post of 1/20/06

Another week is behind us and the weekend is in full swing. I have to admit the cats we recently purchased (I promise I'll have pics on my blog soon) have grown on me. I've always felt about animals the way a lot of people feel about children; I like them as long as they belong to someone else. Our cats, Casper and Perry, are quite funny and like to climb, frolic, torture the dog, and run around the house as fast as they can. The last one is especially annoying when we are trying to sleep.

I broke down and started watching a show I've always been interested in watching but never could because too many other shows had to be taped; shows that were more must see than AI. The show I've started watching now is American Idol. I know, I know, why am I watching that? If people are willing to voluntarily go on TV and make a fool of themselves then I'm willing to voluntarily sit down and cringe at how bad they are. That's a flippant answer but I think it is a relevant and entertaining show and there is something more at play than just watching people sing. Half of the entertainment for me is hearing Simon Cowell's comments. And I now know why Paula Abdul is so picked on; she can't make a firm decision. Here's a sample conversation between Simon and Paula: Simon: "That was atrocious. Paula, yes or no?" Paula: "I don't think your voice is quite up to the challenge but...." Simon: "Paula, is it yes or no?" Paula: "I really like your self-confidence yet....." Simon: "PAULA, YES OR NO!!!" Ok, that may have been a bit dramatic but she is sometimes so wishy-washy. I understand her not wanting to hurt peoples' feelings, however, it's a talent contest and many people are going to get their feelings hurt one way or the other, no matter how one looks at it. I think that's important for us to remember as we look at our culture and how we give and receive praise; I take it with a grain of salt. Many people give false praise or aren't honest with someone who doesn't hold a certain talent; that's hurtful to the other person, not for what's said but for what is not said. I'm not saying we should tear people to bits and cause their self-esteem to plummet forever, however, we should be mindful of the praise we give and also that we take in. It's all too easy to let something go to our heads and then one day....BOOM! Someone like Simon Cowell tells us the truth and it's such a shock. Yes, Simon Cowell is harsh and has lots of catty comments and he gives new meaning to the term brutally honest yet, despite that, he is very business savvy and truly knows talent when he hears it. I think as people we should never stop striving to improve and better ourselves in many different areas. Constructive criticism is good (and always find something positive) and false praise is not good. It's important to realize where our talents lie. For example. I have no clue how to play football but get me on a volleyball or badminton court and my juices begin fiercely flowing forth. Ask me a technical question and my face goes blank but ask me to proofread something and I'm your guy. I'm not one who can rattle off stock prices or recite scripture by heart but ask me who won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 1936 and I'll tell you. Each one of us has talents and gifts, it's a matter of realizing which talents and gifts we have and constantly honing them.

Continue to pray for each other as I pray for each of you. The power of prayer does work. Last week Jim found out that his PSA level had gone down once again; the new number was 0.07. That's amazing considering that only three months ago the number was 22. Last Friday Jim had a 4-month shot, which has not yielded any major side effects. The plan now is for Jim to discontinue the drug until his PSA level rises again; if it does in fact rise again. Thank you for your continued prayers. And as always, stay safe, stay healthy, and stay happy.