I Thought I Had Ups

This week my 7 year old challenged me to a slam dunk contest. When he did, my mind went back to the day when I soared through the air like Michael Jordan. Ok, so maybe Michael Jordan is a stretch and the fact is that any dunking I did back in the day was on a 7 or 8 foot goal. That being said, I do remember having some game. While Nike never came knocking on my door, it seems like I remember at least being able to move without feeling as though my feet were glued to the floor.

Now, being 43 years old, and having a challenge thrown down by my 7 year old, I was determined to lace up the shoes and to show him some old school moves. Lowering the goal to 7 feet, I was confident I was going to impress him. By the way, just so you don't get the idea that my kid is a giant, he has a small goal that he would be doing his dunks on not the 7 foot one. As we showed our stuff, I couldn't believe that at 7 feet, I actually missed some dunks. I figure with my 5'-10 1/2" frame and my long arms, it is only necessary to catch 1 or 2 inches of air to slam on a 7 foot goal. I'm guessing that apparently on several attempts the air beneath my feet was less than the required 1 to 2 inches, since I came up short.

While my son dazzled me with his fancy moves, I can assure you nobody was dazzled by my pathetic attempts. I was able to slam a few home, to save complete humiliation, but even my 4 year old appeared to have more ups than me. I think the lowest point of the contest came when out of a possible score of 50 my son gave one of my dunks a 36. If you know anything about the slam dunk contest, below 40 completely stinks and trust me, my boy knows that. To be honest, I thought the dunk deserved more like a 20, I'm just thinking he was being nice to his dad.

As I'm writing this, I have about 10 minutes left before I hit the court with my two boys for a little two on one. And while I have to work and have to take care of all the responsibilities that come with being a pastor, a husband, and dad, I must admit this is one thing I try to place a priority on. No, I don't always do it right and yes, there are times my boys take a back seat to all the other stuff. But, thank God for those times I get it right.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I'll take the 36s on my dunks. I'll take those moments when my skills feel like they have got up and went. I'll take those moments when I feel like my shoes are glued to the ground. I'll take those sore knees and other aches the day after. I'll take every loss on the chin. I'll walk through it all if it means that I get to spend time with two of my best friends.

I could go on and on, but my 10 minutes is up and I've got a couple basketball players warming up on the court ready to take on their dad. Time for "Air Jordan" (that's my nickname) to lace em up and show these youngsters how to play this game. They're going down, today! Oh, yeah they are going down!

The Best Football Game Of The Week

Believe it or not the Monday night game that pitted Brett Favre against his old teammates was not the best game I witnessed this week. Oh, sure it was a good one and Favre once again pulled some Monday night magic out of his hat, yet I can't say it was the best game of the week. As a matter of fact, no NFL or NCAA game even compares. This game wasn't watched by millions of fans and to be completely honest wasn't even played in a big stadium.

The game starred two rookies who attempted to get the best of a wily old veteran team. A veteran team who has lost some speed and agility through the years but has gained in wisdom in order to compensate for its losses in physical ability. There was a lot of chatter going into the game, but as we all know the outcome is always determined on the field. It was apparent by the opening kickoff that the veteran team was in trouble as one of the young rookies took the opening kickoff the length of the field.

By the time the dust had cleared, my young boys, er, I mean the young rookies had pretty much whipped the older, wiser team. Ok, so I let the cat out of the bag. The fact is these little one's of mine are just way too fast. And although it's tough for them to bring me down, its nearly impossible for me to even catch them. It was quite a one-sided affair. I don't much care for losing, but the truth is I'll lose to that tandem anytime.

Naturally, nobody else would find this backyard game of football of much interest. Oh, I'm sure there are a few that would pay to see this overweight, out of shape, increasingly gray-haired man trying to track down his swift-footed boys, but lets face it other than that, this game offered very little that would appeal to anyone but those involved. Yet, for those involved, it was a blast. Sure, the day after, I felt every tackle, every hit, and pains in muscles I didn't even know I used. Still when compared to Favre's Monday magic, the Texans romp of the Raiders, and the Cowboys, (well, let's not even go there) this game of football with my boys wins hands down.

If you're a Dad or a Mom, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Nothing really compares to those moments you spend with your children. At least that's the way it is for me. I love it. I wish I had more time to spend with them. Let's face it, there's coming a day when they'll grow up and those moments when they come to me and ask, "Daddy, will you play with me," will be a thing of the past. Those with older children have already experienced this I'm sure. That's why is so important to cherish those moments while we have them, and place a priority on spending time with our children while we can. Having spent 15+ years in youth ministry, I never once had a teenager come to me and tell me, "My parents spend way too much time with me." On the other hand, if I had a dime for every time a young person came to me struggling with the fact that their parents never had enough time for them, I would be a wealthy man.

Time is the commodity most needed by your little ones. Not money, not stuff, but you. I must admit, there are those moments when I fail miserably at this. Those times when they are screaming for my attention and my time, and something else take priority. Yes, its obvious that there are moments where it is impossible to set aside everything and focus only on them. We have to work, we have to run a household, we have to do a million things it seems some times. I'm referring to those moments when something takes priority over spending time with my children that in the grand scheme of things is of little importance. I mean let's face it, can't I do my internet surfing later? Is it possible to record what I'm watching and come back to it later? Yes, I know you're tired from a hard day's work, but do you have 20, 30, 60 minutes left in the tank? Maybe, its just a few minutes but if you'll put everything you've got into those few minutes, trust me, you'll not regret it.

I mentioned my experience with teens earlier, but the same holds true with so many parents. I can't recall a parent ever complaining that while their kids were growing up they wished they wouldn't have spent so much time with them. However, how many parents have you known that regret the fact that they were always too busy to spend quality time with their children while they were growing up? Determine to spend time with your children. Turn off the TV, turn off the laptop, and get in the floor or go outside and have a blast. Trust me when I say, it'll be the best time of your week.

I enjoy watching 40 year old Favre run around the field and throw the football like only he can. But watching him could never compare to the moments when this 42 year old, gets to race around a back yard trying to catch my 3 year old and my 6 year old. Its true they came out on top this time, but I've been working on a new game plan for our next encounter. And next time, they're going down baby, they're going down!!!