ROLL MENTAL CAMERA

LOSS OF FOCUS 2 of 2

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Wait where was I? Doesn't have to be shiny to get me off track. Just could easily be morning

Roll mental camera...

Just a few minutes after Connor got side tracked on the "dials" the eyes started to get foggy yet again. Connor is a pretty sharp kid but by 9pm his brain pretty much shuts down. He was tasked with reading a short story and picking out the series of three words that meant the same as "always". Those three words were "all the time".

Connor got "all" right off the bat, but it went downhill quickly from there. He kept searching and searching for the other words. I knew he was getting frustrated when he started pulling out his hair, so I chimed in with, "remember the words are in a series."

The blank stare was upon us.

So I asked him what the word "series" meant to which he replied, "you know, in a row, like 1234." "so then if "all" is correct, then what are the other 2 words?" I said.

I actually heard the wind whistle through his ears.

"if the 3 words are in a series and "all" is correct, then the other 2 words must be?" I hinted further.

Nada, squat, no mas, zilch, dial tone, he had nothing left. Brain had checked out for the night. I finally broke down and showed him what he was missing. Connor's brain shuts down at night but I am the other way around. I can stay sharp until the wee hours of the morning, but get me up early and I am a drooling wookie that can only manage a loud grunt as an answer to a question.

It may not be the time of day or that shiny thing that distracts you from what is important in life. It may just be life that is the distraction. My focus comes and goes way to easy, I need some ritalin for the soul.

Do you have a bit of that ADHD when it comes to focusing on what is important?

Is your life the distraction?

What time of day does your brain not want to function?

LOSS OF FOCUS 1 of 2

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 05:00:00 +0000

That blank stare that tells anyone who looks that the lights are not on, the wheels aren't turning and the hamster has turned in for the night. Yep been there.

Roll mental camera...

Connor, my nine year old, was doing his homework the other night after we got back from Nebraska. It was late but he really wanted to get it done.

Soon he asked me to come over to help him. He needed to fill in the missing word in the following sentence, "The repair man turned the (blank) to adjust the TV's picture." Now for my generation or older that question would be pretty easy, but for a nine year old this was dang hard. He has never seen a TV with a dial on it.

Even after I hinted around and he finally guessed the word he couldn't refocus on his work. He had lost his homework mojo. He was off on a tangent asking questions about old stuff and how it worked back then. That one word took him off track.

Do you find that to be true in your life?

Headed one way and then "oh look something shiny," and off you go?

Yep me too.

Miss Me?

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:47:00 +0000

I know I haven't posted much the past few weeks. I could blame it on a bunch of different things but I really just didn't feel like writing. I didn't want blogging to become a burden I didn't enjoy so I took another break after last Monday. Can't promise I won't take another. But as long as I enjoy it and have something to write about, I will write.

RAISING MEN

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

There has been a lot of talk lately about the raising of men, as opposed to raising boys. Lots of books being written like "Raising a Modern Day Knight" by Robert Lewis and one I really want to read "The Broken American Male" by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.

It is not that I mind my boys staying kids as long as they can, because I don't. But when they do grow up I want them to be mentally and physically strong Christ followers. I also want them to be confident in what they do. But where do you draw the line between trusting in the Lord and trusting in themselves?

I heard Rabbi Boteach speak on the 700 club not to long ago and I agree with many things he says about our male youth. He said that many young males are being psychologically castrated when they are young and grow up not knowing how to be a man.

I think God placed us on this earth to be a warrior, and it is up to all of us fathers and mothers to make sure that we keep that spirit alive. I want my sons to be able to stand in the face of adversity and know that their faith in God and determination will lead them through. (All the while being a gentlemen, because you don't have to be a chauvinistic pig to be a warrior.)

Can I have an AMEN!

Do you feel that this generation of young males are learning to be men?

Is it still important for men to be in that alpha role?

Are your boys on their way to being warriors?

FRIDAY UNSCRIPTED

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

SO I FOLLOWED THE RULES OF BLOGGING AND TOOK THE MANDATORY 3 DAY BREAK THAT COMES AFTER YOUR 150TH POST.

What... you mean you didn't read that rule. Well you better hope the post police don't come after you.

