cake and ice packs

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The birthday party was scheduled months in advance. But that day arrives when the mamma and CEO of family parties is on the down low due to illness. The show must go on. It's a kid's birthday party - dad style.

Theme? Uh. The theme is bikes and scooters and roller blades at a skate park. 

Don't reach too far when you're a one man show in a skate park. Invite kids and "kids" that can help out and hopefully not get too injured. All you have to do is enjoy what the they do, or more accurately, get the kids into something that you enjoy. Win - win.

Pick up a few pizzas on the way home, sing in front of a themed birthday cake, and call it a day.

The following is a set of my very own detailed instructions, in case you're ever in need of a bike/skatepark themed birthday cake:

Step 1) 1 cake
Step 2) 1 toy bike and ramp - apply to top of cake
Step 3) Oh yeah, rinse bike and ramp thoroughly beforehand

Here's a compilation of the shabby amount of pictures and videos on the camera by the end of the night. I truly feel bad that I didn't get a picture of Elijah braving the slopes and Buggies jumping all over the place on his pedal-less Thomas bike and about a dozen other cool images. Please have grace that what was captured was captured:

Goody bags? Don't get me started. Do ice packs count? I sent most of the kids home with an ice pack. They come complimentary with your 2-hour rental of the Underground Skate Park. Really.

I'm going to be sore tomorrow.

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"Can we PLEASE do that again dad?"

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Accountability

Sermons are by far my favorite part of a church service. They make me laugh and learn and think over the most meaningful things in this life. But sermons are also a bit odd, with the man putting on his prophetic voice, standing up in front, talking as if he knows something.

He does know something. Does he? I've said before that seeing how someone lives tends to make me want to take in or disregard what's being "preached." It's the whole "you will know them by their fruit" thing.

Well today I learned a lot about Pastor Brown. His stake went up in my eyes, and it had little to do with the content of the sermon (which was hilarious, by the way).

Today after some announcements and general greetings, Kevin stood up in front of everyone, made a few fat boy jokes, and shrugged off holiday treats. But then he turned, with a sober face, to ask the roomful of friends to pray for him, for his resolution of getting his life together in the way of physical health.

That's a tremendous thing, coming from the leader. Coming from the guy who really does have so many other areas of life pegged. Ugh, to be vulnerable and risk failure in this way before his own flock. What kind of person does that? The kind I want to listen to.

I even appreciate the way he worded the request.

"Pray for me to get my life together in this way..."

He didn't focus on himself for too long. He didn't ask for miraculous intervention or willpower or suggestions on an effective diet and exercise plan. He just put it out there. And that takes courage.

Maybe courage is one of the things we should pray for ourselves. I believe in the other important virtues, and humility certainly ties into this. I believe that God can intervene miraculously. But I also know that the floodgates of heaven seem to open up on those with the courage to hold their own feet to the fire.