm in Birmingham!

I'm in B'Ham this week with 36 of our students and eight other adults on a YouthWorks mission trip. For updates, check out our youth blog at: http://theporchlacroix.blogspot.com/. You can also see the first batch of pictures at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcfitzie/. Talk at ya' soon...

Man, I needed that!

After having an interesting week, I was exposed to these two videos from Britain's Got Talent. Boy, did they come at just the right time. Good luck not crying during them, especially during Connie's...

Wow!



Now if we can just get a win in game three, then I'd be really impressed.