Lessons From a Whirlyball Game

The men at The Grove took another trip to play whirlyball this week. We try to do so 3-4 times a year. What is whirlyball? It's a combination of bumper cars, basketball and whiffle ball hi-ly. There are 5 members on each team - red and yellow. You race back and forth passing the ball among your team members and shooting at a backboard with a hole in it - 2 pts for hitting the backboard and 4 if you get it in the hole.

Besides a great time of fun where men are allowed to be kids again and let their competitive juices flow - there are some lessons learned.

#1- Just when you think you are rolling along through life smoothly, something can rear end you!

#2- Those that judge you don't always have a clear picture of what's going on. ("I call them as I see them!")

#2a- What are we showing to others who are watching us so close?

#3- When my mother told me to keep my hands to myself, she had no idea I would need to disregard her rule when I got older and had to compete against a couple of Grovers! (You know who you are!)

#4- When you have a clear shot at something and you think you've got it in your grasp, someone or something can run it over and stall your whole plan.

#5- There will always be cherry pickers in life.

#6- Christian men can have fun and it still be legal and moral.

#7- "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" Psalm 133:1

I hope you can join us next time!

How Do You See Things?

As I've been deeply involved in preparing each week for the marriage workshop at the Y and the messages on Sunday mornings, I've had a chance to go down memory lane. I can't believe that on March 25th I will have been married to my best friend for 37 years!

An interesting thing happened last week at our first Men's Fraternity Tuesday night group. The lesson was on "What Men Need To Know About Women". The top four needs identified by women were security (relational and financial), conversational companionship, significance, and affection. I know as our conversation started that many men obviously look at things through different glasses. I'm excited to hear what men experienced when they did their homework and talked with their wives or girlfriends about this and both completed their personality profiles.

I know that the enemy seeks to destroy our marriages because he can then break down the family. My prayer for the marriages at The Grove is that we see our spouse as God sees them and receive them as a gift from Him.