Praying/Laughing Friday

I met someone the other day that I believe is one of those people God puts in your way for a reason.   Although he was an utter stranger, he knew something of my struggles.  And he gave me two words of advice for survival:

1)      Pray 
2)      Laugh

It was as simple as that.  He swore those two efforts are what got him through his own difficulties in the past.

So I am going to try to make this a once a week thing.  Praying/Laughing Friday (I know, I know, it is an awful title; I haven't been able to think of anything clever).  Even as I type that I think about all the things I think are funny that would seem horribly sacrilegious paired with prayer.  I also think of all the weeks when I have no idea it even is Friday.  But I am going to give it a try anyway.

(P.S.: Anyone with a better title idea or other suggestions are welcome.)

PRAYER:

For today I have just included some quotes from the Bible that have always been a struggle for me to follow.  Love my enemies?!  I want their faces to fall off and their tongues to fall out.  Ok, maybe just the tongue part, they can keep their faces.  But love?!

According to Jesus it is cut and dry:

Luke 6:27-28

27 Jesus said, "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

And just how is love defined, anyway? 

1 Corinthians 13

13 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8 Love never fails.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

As I said in my last blog post, it breaks my heart personally and globally that we human beings do not treat each other better.  We’re all guilty of it, although I do know some people who seem exceptionally benevolent. 

So here is my prayer for this Friday: Pray for those who mistreat you, because love never fails.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY FUNNY:

What I have attached here should be a public service video for parents.   

When my boys were little, I was a total nutrition fanatic.  I made my own snacks.  I only served wheat bread (when the boys had white bread for the first time, they thought it was cake.)  After I found out Ryan had traded his homemade granola bar for a Twinkie at school, I actually wept.  Yep, I was ca-ray-zeee.  And I turned my boys into the world’s worst eaters.

By the time the girls came along, I had pretty much given up and let them eat what they wanted.  And wouldn't you know, they developed varied and healthy food choices, all on their own.  So I fully support Bill Cosby’s philosophy in this hilarious video. 

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Bye, George

Oh, George Carlin. Sigh. The comic idol of my youth. He inspired me to be funny. I cannot believe there will be no new laugh out loud observations on the absurdities of our culture.

I didn’t love the Seven Words stuff but I know he was really proud of that work and the impact it made.

I did love the everyday humor that was so relatable.

He was a latch key kid who frequently, because he was a kid, was latch-key-less. For which his poor mother would subsequently tan his hide. (Can you imagine being George Carlin’s single mother? Equal parts laughter and tearing your hair out.) All Catholic kids know that St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost things. George did a hilarious bit on losing his house key for the millionth time. He knows he’s going to get it, so he’s frantic. He prays to St. Anthony, finally saying, “God, if you see St. Anthony, would you please tell him I’VE GOT TO FIND MY KEYS!”

On the difference between Baseball and Football: In football you wear a helmet. In baseball you wear a cap. Football is concerned with downs. Baseball is concerned with ups.

Here it is:



And driving. Being stuck behind a little old lady for miles going about 15 miles an hour with her turn signal on. At first it appears no one is actually driving the car. But no, he says, I definitely see knuckles on the steering wheel.

And pets: Remember, every time you buy a pet, you’re purchasing a small tragedy.

And of course, my compadre, the Class Clown. (Are any of you surprised? I was passing notes to make people laugh in graduate school.)

Funny stuff. Funny guy.

Thanks, George.