Had to be back for Friday to post these 2 pictures. One should make you laugh and the other smile. So enjoy

REDNECK FIRE ALARM

Have to post this one of Shelly's it was awesome.
(Click on this one because it looks better big)

RAINY DAY FUN

THE FAIR

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

For my 150th post I thought I would write about an Oklahoman's favorite time of the year. The State Fair is a season in itself to most Oklahomans. They shortened it a few years ago from a massive 16 days down to a mere 11 and we were not happy about it. So most people make up for that by cramming 16 days worth of fun into about 6 hours. I just like to sit back and watch.

Roll mental camera...

Growing up if you wanted to ride the Midway rides you had to buy tickets and shell out 4 on this ride and 5 on that one. But in this new era of over indulgence the tickets just don't cut it anymore so the wrist band was born.

For a mere $25, one person can ride all the rides you want for the entire day. What a bargain (I'm kidding). But Connor my oldest sure enjoyed it. He jumped on every ride he could and tried his hardest to be the cool rider by raising his hands and cheering the whole time. But on a few of the rides he bit off more than he could chew.

The one ride that went upside down and spun around while dropping 30 feet turned him a bit pale. I could see the look of terror on his face as he blurred past me. But by the end of the terror rides he had usually shaken the fear and was back to full enjoyment. Well at least he always said how much he loved the ride after it was over.

I wear a wristband like that but it cost a whole lot more than $25. Jesus dying on that cross has given me a wristband to wear for eternity. I don't have to worry about times when I bite off more than I can chew. Sure those times can be terrifying, but I know that He will bring me out of it and into full joy. Just glad mine lasts more than a day.

Do you have your wristband on?

What feeling does it give you?

Do you have a ride that gave you the look of terror?

FRIDAY UNSCRIPTED

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

To finish off this week I thought i would throw at you some mildly crude humor. If you don't think this is funny there is something seriously wrong with you. Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Make sure to come back on Monday as Roll turns 150.

A man kills a deer and takes it home to cook for dinner.

Both he and his wife decide that they won't tell the kids what kind of meat it is, but will give them a clue and let them guess.

The kids were eager to know what the meat was on their plates, so they begged their dad for the clue.

Well, he said, 'It's what mommy calls me sometimes'.

The little girl screams to her brother,

"DON'T EAT IT, IT'S BUTTHOLE."

SELLING DRINKS 4 of 4

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Last but not least is the final installment of the series. I am thinking OSU needs put this in their football hall of fame.

Roll mental camera...

The entire day leading up to one particular night game was really hot. So we headed to the stadium in our hot weather selling gear, shorts and a t-shirt. Little did we know a massive cold front was on its way down for a visit.

We thought it odd that people were showing up in short sleeves but carrying coats and blankets. But we just thought they were using them for cushions. We sold a ton of drinks that first half in the heat but like clockwork the cold front pushed in at half time and the temperature drop 40 degrees in 20 minutes.

Needless to say the cold drinks dried up. Man what I would have given to be a hot chocolate vendor that day.

Planning and forethought was not in my bag of tricks back then. The world was now at this moment and nowhere else. I had no time or wanting to look down the road. Sure I paid the price freezing my butt off under the stadium, but that was part of the fun. You just never knew what tomorrow, or the second half, would bring.

Don't worry Shelly this isn't a mid-life crisis post but sometimes you just need to forget about tomorrow and live in the now. Easier said than done.

Any takers?

SELLING DRINKS 3 of 4

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Just 1 more day of selling drinks after this one, come on you can handle it

Roll mental camera...

To make the best money selling drinks you had to know how to cheat the system. You see you were given a huge stack of cups at the beginning of the game which you filled yourself and sold. At the end of the game the soda boss would come and count how many cups you had left. If there were 30 cups missing then you owed him $30, a dollar for every missing cup.

I have always been a quick study and quickly figured out how to minimize my payout. During the 4th quarter of the game I stopped selling drinks and focused on collecting cups that people had discarded. I could usually collect 15 or 20 cups by the time the boss man came around. But first I had to take them to the restroom and wash them out and dry them and return them to the stack of unused cups.

I am truly sorry to any OSU football attendees in 1990 that may have happened to buy a drink served in a used cup. Sure that cup may have been used for a spit cup or an ash tray but it was rinsed thoroughly. What you didn't know didn't hurt you (I hope). But hey I got to pocket alot more money thanks to your unknowing sacrifice.

