Pastors have a tough job.
They are called to shepherd God’s church, which is kind of like herding cats….
It doesn’t help that everyone has a different idea of what a pastor’s role is supposed to be.
And they have to work hard to stay off the pedestal their church members want him or her to stay on.
Here’s a funny video by The Skit Guys that highlights their daily struggle:
Be sure to thank your pastor tomorrow.
They need your encouragement–not your criticism.
Today, I found myself singing “My Heart Will Go On” because sometimes a girl needs to dream.
Maybe my star crossed lover is waiting on the next sinking cruise liner.
The problem, though, is I never remember the words.
And then enters YouTube! A lyrically confused girl’s best friend.
The music video is a gem.
A floating bride?
A sophisticated recorder player?
A weird bald guy staring at the moon?
I just can’t take this seriously….
My sides are still hurting…..
Plus, you get to sing along with Celine–and wonder why there are two random men staring at the moon.
I watched the music video with three thoughts in mind:
The audience was enthralled while I was dying from laughter.
My hairbrush went back into the drawer (we’ll sing another day, my friend) because you can’t sing while hyperventilating.
If you need a good laugh, please watch this video.
It doesn’t take much to tickle my funny bone.
Most every day is filled with sprinkles of humor that make me smile.
Today was no exception.
The thrift store had several corny items…and I couldn’t help but snap a few pictures.
My friend, Mr Corn Face, would’ve been mine IF he hadn’t cost $20.
(He’s one special guy, I’m sure, but I couldn’t bring myself to spend that much money.)
I was reminded today that random, funny moments make for the best memories.
Take some time over the weekend to look for the silly side of things.
And if you bump into my friend Mr. Corn Face say hello for me.
I’m sure you’re familiar with the expression “There must be a special kind of hell for ________.”
It’s a saying that we use when people are so mean, so evil that we think there’s no hope of redemption for them.
Did you know that hell is a part of our vernacular?
The list goes on and on….
Seriously, I googled “colloquial expressions about hell” and found over 50! (Link below)
But my favorite use of hell is when we spell it out–for the children’s sake, of course.
“I told Bob he could go to h-e-double l.”
Which leads me to wonder why the people of Hell, Michigan don’t use this phrase as a tourism tag line?
The forecast in Hell is…
Go to Hell, Michigan today!
I find it ironic that a large majority of people claim to not believe in hell, and yet never question their vernacular.
This is a subject that needs to be discussed more.
As a Christian, I believe that hell is a real place.
I knew a boy years ago that joked around about partying in hell with the demons.
Trust me. There will be no party there. That’s one invitation you need to decline.
Why do we talk about hell so much?
I think it’s because, deep down, we all know sin is at the root of every evil committed.
Everyone’s looking for hope, for a reason to live beyond themselves.
Our early heritage of faith might be outlawed in courtrooms and classrooms, but it’s present in our vernacular.
It’s time to talk about the final destination.
For your investigation:
I have always wanted to be a comedian.
A comedian’s job is to look around, make observations, and then report them back in a funny way. Their brains are wired to see things from multiple perspectives.
And their family knows this all too well. If I was a comedian’s kid, I would sell the copyrights to the funny moments of my life to my comedian parent and ask for the royalties as my allowance.
Because every aspect of life has a good, bad, ugly, and funny side. Then you branch off into finding the good, bad, ugly, and funny side of each side I mentioned previously.
(This is the part where I throw in the total number of combinations. But I’m not that great at statistical probability.)
My only problem with comedy today is the overwhelming use of sexual innuendos and expletives.
The good use of a cuss word is a lot like drinking Coke. You can drink one every once in a while, but you know a) it’s not good for you and b) it can’t be rationalized to your water loving, health nut friends.
Which leads me to my next point: Why are most “clean” comedians so boring?
Most of their sketches are very cliché, which is why humor enthusiasts normally do not like them. (Notice I said “most” because there are some clean, funny comedians out there.)
And I think this is why most humor enthusiasts, especially Christians, struggle to find the proverbial balance.
Yeah, this guy is really funny, but cusses like a sailor. This gal is a Christian comedian, but she hasn’t updated her jokes since the ’80s.
I bring this up because we all need a good dose of humor in our life.
We all want to laugh and comedians make us laugh.
There’s nothing wrong with that either!
Just be careful as you listen.
I simply can’t look at myself in a mirror without making funny faces.
And, this might seem a little strange, but I often find myself laughing at the funny faces I make. But then again, I often laugh at my own jokes. (Why would you tell a joke that you, yourself, wouldn’t laugh at?)
I’ll explain more about this odd introduction a bit later….
Silly face!
Mirrors are a lot like guns, money, and social status. They are not evil in and of themselves.
When you stand in front of a mirror, it’s not saying or implying anything.
All of those critical voices you hear as you stand in front of a mirror?
Wow, you’re looking pudgy!
Look at those wrinkles!
Did you get dressed in the dark?
Your sister, brother, mother’s cousin’s boyfriend looks better than you.
Yeah. The mirror is not saying those things. (And, if it is, run!!!!)
The voices we’re hearing sound a lot like ourselves or the critical people in our lives.
It’s true. The mirror is not our enemy.
We need to stop hating the mirror and start dealing with the real monster: Our self-perception.
Which brings me to why I make funny faces…..
It’s because I like who I am as a person and I’m not going to let negative chatter slow me down anymore. I get that there are some flaws, but guess what? That’s a part of life.
If you blame the mirror–or someone else–for your faulty perception nothing will change. Then you’ll just be angry and bitter, which will only make it worse.
Changing how you think about yourself? Now that changes everything.
So, next time you’re in front of a mirror and the voices start screaming, make a funny face and tell them to buzz off, okay?
Let’s have a little fun this Friday.
Here are 5 random things that made me think/laugh this week:
What are some things that made you think/laugh this week?
I love to tell jokes. They’re a lot of fun–if told with the right attitude.
Which brings me to today’s talk…
Being mean spirited in your humor is not okay. Here’s a few categories:
This list can go on and on because anything that has a positive side also has a negative side.
I would be a liar if I said I’ve never laughed at or told a mean spirited joke. We have all laughed at inappropriate things.
But that doesn’t make it okay.
And that’s the hard part….
Look, I’m a fairly black and white person. There is no middle ground with me. Right is right and wrong is wrong. The end.
I’m not a prude or a religious “everything is sinful” kind of person. At some point, though, we all must decide a standard to live by.
We can’t say it’s not okay to discriminate or disrespect others in all areas–except joke telling.
Just because something is funny doesn’t make it right.
And saying “just kidding” is not a magical eraser that negates the power of your words.
Please, everyone, have a life filled with joy and humor. I’m not saying you can’t ever tease in a playful way.
We all know the line.
We all know when a joke’s bad or gone too far.
Use discretion, okay? What if it was you on the receiving end?
Now, back to reading my joke book…
audra gayle 