JohnnyBGamer

Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure

I have a 3 year old. He likes to play video games with his daddy. Anytime the PlayStation 3 chirps to life, he comes running into the room asking what we are going to play. We? Yes, we.

In the haze of Thanksgiving evening, my stomach stuffed with Mexican food, my wife and I headed out to Walmart. Walmart was having some early sales and we wanted in. Walking into the store, my wife and I separated. She went to wrestle for a bike for our son; I went to buy an Xbox 360 bundled with Skylanders for myself. Sounds fair, right?

Skylanders

Skylanders: Spyro’s Adventure is the game I wish I had growing up. Developed by Toys For Bob, Skylanders integrates action figures, NFC technology, and good old fashioned RPG mechanics. My son and I have spent hours playing the game. In fact, we have one more level to complete as of this writing.

Being 3 years old, my son has a hard time controlling games that use a 3D plane. So, we have worked out a system where he sits on my lap, I control the character, and he controls the fire button. Perfect solution. I will note that this solution crumbles any time Skylanders decides to become difficult (ANY boss fight). During those times, I take over and kick the crap out of Kaos.

Overall, I have enjoyed the game. Playing with my son has given us an activity for “Boy’s Club” and has certainly improved his video gaming skills. Skylanders represents the first game we will have beaten together. How cool is that? There is nothing better than sharing your hobby with your kids.

I’m Alive!

Woof, I have been sick since Christmas (20 days and counting). What started out as an innocent cold quickly mutated into something else. Fever, cough, and achy joints soon showed up for the party. Two rounds of antibiotics (one of which I am currently still on), a diagnosis of a sinus infection/pneumonia/mono, and I have pretty much been sleeping my days away. So, I haven’t vanished if anyone was wondering. Have just been a bit under the weather. Thankfully the drugs that I am on seem to be working. I can’t wait to actually feel well in 2013.

Video Game Violence Aides Connecticut Shooter

We can cast blame on “lax” gun laws or analyze the media diet of shooter Adam Lanza and still come to the same conclusion. In the end, Adam was human. To deny that we as humans are evil is to deny our humanity. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, sin and evil have entered our world. This should be no surprise to us as we consume the daily news and personally experience evil and injustice. Our world is a dark place.

Despite a possible mental illness, Adam Lanza was a human being with a free will. He made the choice to walk into that school and cause the physical and emotional destruction he wrought His actions were calculated. At what point will we allow him to take responsibility for his actions?

Blame is easy. Personal responsibility, not so much. So let us blame violent video games. Adam was a kid, he must have played them, right?

The Gospel of Simplicity

In high school, my youth pastor’s heart beat was to the drum of the Book of Revelation. He could be somewhere completely different in the Bible, a book like Matthew, and somehow we would end up closing our time in Revelation. After awhile, I honestly grew tired of hearing about the end times. However, I knew that his heart was in the right place and that he was genuine in his faith due to how he lived his life.

Attending a Christian college, I encountered a lot of hypocrisy. People would say one thing one moment and then live something completely different the next. I almost walked away from Christianity during that time. God, in His mercy, reminded me not to look at others and instead focus on my own personal relationship with Him. Throughout the years this has been a lesson that I have had to continually come back to again and again. Simple and sweet.

I am thankful that I do not serve a God that requires me to follow lists; a God does not require a specific amount of works for me to be deemed right. I am thankful that:

I do not have to walk down an aisle or pray a specific prayer to be saved.
That I do not have to build up a certain amount of disciples.
I do not have to engage in the latest “church” fad.

All I have to do is believe, embrace God’s hand, and walk on.

Focusing on the Bigger Picture

*Photo by Stephen Bowler (SFB579), Creative Commons

Got up this morning and drove my son out to a friend’s house. His Grandma, who normally watches him, is out of town for the next few days. Our drive was mostly quiet. I can tell that he isn’t used to being in the car for a “long” ride (more than 20 minutes). Being a former Californian, I find this amusing. After getting him all settled, I raced off to work.

Walked into work and was immediately greeted by a co-worker standing in my office. “Your filing system leaves a lot to be desired”, I was gruffly told. Well gee, thanks. He then told me that he was in a bad mood. Moments later my boss intercoms me, wants me to find some pricing book. This book could be anywhere and I hadn’t seen it. In an exasperated/pissed off tone, I was told to find the book! Thankfully five years of working here has given me the office-smarts to know where to start such searches. I found the book in moments, in a stack and in an office that it shouldn’t have been in. Crisis averted.

At home, I hold my 3 year old to a higher standard. He has been told that no matter how tired he is, that does not change the fact that he is to be obedient. I also expect him to put away his toys…so that he can find them later. Hint. Hint.

Last night I came across a verse that came to mind this morning:

¹⁸So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. – 2 Corinthians 4:18 (NIV)

Most often it is easy to focus on what is in front of us. Whether that is a bad situation or even mood, we quickly become consumed in the now. Paul, in 2 Corinthians, reminds us to focus on the eternal and not the temporary things. A good reminder that is hard to live.