Doctor Love’s Valentine’s Day Advice for Girls

February 14, 2010 · Posted in (Gene)ric Ramblings, Love, Relationships · 1 Comment 

Call Me Dr Love

Let me begin by saying I dislike Valentine’s Day and always have. I think an act of love on a random day for no particular reason has far more meaning than a bouquet of flowers, a box of candy, and a mushy card given on a day when you have no real choice but to do it.

That said, every girl loves a good valentine and my girl is no different from the rest. She loves roses, assorted chocolates and sentimental greeting cards just as much as the next girl. It is a genetic predisposition for the female of the human race.

Every girl wants to be loved. She wants to be someone’s “prettiest girl in the whole wide world.” She wants to be the apple of some man’s eye. She wants to be the princess.

But too many princesses end up with fat, selfish, warty toads. They live the fairy tale in reverse: they kissed the prince and he turned into a toad. Your main man Dr. Love is here to make some suggestions for avoiding a life with a lily-pad squatting toad…

  1. Beware of the “hot” guy. It is a rare thing indeed for a pretty boy to be faithful and true to one girl for a lifetime. If a guy is overly impressed with himself, he will never be overwhelmed by you. Monogamy is a difficult enough concept for the male of the species to begin with. There is not one “hot” guy in a million who can constantly be told he is gorgeous, constantly be fawned over by “hot” girls, and remain faithful to one lover.
  2. Look for the guy who thinks you are beautiful over the guy who thinks you are “hot.” Beauty is rare. It is precious and enduring. Beauty is love. “Hot” is lust. It is also a fleeting, flavor-of-the-month thing. Fifty years hence, you will probably not be on anyone’s “hot” list. But to some man, you will remain the embodiment of beauty.
  3. Remember that wealth is not a virtue, but neither is poverty. You may believe that all you need is love…until the rent comes due. Or, you may think you can live without love if the square footage is adequate. You need both security and intimacy. Don’t buy into the concept that you have to choose one or the other.
  4. Look for character rather than a character. He may be the life of the party, but if he has no internal compass governing his motives and guiding his actions, when they turn out the lights, the party will be over.
  5. If you get sick and cannot make a date and he comes over with soup from your favorite deli, if you don’t want him to see you looking like death warmed over and he ignores your complaint and comes over anyway, if he spoon feeds the soup, if he kisses your fevered forehead and doesn’t even see the dark circles under your eyes, if he says—and you know he means it—that you never looked more beautiful and he never loved you more than right then, say “I do” and live happily ever after.

True love is…

More fragrant than a dozen fresh-cut roses…

Sweeter than a box of chocolates…

Truer than the words of the finest Hallmark card…

Worth the wait.

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They Call Me Mr. Brightside: Finding the Positive in the Negative

February 5, 2010 · Posted in Blog, Hardship, Life Experience · 2 Comments 

Apparently, I am in danger of losing my membership in the Eternal Optimists Club due to my recent less-than-cheery communications. This is an attempt to correct my course.

I have decided to list 10 negative things and look on the bright side of each. (I know I can do this.) So here goes…

  1. My truck was stolen, BUT at least no one was in it at the time.
  2. I have not been deployed to a storm since November, BUT my own house has not been hit by one either.
  3. My grandson lives in Colorado, so I cannot just see him any time I want. BUT, I have a grandson and he lives in Colorado.
  4. I am still carrying around 30 pounds more than I want, BUT I am eating well.
  5. I sometimes cannot think of a word I want to use when I am writing, BUT I can usually think of a suitable synonym.
  6. The bright red Chevrolet Cobalt I am driving looks like a blood blister and feels like (after driving my roomy four-door Dodge Ram for five years) I have moved out of a sprawling estate into an economy apartment, BUT the heater and radio work fine, so I can keep warm and listen to the Ticket.
  7. The Cowboys, once again, are not in the Super Bowl, BUT Jerry Jones has decided if we cannot go to the mountain, the mountain will come to us…next year.
  8. My goatee is nearly 100% gray now, negatively impacting my youthful look; BUT the hair on my head seems to be hanging in there
  9. I am not that great at taking life’s lemons and making lemonade, BUT I don’t really like lemonade that much anyway.
  10. I may be losing my membership in the Eternal Optimists Club, BUT there is always The Jelly of the Month Club, and that is “the gift that keeps on giving.”