I tried to apply that same reasoning to many thing in life, cutting corners or cheating the system. But it only succeeded in selling drinks. In any other real life experience where I have cut corners it has come back to bite me. So I learned pretty early on that paying your dues and doing it right the first time is always the best policy. My entire foundation in ethics based on used pastic cups, who would have thought.

Was there an instance in your life where you remember learning what ethics really means?

How about the time you learned to cheat the system?

Did it come back to bite you?

SELLING DRINKS 2 OF 4

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

back to selling drinks at the Oklahoma State football game many many moons ago, and I mean many.

Roll mental camera...

I order to make good money selling things to people in a stadium you have to scream stupid sayings like a New York carnie. I am not sure why, but it is carnie law so they say. No, I have no idea who "they" are.

So that explains why I never made good money. I couldn't bring myself to be creative in selling drinks. I heard guys yelling all kinds of stuff like, "Get your ice cold thirst quenching Coke here," or "Frosty cold Coke just waiting to please here."

Yes, you had to end every sales pitch with "here" just so they would know it was you talking and not the other guy with the cotton candy.

So my sales were directly relational to the weather. HOT lots of money, COLD not so much.

I am definitely guilty of not screaming "Get your one way ticket to heaven here," or "Got your good news and salvation here." If it is a hot crowd full of Christians I have no issues talking it up. But put me in a cold room of non believers and I get quiet in a hurry. I guess I think they will look at me like a New York carnie if I do pipe up.

Do you talk more openly about your faith to Christians than non?

Does the Jesus freak label scare you?

Does the guy saying "here" ever help you locate him?

SELLING DRINKS 1 OF 4

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Shelly and I went to the Oklahoma State football game this weekend and it reminded of a few stories of when I was in school there.

Roll mental camera...

Some of my buddies and I used to work the OSU games selling drinks. You would think it was to get into the game for free. But sadly this was pre Boone Pickens so if you had a student ID back then you got in for free. So we did it for the money.

We didn't make much, but it was enough to buy what was important to us back then, pizza and beer. My liver thanks me every day that I outgrew that phase of my life quickly.

I wonder all the time how different my life would be today if I would have been living on the straight and narrow path back then. It is scary to think that I might not have met my wife. Would I have liked to have lived a much cleaner life back then? Sure I would have, but looking at what I have now I wouldn't change it. I have no regrets (well at least of the things I can actually remember doing)

How different is your life now compared to your early twenties?

Were you a "straight and narrow" or a "wild and crazy"?

If you would have taken the opposite path back then do you think you could be in the same place you are now?

FRIDAY UNSCRIPTED

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

I really hope this clip didn't originate in Oklahoma but I wouldn't be surprised if it did. There really is no video just audio, so make sure your volume is up. Enjoy

TEENAGERS

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Shelly and I helped at Big Switch tonight because they were expecting and I think they had around 600 teenagers show up. All the angst and raging hormones was insane. But at least I didn't have to break up any fights.

I hope Connor stays 9 for the rest of his life. I don't think I am ready for a teenager. I am sure his mom would appreciate it to.

Ah to dream

THE SCARE

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Natalie's post yesterday reminded me of this so figured I would keep the scare theme going.

Roll mental camera...

I was sound asleep in my outstandingly comfortable memory foam bed when our security alarm decided to test the system. Which results in every alarm in our house going off all at once.

Do you remember in Ghostbusters when Sigourney Weaver AKA "The Gatekeeper" levitates 4 feet above her covers? Yea that was me but throw in an invisible catapult. I went from a dead sleep to nearly setting a record for long jump and the 100 yard dash all at once. I looked like Shaggy and Scooby Doo up in the air legs just churning.

In what felt like a blink of and eye I had sprinted through our entire house, in nothing but my undies, to make sure we weren't on fire or being invaded. I had such an adrenaline rush I couldn't go back to sleep for hours. Talk about a wake up call.

Three of our life group families have had that wake up call in the last week and have made the decision to start new groups. They want to bring the feeling we have for each other to a whole new group of people who may not have the chance otherwise. While it is hard for us to see them go we understand why they are. They will still be part of our family even if we don't get to see them every week.

I guess my put up or shut up post actually worked :-)

When was your last wake up call?

