Highs and Lows... The Story of Us

I remember "The Story of Us" starring Bruce Willis and Michelle Pfeiffer. Jennie and I rented it because it looked like a good movie about marriage and all of the ups and downs a couple goes through.

Well, there's several scenes in the movie where they show the family at the dinner table, and each one shares their "highs" and "lows" for the day. It seems like a very cool tradition.

Before I share a few highs and lows, I'll just put this sort of disclaimer - that movie isn't very good, and has a fair amount of language. If you do choose to watch it, it is (I think) a realistic look at a non-christian marriage.

So, I guess here are a few of the "highs" from this past week....

- Tom & Marcia Bennardo and their daughters Lauren and Lindsey were here this afternoon. Tom is a long-time friend and pastor of mine, and they have been in Hilliard (NW Columbus) for about 8-9 years, planting and leading Life Community Church. We had Subway with them, gave them a tour of The Chapel's Green Campus, and - oh yeah - introduced them to Allie. Allie rules.

- Allie is one of the "highs" from every day. Right now Jennie has her in a bright-white outfit that actually looks like she's some angel (and she is). Strangely, it looks like she's dressed for a wedding, but we hope that's a few decades off. Allie still cannot smile on purpose yet, but is incredibly cute and has no need for such petty facial expressions. She is an awesome gift from God, and we are grateful and having a terrific time with her. I actually enjoy changing diapers. Who would have thought? Even the noise she makes when she poops is cute.

- I saw "I, Robot" yesterday, starring Will Smith. Jennie points out that I like to see movies when they open, as I always have to be the first to know. I plea guilty to that, and I'll add that "I, Robot" was really a great time for me. I love sci-fi-future-tech movies, but only if they are well developed and seem somewhat realistic. This movie was all that and more, with Will Smith doing a great job as the lead.

- Apparently Terry Pluto and his terrific wife, Roberta, are going to be our guests for a Young Marrieds event at The Chapel on Friday, September 24th. Terry is a sportswriter and author at The Akron Beacon Journal, and has a very strong faith as well. He and Roberta do jail ministry together.

- My friends Matthew & Kristi Harrelson had their baby, Kendra Nicole, last week. It was awesome to see them at City Hospital with their new daughter and her older sister, Kaitlyn. Matthew is in a men's small group with me, and I've enjoyed getting to know them over the last year or so. He is also a strong Michigan fan, having grown up in that state up north. Pray about that for me, will you?


Some of the "lows"?

- Well, Cleveland is in uproar over Carlos Boozer's breaking his word with the Cleveland Cavs and signing with Utah. This is a huge loss for the Cavs and for the NBA. We fans still like to think of our team and players as "good guys," but very few of them really are. It's all about the money - it's a business - as much as we "purists" like to delude ourselves. I am still a fan, but I don't expect these guys to behave as examples for the rest of us. As Terry wrote this week, "Don't let the millionaires ruin your day."

- Another "low" for me might just be a "high" for Jennie. Our beloved Sony PlayStation 2 is out of commission. Apparently, it skips now, pauses and gets stuck, and may have ruined a few of our games. (Don't worry, I only play one game really, and I don't even play it that much). The PS2 is also a DVD player that we use a lot. The good news is that the Sony corporation is going to repair it for FREE. I don't have a warranty, I don't have a receipt. They don't care. They are going to repair it for free, and send it back to me in 15-20 days. So, the "low" is that I can't play my game, but for Jennie, that is a possible "high."

- I am having another "low" as I try to get back into a consistent workout regiment. I went to the YMCA five times this week, in an attempt to jumpstart some sort of physical improvement. However, I am realizing it is going to take weeks and weeks of consistency to get back to where I want to be. It's all about self-discipline, and this is only the beginning... again. Jennie said today she can already see a difference, which is nice.

- I usually feel "low" when Allison cries for no apparent reason. Babies do that sometimes, you know. And about 47 people have told me things like "all babies need to cry - it builds up their lung strength." Fine, but it still stinks to see your little daughter cry. No, I don't pick her up just to stop her from crying, but it still is hard. That's all I'm saying. Hearing her cry is definitely not one of my day's happier moments. Sometimes it is pretty funny, though. You can tell when she's crying for attention. The term "crybaby" is a lot more meaningful these days."