Scary Christmas

I'm at home thinking about how good life is.

My boys are sleeping warm in their beds. Christmas decorations are up. The presents have been bought. My wonderful wife is finishing up laundry. My dog is cuddled up next to me in my chair.

I'm even okay after my surgery yesterday. It's official, Liza and I won't be having anymore babies. Despite the discomfort, it wasn't a bad experience. Fortunately I have a nice health care plan that defrays the cost.

Life is good.

With the extra time I've spent not moving, I've been reading alot of news. Of course the 2 things in world current events are the climate deal in Copenhagen and the passing of the health care bill.

And that's when my Christmas got scary. I don't know enough about either, but that's the scariest part. Our president was in Copenhagen making deals for billions of dollars to fix or make right our "involvement" in climate change.

Funny how they don't use "global warming" anymore. It's a crock of hooey. There is just as much, if not more, evidence against it, but somehow the media and our government jam it down our throats.

If you tell people about it enough, they start to believe it. Just like "evolution" and "separation of church and state" and the super deadly "swine flu virus". Bunk.

And then the Senate just got the 60th vote needed to pass the health care reform bill. It took alot of compromise, and the only happy people about it are the president and Harry Reid.

In my opinion they're only happy about cementing their place in history. I don't see how this is what's best for our country. We don't need more government. We don't need bigger government. Our government is supposed to be of the people, by the people, for the people. Not by people who "know what's best for the people", sneak it by the people, to control the people. We're losing our freedom....I'd argue it's pretty much lost.

You do realize that with the passing of this bill, we will be forced to buy health care coverage. Notice I said "buy". It's not free! And taxes will go up. Better (more like worse) yet, they want to push this through be Christmas Eve. Why? Because it's losing steam. Fewer and fewer Americans want it as they learn more about it and the truth comes out. So instead they want to rush it and make it happen.

See what a senator from the heartland had to say.

http://www.detnews.com/article/20091219/OPINION01/912190306/Sen.-Mitch-McConnell--Approving-health-bill-would-be-historic-mistake/?imw=Y

Scary, huh?

Our goverment has spent billions, er, trillions of dollars in just over a year and this Copenhagen treaty and health care bill will cost us probably trillions more.

Scary Christmas to all.

But I have to admit, as I'm writing this I do have a sense of peace. I'm reminded of a story that should be fresh in our minds at this time of year. The story of Jesus. When he came to us, the government was seeking additional power and control. Every person was "forced" to return home for a census. Just like now, the government wanted more control.

So just like I wrote recently, the more things change the more they stay the same.

But I should add something else to list of things that never change. God. He's still in control. As much as members of our government like to think they are. As much as they know what's best for us, there is One who does.

And He doesn't change.

Suddenly this Christmas isn't so scary after all.

Change... Life Happens.

Let me preface this by saying I started writing this entry on Wednesday before I knew how my life was going to change. Yes, it looks official that the Saab brand is wound down. Where that leaves me? Time will tell.

Ah, the paradox of constant change. The more things change, the more they stay the same. There are only a few things constant in this world, death, taxes, and change.
Change is inevitable. Change will happen.

I like to think of myself as consistent. Call it level headed,or call it even-keeled. Call it boring. That's just who I am. Don't get too up. Don't get too down. Hope for the best, plan for the worst. Take the highs with the lows. Lots of cliches, I know, but it's the best way to sum it up.

Some of it is my natural personality. Alot of it is based on life experiences and wisdom from people that have poured into me. It's served me well.

Maybe that's why I roll with the punches so well. That doesn't mean I enjoy being punched, it just means I "stick the jab" and keep fighting. I get back up and keep on going.

But more than being consistent, I think it's more about adaptability. I've seen 36 years of not everything going as expected. I can't control everything. I can plan everything out and do my best to make sure nothing happens, or plan to the best of my ability and adapt when things aren't as I'd like.

The first option is an oasis, dream or nirvana. I like to use the phrase "Life Happens." Because it does. Man, life and it's challenges are what make life, life! Don't get me wrong, I like knowing. I like to have control over my circumstances, but adapting as uncertainties or things I don't like come my way is rewarding.

Adapting to things in life is essentially coping. Coping is often how we learn.