THE SHACK

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Our life group is going to read and discuss the book "The Shack". Shelly has already read it so now it is my turn. I have talked to many people who have read it and almost all of them have said the same thing, "you will laugh and then cry and then laugh and then cry."

I am not sure I am ready for a read like that. So I thought I would get your opinion on it if you have read it.

What did you think and is the quote above accurate?

Will it make a man cry too?

Now remember I haven't it so don't be a spoiler.

Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

This is a picture that Shelly took of Connor. You can see her reflection as well as the trees and grass behind her in his eye. That in itself is pretty cool but seeing the big picture that it came from amazed me. Can you make it out in the big picture?

Connor looks so happy doesn't he?

I know strange post, sorry. Just thought it was neat

PUT UP OR SHUT UP

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

I am guest blogging over at Bigisthenewsmall today so please head over there and lay the comments on thick.

Funny stuff will return next week

CALL FOR HELP

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Shelly has been spearheading the development of a mission trip. She decided to make good on a quote that she read many years ago from Gandhi, "Be the change you wish to see in the world."

You see our family decided to sponsor a family through The Box Project, which is a charity started by Martin Luther King Jr's wife to help support families that live well below the poverty line in the United States. Our family was a grandmother and her children and grandchildren numbering 9 living in a single wide trailer in disrepair.

But with the very little she has, Grace (the grandmother) has used what we send her to help others that have less than she does. She feeds kids wandering the streets and freely gives away anything she has for anyone in need.

Over the past few years we have learned some shocking things about the reservation they live on in South Dakota. It is called the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation and here are a few things we found out about a place that is near 11,000 square miles and is home to over 40,000 people.

97% live below poverty line
84% unemployment rate
Per capita income of less than $4000 a year
Life expectancy for women is 52 and only 48 for men
Infant mortality is 300% higher than national average
Teenage suicide rate is 150% higher than national average
33% lack basic water, sewage and electricity
Many families live in homes that have been considered condemned
Many homes are missing windows and doors where temps reach -50 degrees

So we are going to travel there on September 30th to see what we can do to help. But we don't want to go empty handed.

We are collecting some things that we can take with us in a trailer and will be giving them to around 90 people that Grace lives near and are in dire need of help.
Here is what we are looking for.

Coats of all sizes in kids and adults
Blankets, the warmer the better
Clear plastic sheeting to cover exposed windows and doors
Tarps or other material that can be used to patch or cover large holes in roofs
Plywood sheets that can be used for flooring
Anything else that can help keep people warm and dry this winter

Please send a message out to all your friends and family and let me know if you want to help in any way.

I will be posting again on this in a few weeks. Thanks for any and all of your help and showing God's love to people you don't know and please pray for us we are going to need it.

Below are a few websites and a video that will explain the plight of these people.

friendsofpineridgereservation.org

re-member.org

Drives me crazy

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Yesterday's post about the "wild hair" ended up causing me distress. Why you might ask? Well maybe you wouldn't but you are going to get the response anyway.

Hope made a comment asking what "wild hair" meant and when I went to respond I was going to link the Ask.com or Wikipedia answer. But all that did was prove that I am an idiot.

You see, it isn't "wild hair" it is "wild hare". I am in my late 30s and never knew it was "hare". Feel free to look it up if you want but I can't bring myself to link my own ignorance.

That is what distressed me. Ignorance like that makes me feel like a bumbkin. (Hope you will have to Google that one for yourself)

I can't even stand it if I think I am misspelling a word or using it incorrectly unless I am doing it on purpose. I would rather go through the trouble of looking it up in the dictionary or changing the word all together before I use it incorrectly. I can't even bring myself to text using any of the text lingo. I have to spell everything out.

I know... but it is my curse and I live with it.

So next time I get a "wild hare" to use a cliche' I will make sure and do the background check first.

When is the last time your own ignorance jumped up and bit you?

THE CLEANER

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

The wild hair grew crazy and unruly this weekend. I could not control it any longer.

Roll mental camera...

I usually try to avoid tackling large projects on holiday weekends, or any other week end for that matter. But our garage had become the catch all and was in desperate need of a clean out. The wild hair had been growing for some time but there was no controlling it this weekend.

Pulling nearly everything out of the garage, I actually used the leaf blower to clean out all the funk and then used the hose and broom to finish the job.

