Stuff My Son Says - #3

Last week, Cameron and I were standing on the sidewalk, waiting to cross the street. He was looking to the right to see if it was safe to cross when he spotted a white car with a black hood bra, prompting this gem:

"We can go right after this car with the mustache."

I love that kid!

Introducing...

...a book!  (Sorry if that was a bit of a letdown.)

A couple of years ago, I started writing a book.  No, it doesn't have a title yet.  And yes, I've been rejected by more publishers than I care to remember.  But I think the topic is important enough and the content is good enough that I'm not willing to give up seeing this thing in print.

The story of how this book came to be is kinda long, so here's an excerpt from the actual Introduction that helps explain things.

The Project

In August of 2008, when I learned that I would be mentoring five dudes who were student leaders of a local campus ministry, I realized a couple of things:  1) I needed to make the gospel the focal point of discipleship. 2) I wasn’t cool enough, smart enough or experienced enough to pull this off. I also knew that I wanted to do more than just read and discuss the latest books.  I wanted these guys to get real gospel input from real gospel-loving people.

So over the course of a semester, I asked a different question each month via e-mail to a group of people who have influenced my faith over the years (pastors, mentors, professors, current church friends and old college buddies).  The actual questions touched on very practical aspects of experiencing and interacting with the reality of the gospel, generating some remarkable conversations.

As you’ll see shortly, the results of our little cyber-dialogue were much more than I bargained for.  The answers I received from these godly men were so rich and insightful that I not only wanted to share them with a few college students, but with as many people as possible. 

Sizable portions of what you’re about to read are simply honest and well thought-out answers to my questions.  Because of space limitations, I have only included answers from eight of the original sixteen participants. In addition to these answers, I’ve incorporated thought-provoking quotes from theologians, challenging passages of scripture, relevant song lyrics and my own (somewhat rambling, somewhat random) extended commentary on various facets of the gospel.

I hope that by reading, reflecting on, and discussing the following chapters, you can glean a deeper understanding and appreciation of the gospel’s magnificence and relevance.  And that you’ll laugh a few times along the way.  

March is More than Merely Mediocre

So March is more than half-finished and this is my first post of the month.  Why? Because I'm too busy partaking in the glory and splendor that is March!  Here are a few reasons why March is, as the French say, magnifique!


1.  Madness, baby! (must be read in Dick Vitale voice)
I don't start paying attention to college basketball until the day the NCAA releases the tournament bracket.  But then, like many Americans, I suddenly become interested in intriguing match-ups like Old Dominion vs Butler.  March Madness involves a lot of dramatic endings, the occasional Cinderella story, and massive overeating at my buddy's annual weekend-long tournament viewing party.  (This year, I'm bringing a cheeseball sculpted into a bust of Mike Krzyzewski).


2.  It's Magically delicious.
Nothing pays homage to the man who brought Christianity to Ireland like drinking Shamrock Shakes and wearing green boxers.  Everybody claims to be at least 1/32nd Irish on St. Patrick's Day.  I, however, have the name and tattoo to prove that I am, legitimately, 1/8th Irish.  So what if my great-grandpa was a Protestant from Belfast. That still counts, right?

3.  Take me out to the ballgame.
Spring training gives everybody hope that their favorite baseball team can contend for a pennant.  Unless your favorite team is Baltimore, Toronto, Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington, Pittsburgh, or Florida.  I took my son to a college baseball game this week in Lincoln, Nebraska, where we got a sunburned faces and an autographed ball. Good times! Hearing the crack of the bat for the first time means Spring is finally here.


4.  Speaking of spring...
Another sign that we are nearly out of Winter's evil death grip is Spring Break.  I've been to Florida a couple of times to hang out with thousands of crazy college students, engaging in spiritual conversations with many (that is, if they weren't too busy manning the beer bong).  This annual event is really important to me because I met my wife on a Spring Break trip - traveling from Ames, Iowa to Daytona Beach - 19 years ago this month.  It turns out you really get to know a person well by spending 26 hours with them on a bus.


5.  Happy birthday(s).
Two of my favorite guys in the world were born in March: my oldest son Liam (in 2000) and my only brother Mark (in 1976).  It appears that Liam will inherit his uncle's height (6'4") and sarcasm (vast).  Although far from perfect, I consider both of these fine young Downey men to be top notch dudes. 


6.  Fish Fridays.  
Because Lent lasts for 46 days, a portion of the season always falls in March.  I'm neither a big self-denial person, nor a huge fan of tradition, but there's something really significant about a period of time dedicated to repentance, devotion and contemplation. Anything that helps people appreciate the amazing events of Easter Weekend is a good thing.  


What about you?  What's your favorite thing about March?

VeggieTales and 90s Rock Bands

I was listening to the radio last week and noticed that a song by Blind Melon was followed by a Smashing Pumpkins tune.  Initially I wondered if the DJ was Larry the Cucumber. Then, after doing a quick mental inventory, I realized that there were a lot of 90s bands that seemed to be inspired by vegetation.  For example:

Gin Blossoms
Cranberries
Savage Garden
Fiona Apple
Guns N Roses
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Soundgarden
The Black Eyed Peas

OK, who can add to the list?  And no, Peaches and Herb is not a 90s band.

Stuff My Son Says - #2

It's wicked cold here in South Dakota (8 below zero as I write this - that's minus 22 Celsius for any Canadians in the crowd).  So last night while tucking Cameron in, I prayed that God would protect people that are outside in the cold.  Cameron felt compelled to be a little more specific.

Me: God, please protect anyone who is outside right now.

Cam: Yeah, like hobos warming their hands over a fire in a garbage can...

Stuff My Son Says - #1

My six-year old son Cameron is hilarious.  He is a one-liner machine; probably because he watches too much TV.  If he was old enough to have his own Twitter account, he'd have more followers than Ashton Kutcher.  Anyway, since he's funnier than me, I thought I'd use his material in this blog.  And yes, I know I'm blatantly ripping off the title of a popular - and somewhat inappropriate - blog ($#@% My Dad Says), but I promise the content of this new series of posts will contain fewer cusswords.  OK, here's the first ever attempt at "Stuff My Son Says."

Last night, Cam and Liam (age 10) were sitting at the kitchen counter.  Cam was kicking the cupboard and Liam asked him to stop.  He stopped for five seconds, then started kicking again.  Liam got mad.

Liam:  "Cameron!  I just told you to stop!"

Cam: "Sorry.  I have short-term memory loss."

Why I Love My Job

Technically, my title with CruPress (the publishing division of Campus Crusade for Christ) is "Senior Editor."  So I spend a lot of time writing and editing resources for ministry - videos, books, articles, website blog entries, etc.  But, as a member of the Research & Development department, I end up performing a variety of different tasks.  Here's what my morning looked like (in no particular order):

*  Finished up first draft of new evangelistic booklet.
*  Attended Skype meeting (with people from New York, Texas and Scotland) about a new instructional video.

*  Processed orders for ministry tools for upcoming Summer Missions Projects.
*  Met with R&D team in Orlando (via Skype) to discuss results of student training interviews.
*  Viewed a trailer for an Anime version of an evangelistic video, brainstorming how to use it on campus.
*  Drank a Diet Mountain Dew.

Working on projects that will have an impact on thousands of lives is a huge privilege.  And I never get bored because I'm pretty convinced that no two days look alike for me.  Except for the Mountain Dew part.

What about you?  What motivates you to go to work every day?