I see that carrying over in how Liza and I parent the boys. We call it our "Ben and Nicole" style of parenting. It involves alot of picking up crying boys, rubbing bumps and bruises and wiping tears. It usually ends with a "You're okay" and a pat on the tush.

I have to brag on Ben and Nicole and their kids for a moment. The end result of their style is tough, adaptable kids. That family has been through the ringer over the last few years, but you wouldn't know it. The kids may cry from time to time, but they get right back up and go.

I always remember a young Bryce, who probably was in his first weeks of running. He comes running down my parents hallway, reaches the kitchen floor, and wipes out! Uncle Nate, with his first nephew down, does the huge gasp of concern. I go to pick him up, but he starts to get up, says "I'm okay!" and starts running again. I laughed so loudly. What a great moment.

I vaguely remember similar situations as I grew up. It usually ended up with Dad telling to brush the dirt off, or rub some dirt on it, or spit the blood out of my mouth.

I'm not really sure how that ties in with "change" other than that life will pull the chair out from you from time to time. We can get rid of the chair, so that it can never be pulled out from under us. We'll get hit in the face with a baseball. We can quit playing so we never get hit again We can sit there and feel bad about it, or we get back up and be ready to go again.

Isn't that the attitude we should have? I mean, life is going to happen. We can do our best to eliminate potential pains and danger. We'll never eliminate it all. So what can you do? You chin it. You learn how to deal and you learn about what you actually can control.

This whole situation with Saab has been like a jab, a left hook and then the upper cut as an attempted knock out blow. Last August, I was asked by GM to interview for a job at Saab. Flattered that Saab wanted me, it essentially meant GM didn't. That was the jab. Then in November, the original sale of Saab fell through. We all thought it was a done deal. That was the left hook. We dusted ourselves off and then it appeared there was a new buyer. Just today, that deal fell through. And there was the uppercut.

What can I do? Pick myself up, spit the blood out of my mouth, check my teeth, and get back at it.

My mind is flooded with Rocky quotes, but the ones I'm thinking of right now are from Rocky V and the latest movie, Rocky Balboa.

My apologies for the "b-word"



And then this one:



Lastly, I've had this quote up in my cubicle for most of my career. Charles Swindoll's quote on Attitude.

It says this: The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.

Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past. We cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable.

The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitudes.

I'm ready to go. I didn't hear no bell. One more round.

Filling a void

Today, I think I just have to get the Tiger Woods thing off my chest.

Man, he killed me. I know he's a celebrity I don't know personally, never met, and will probably never meet. But he was the athlete I chose to follow back in 1996. When he was winning his 2nd US Amateur title. I have the golf magazines, articles and photos to prove it. I even have the 2 page "Hello World" Nike ad from the Wall Street Journal from the day he announced he was turning pro. I took heat for saying he'd win the 1997 Masters.

I bought the "Frank the Tiger headcover" before it was mass produced. From 1997 through 1999 I probably had 75% of the Nike golf shirts he wore. In my size of course. I bought 2 pairs of his first signature shoes. I had the hats. I started hitting Nike golf balls. As fate would have it, we even hit the same 3 wood when he joined the tour.

Obviously, I was all in for Tiger Woods.

I had many detractors who thought I was nuts for following a flash in the pan. By 2000, I was getting emails and phone calls apologizing for that!

As of last year, I have 2-3 bins of Tiger Woods memorabilia and stuff like bobble heads, golf balls, and posters. I was waiting for the day when I had the opportunity to create my man cave with Tiger Woods stuff. Today, the 2 page WSJ ad is hanging on my boys' wall in their bedroom.

But not much longer.

It has to come down. As a father, I can't tell my boys to be like Tiger anymore. He was never the perfect role model, but you could talk around the club throwing and cursing. But even this past season I started considering taking it down as his propensity for tossing clubs and cursing audibly become much more frequent.

But how do you tell a kid to be like Tiger now? Not my boys. I want my boys to love their family, their mother, their wives (someday) and children. I want them to be honest and trustworthy. I want them to have integrity.

Tiger the golfer will always be intriguing to me, but he has fallen from favor in grace in my eyes. I will probably still cheer as he chases the career majors record of Jack Nicklaus. I love seeing history being made.

Some may say I'm being hard and judgmental. Others will say he's human just like everyone else. Others will say, he's a man and has needs. Say on, ya'll. I defended him too when the news of the FIRST mistress broke. But 10 women later, and the details of the affairs was enough to push me away.