I pulled Shelly (under protest) into my project to help me reorganize because I have a tendancy to just throw everything away and I knew that would land me in hot water. Three hours and a bucket of sweat later the garage looked stellar. I can honestly say it looked better than the day we moved in. Of course the day we moved in the garage was stuffed full of all kinds of crud.

Don't you love when a wild hair takes over and you just have to clean/fix/build something? It is always inspiring to me when I see the final result. I just wish I could harness that wild hair because lazy comes back way to easy.

When was the last time the wild hair bug bit you?

What did you destroy or create?

FRIDAY UNSCRIPTED

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 05:00:00 +0000

GREAT TRUTHS THAT LITTLE CHILDREN HAVE LEARNED:

-No matter how hard you try, you can't baptize cats.

-When your mom is mad at your dad, don't let her brush your hair.

-You can't trust dogs to watch your food.

-Never hold a dust-buster and a cat at the same time.

-You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.

GREAT TRUTHS THAT ADULTS HAVE LEARNED:

-Raising teenagers is like nailing jelly to a tree.

-Wrinkles don't hurt.

-Families are like fudge...mostly sweet, with a few nuts

-Today's mighty oak is just yesterday's nut that held its ground.

-Middle age is when you choose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy.

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Matthew 7:7

The world is full of opportunities behind closed doors, so start knocking.
John Maxwell

opportunity knocks but impulse just lets itself in
Roger Garrett

I tried for deep and meaningful and this is what I came up with... Sorry
So you might want to take some good from the first 2

THE HUSSY

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 05:00:00 +0000

This post is not intended to offend. You have been warned.

Roll mental camera...

I was about 9 when that hussy family member of mine got knocked up. Yes she went out and got frisky with every Tom that she could find I think. She was bound and determined.

She hung around the house the whole time she was pregnant mooching off of all of us. Expecting us to clean up after her, feed her and give her all the attention because she was the pregnant one.

After all of that care we gave her, she gave birth and then took off and we didn't see her for nearly a week. We got stuck bottle feeding and caring for her babies the whole time she was gone. (yes I said babies, plural)

When she finally came back she buckled down and took over the mom duties. Finally we could sleep. I was never so glad to see that hussy, also known as our cat.

Have you ever had those times when you are so happy to have something/someone back that you forget about all the negative stuff you were thinking while it/they were gone. I was that way about Konnect this summer. Not sure if I wanted to start it all over again etc. But now that we are back at it I have no idea why I thought that. I am having a great time.

When have you welcomed back something you were nashing?

Have you ever had a hussy cat?

THE DRIVE HOME

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:00:00 +0000

The road less traveled? Nope this one is about the road often traveled

Roll mental camera...

I was driving home last night as I always do. Next thing I know I am pulling into my housing addition.

My heart starting beating fast and I was a little panicked because I had no idea how I had gotten there. I must have spaced out the entire drive home. I seriously do not remember stopping for a red light, making a turn or following the speed limit.

For all I know I was abducted by aliens, probed in who knows what kinds of ways and returned to earth right outside of my addition.

Do you ever feel that way about your life. I can't remember many of the things that got me to where I am today. I am just glad they happened and I am where I am. So if aliens were involved then I guess I need to thank them.

Do you remember how you got to where you are or is it a blur?

Where are you?

Do you ever space out on the drive home and not remember it?

TIGHT SPACES

noreply@blogger.com (Roger Garrett) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Tight spaces freak me out. I am not a fan, never have been, never will be.

Roll mental camera...

I used to spend some time out at my cousin's farm when I was a kid. No we did not go cow tipping. I am not sure that is even possible.

One time we were on a hike and found a big metal storm tube that ran underneath the road. My cousin wanted so badly to crawl through it to the other side. I could see the light from the other side so I figured it couldn't be that bad.

The tube/pipe was just big enough for me to crawl into but not big enough to turn around in. I started out fine but the farther I got into the tube the more freaked out I got. About half way through I was in full panic mode. I couldn't turn around and I didn't want to go any farther forward. CLAUSTROPHOBIA

I feel that way quite a bit about my faith. I can't and don't want to turn around and go back but going farther scares me as well. Where will it take me? What will I have to sacrifice? Will I lose all that comfort I have grown to like so much?

Are you stuck in the tube?

Does giving it all up for Him scare you?

Anyone else claustrophobic?