There. See? I’m Mr. Brightside.

And now, in support of my new outlook, I introduce a fellow optimist and her sweet ukulele…

Isn’t she sweet? And doesn’t it seem like she almost believes every word of that song?

Keep on the sunny side, friends.

Mr. Brightside, signing off.

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Not As Dichotomous As I Thought…

January 3, 2010 · Posted in Blog, Faith, In(Gene)ious Insights, Life Experience · 1 Comment 

worlds collide

Just when you think your life is a dichotomy…Just when you think that, on the one hand, you write about the NFL and the Dallas Cowboys for one of the Internet’s largest and most successful sport sites, and on the other, you write a sometimes spiritually-charged blog about life and love, God and the world, giving and getting…Just when you thought one had nothing to do with the other, you find out just how utterly wrong you were.

I woke this morning to a message from a fellow writer at BleacherReport.com. I expected to find some seed of an argumentation over the Cowboys, the NFC East, or the NFL in general. Instead, I found a heartfelt message from a dad who could not sleep last night and turned on his TV. While surfing the channels, he came across the Joni and Friends program on TBN, which was running the episode featuring my daughter Holly.

This fellow writer/Dad/Christian, sleepless on a Saturday night, sent me a message about the experience this morning. I will not share all of the content of his message, but here is the heart of it:

I, like you, am the son of a minister. This puts a lot of pressure on a young man, I think, and I’ve always tried to do the best I can.

My wife’s brother has a son, my nephew, who was born with Spina Bifida. Holly has impacted the lives of so many people. My nephew has done well too.

I’m not sure what the whole purpose of this message is, other than to let you know how blessed I was to see the profile of your daughter on TV.

And so, just like that, my worlds collide. Someone got peanut butter in my chocolate. On a day when I am filled with worry about how the Cowboys will handle a surging Eagles’ team, on a day when I am all set to write an NFL article that tries to predict which will be the Team of the Teens in the NFL, I am reminded that, in the grand scheme of things, the scheme is grander than we realize.

And what’s wrong with that?

Thank you, Lord.


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My Thanksgiving (All Of This and Ty)

November 24, 2009 · Posted in Blog, Faith, Family, Friendship, Poetry · 3 Comments 
...and Ty

...and Ty

I am thankful…

For sorrows that pass me by

For the cleansing of a simple sigh

For Donya’s Pumpkin Pie (more almonds, please)

And Ty

I am thankful…

For the memory of friendships past

For Autumn (but it goes too fast)

For my half-empty, half-full glass

And Ty

I am thankful…

For tears I never cried

For okra when it’s fried

For the people who are on my side

And Ty

I am thankful…

For 1940 – ‘91

For the man who called me son

Though he left with work undone

And Ty

I am thankful…

For troubles I never see

For daughters better than me

For freedom that isn’t free

And Ty

I am thankful…

For Tommy and Mary Lou

For Felicia and Jimbo, too

(Tell them and I will sue)

And Ty

I am thankful…

For breakfast, especially Mom’s

For the occasional trip to Tom’s

For my sisters and…okay, Don

And Ty

I am thankful…

For the woman I take for granted

For kisses yet unplanted

For a love that’s been enchanted

And Ty

I am thankful…

For Christ and Calvary

For sinners He loves, like me

For the promise of eternity

And Ty

I am thankful…

For a thousand other things

For the hope that a new day brings

For a phone that sometimes rings

And Ty

I am thankful…

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