He's a fraud. He was nothing more than a dude who plays golf better than anyone else. But more importantly he was nothing more than a marketing image. He's the best at his craft, and his endorsements painted him as a good man too. We were lied to.

I'm one of the most loyal people you'll ever meet. And I'm a very forgiving person too. And no he doesn't owe me, you, or anyone but his family an apology. But for me to be a Tiger fan again, he's going to need to change his ways. A public apology will be a start, but actions speak louder than words. Show me you're a changed man, Tiger.

Deep down though, I feel for him. Like child actors and singers, Tiger never enjoyed a normal childhood. At the age of 2, he was already on TV! Of course, even at that age he wanted to be the best golfer of all time. But all the practice and preparation limited his time to be a kid. My guess is his whole life was and is golf. By his teens, he was going to be the next great thing, his life already on television and in the media. By 20, he had over $60 million in the bank, the world at his feet, and lots of power.

Who was gonna tell him no?

Only one person probably told him no. His father. It was easy to see that his father was his life. When he lost his dad, maybe Tiger lost his moral compass. Within no one left to steer him, and no one there for him to disappoint, Tiger went elsewhere to fill the void.

And now I'm looking for a new sports hero for the boys, and filling a void on a wall in my boys room.

In the meantime, I'll be praying for you Tiger.

So Who Is A Role Model?

"I am not a role model..." Charles Barkley 1993 Nike Commercial

So this Tiger thing has created alot of responses to my last blog. Of course it got me thinking some more, so here goes.

First thing I thought of was the Barkley commercial from the early 90's. Fact of the matter is, he's right. He's not a role model. He went on to say "Well, I don't think athletes should be role models. I think we are very lucky and blessed, but I think, the only thing we do is we have a God-given ability, just because I can run and dunk a basketball that shouldn't make me a role model."

For the record, Tiger was never a role model for me. I'm older than he is, and I have always had great role models in my life. Even when I was younger and Tiger was bursting on the scene, he was just the next great thing. I started following him.

I think Jared and Dave said it best. Admiration. I had alot of admiration for what he has done, and for how he carried himself. What I liked about the early to mid-90's was that I saw my generation saying "We don't have to wait to be great." I was a huge fan of the Fab Five at Michigan. We graduated from high school in 1991, and so I related to them that way.

Up until then, and there were always exceptions, youth had to wait to make an impact in sports. Occasionally, guys like Isiah and Magic would come around and be great right away. But they were the exception more than the rule.

I admired the Tigers and the Fab 5 because they knew they had the ability to be great at what they did and went and did it. I guess I lived vicariously through them because I, like any other kid, would always hear people tell us we had to wait. Our time would come.....

So Tiger came along, started whupping up on the old timers, winning majors before he was "supposed to" and things like that. And he handled it in a professional, classy way. I admired that and became a big fan.

But things change and my view on Tiger has to change now. I will always admire his golf ability and talent. But we are who we are. Tiger the golfer is Tiger the cheater. He's not 2 different people, but he lived 2 different lives. He had his public, competitive, marketing driven life, and he had his private life. His private life IS his private life, but we were led to believe it was a private, family focused life.

So my search for a role model is not for me. It's for my boys. I'm closer to age 40 than 30 these days and thus gave up on athletes and celebrities as role models long before Tiger even came along. I recognized they live in a different world. My role models are many, and basically they are examples for how I would like to be. They are men like my dad, my father in law, my uncles and Liza's uncles. They are great men who put God and family first. A bad word could not be spoken of any of them. That's how I'd like to think people look at me.

So I know how to be a good example to my boys. I believe I am and will be a good role model to them. But I also know that young boys watch television. Kids are the ones who want to buy jerseys in order to be like so and so. They are the ones who are in the backyard playing ball saying "I'm A-Rod". They're the ones in the driveway putting on their Lebron jerseys and working on copying his moves.

My boys are still young enough for me to be their hero. But in a few years I just become Dad and professional athletes become the heroes. I'm convinced that's the natural course of things in today's world. It doesn't mean I've changed. But Dad isn't on television. Dad doesn't dunk a basketball. (Especially this one.) Dad doesn't have his own line of shoes. At some point I will just be Dad, the guy who is unappreciated for putting a roof over their heads, food on the table, and clothes on their back. I was that way until I really grew up and learned to appreciate what my dad did for me.

That's why I say I'm looking for a role model now for my boys. They will latch onto the things and people I like right now. I can influence them their entire lives, but they are very receptive and moldable now. I want to show them that the athletes to cheer for are the ones like Alan Trammell, Joe Dumars and Steve Yzerman. Guys that I wanted to be like as a kid. Guys that do good in their arenas AND are good, moral people off the field. There aren't many these days.

So....I'm going to be looking for someone to trumpet to my boys. I plan on being THEE role model for my boys. But when the day comes to buy my boys their first replica jersey, I know it won't be one of mine. The million dollar question is: Who do I want it to be?

Way Too Long

Here I am again, after promising to do better at keeping this updated. Each time I promise, I go longer in between posts. I have good excuses, but this is therapy for me too.

So last time I blogged, Jakin was 11 months old. Today, he's a rambunctious, energetic, walking, running, talking blur of fun. He absolutely loves life and his family.

Last time I blogged, Liza was about 7 months pregnant. Today, we have a 7 month old bundle of joy little boy named Grant. He too is healthy and ready to take on the world. He's constantly baby talking and just started crawling. He loves watching Jakin and the dog, and the highlight(s) of his day is getting a bottle every three hours.

Both of my boys have the greatest smiles in their own special way. They light up their faces and in turn light up the room. I love getting home from work because 99% of the time Jake comes running to the door and Grant starts looking for me. Then it's smiles all around.

So all in all, my life is good. Never better. God's been good to the Hoods, even amidst the drama in my career right now. I've been working for GM for almost 10 years, and the last 12 months have been crazy. 3 rounds of major layoffs, salary reduction, CEO resigning, bankruptcy....not pretty. Then I took a position within GM on the Saab transition team. Long story short, I would go to a new Saab company when GM sold the brand.

If you've seen the news, the original deal fell through and now we're in for a period of waiting for what's next.

It's scary, but only if I think about it. I'm great at home, and great at work for the most part. But if I dwell on it too much I do start to worry. What's crazy though is I have an overwhelming level of peace. Since we heard that the deal fell through, I've had a week's worth of fantastic, peaceful sleep. I haven't that much good sleep in ages.

Bottom line, it's all in God's hands. Jesus is my portion. I'm under His shadow. He makes His face to shine on me. I am highly favored. These are the thing running through my spirit. God has been good. God is good, and He will always be good.

And deep down, I almost feel like it's time for a change. I was led back to writing, hence why I'm here today. I've always loved writing, going back to elementary school, high school, etc. It's like therapy for me, and I feel like I say things better when I write. I would love to find a way to make a career out of this. Anyone know how?

What's better?

So I’m trying to decide.

What’s better? Jakin as a little newborn baby, or Jakin as the energetic crawling 11 month old.

Obviously, the answer is they’re both the best. I may have said it before but being a father is the best. These last 10 ½ months have been some of the best of my life. As much as baby brings so many new things to a house, and they bring a new level of busyness, sleeplessness and messiness, it’s all worth it.

I almost feel like I’ve never had a bad day since he’s been born. Granted, I’ve had some rough days at work, but the second I get to my boy, it all goes away.

When he was a newborn, I loved holding him and having him fall asleep in my arms. If I was lucky, I’d nap right next to him on the couch. There was such a peace in those moments.

Now, it’s the joy and happiness I see in him. When Liza calls me during the day, I usually hear him chatting or laughing in the background. When I get home, all we have to do is make eye contact and he gets the biggest smile on his face. He crawls over and play time begins.

You can see now that he loves his mom and dad. If we leave the room for a second, he’s quickly behind us checking up on us. If he can’t see us, he starts crying sometimes. And like I said, he lights up the room when Liza or I walk into the room.

I love seeing how much he’s learning. He holds his own bottle. He’s crawling and loves pulling himself up. I think his favorite thing right now is holding onto mine or Liza’s hands to pull himself up. When we put him in his crib, he pulls himself up. And I think he’s trying to talk now. We tell him to say “MumMa”, and” buhbuhbuh” comes out. I can’t tell yet it if it’s baby talk or if he’s really trying to say the word.

He has an affinity for power cords and Kobe’s water bowl which means he’s learning what “No” means now. He’s been scolded enough to know what it means. If he heads that way and touches the bowl, all we have to do is say “No” and his bottom lip protrudes into the cutest little pouty lip. At that point, it’s hard not to pick him up and just hold him. It’s precious.

Last night we were watching him play in his little play area. You could see the wheels turning as he picked up each toy. Then he rolled over and looked at his book case. He just stared. It’s fun wondering what he’s thinking. He really is a thinker. When we go some place new, he takes his time taking it all in. No smiles or anything for the first 10 minutes or so. He’s got to take it in.

But once he’s cool, the fun begins. He makes friends fast with his smile and interaction. The big cheeks help too.

It’s a blast.

But I do miss when I could just hold him. I miss when he wouldn't cry to be let down or crawl away. He’s gotten so big.

Good news is, I’m only about 3 months away from getting to do that again!

Let's try this again

Okay...everytime I say I am going to do better at this. I do worse.

Back in late October,I even attempted to keep the blog alive by posting some songs with the lyrics. Which I guess some construe as not making an effort, but at the time I didn't have that much to say. In all honesty, that's what was on my heart. I had nothing to say...rumors of GM going under were flying around the office. I didn't know what my next assignment was going to be. Our group had a new boss.

All I could do was...think...and put it in God's hands. And things are good.

GM rumors are still all over the place. I have a new job assignment that's been a little trying at times. But God is good.


So since I last posted we've had many first in our home. Jakin's first Halloween. Our first African-American President. Jakin's first Thanksgiving. Jakin's first Christmas. Jakin's first tooth. In three months, so much has happened.

The Champ is crawling like a mad man now. He started around New Year's and has been go, go, go ever since. His latest development is pulling himself up along the couch or whatever he can get leverage on.

It was a very fun and cute development. What made it even better is how much he depended on us to do it. Once he was confident in crawling, he was quick to come find us when we would be in another room or on the computer. Then once he got to us he'd try to crawl up, so we'd pick him up.

Well that turned into him giving us his hands. We'd pull up a little, and he realized he could get his feet underneath him and stand up like a big boy. Now he needs little help from us and the other day he crawled into the kitchen while Liza was emptying the dishwasher. He pulled himself up and started pounding on the dishwasher like he was a little King Kong. He was so proud.

And he's still proud when he stands himself up. Tonight, I put him in his crib, said a prayer, gave him his pacifier, and went to fill up his humidifier. When I got back, he was standing in his crib, one arm over the rail, with the cutest "How do you like me now?" look.

I just started laughing. Then he started laughing...Then Liza came in and she started laughing. Then we all laughed more.It was truly a memorable moment in our home.

Things are good for us, and God is great. Liza is managing this pregnancy well, though she's usually pretty tired at the end of the day. All the signs for our new baby are good.

Liza has to go in for a progesterone shot every week until week 36, I believe. So she's got another 10 or so to go. She needs the shots because she went 6 weeks early with Jake. Research has shown the progesterone helps the baby stay in longer. I think she'll still go early, but not 6 weeks early.

As far as me, like I said, things are good. Work is steady, I'm getting my arms around the new assignment, and feel valuable. I'm continuing to get more involved at the church. Dad has me speaking once a month now. I'm trying to develop a tech ministry. It's not all that techy, but it is fairly organized now.

I spoke 2 weeks ago at church, and God impressed upon me talk about the urgency and necessity to mend broken friendships and relationships. I've always been bothered by watching good friends and even family members let their relationships fall apart. We need each other. One of the cool things about preparing for that message was how I started making contact with friend of mine from college, high school and even as far back as little league and elementary school. Ain't facebook great?

It was so cool to see and hear how my good friends are doing. Almost all of them are doing well. But the best part was seeing how true they remained to character and personality I remember in them. One of the smartest kids I even knew is pursuing is Ph.D and has travelled all over the world. Another friend was someone I knew as a 5 year old and our parent were great friends. Another friend with musical talents clearly from the Lord is leading worship and training musicians in other countries.

Again, God is good.

As far as "the front pew" goes. I'm feeling inspired again. For whatever reason, I just couldn't write anything for awhile. But over the last couple weeks, I sense the gift again. I pray it continues to well up and start to flow again.

Thanks to all who have checked on the blog while I've been slacking. And welcome to everyone else who I included in my update email

n8