A response to that kmart ad

I wrote these thoughts in regards to the "jingle bells" joe boxer as that Kmart put out this year:

There are a ton of messages out influencing all of us, conditioning all of us, through television.  Agree, disagree or feel indifferent to these messages, they are still there.

As a father who is trying to rise above the limited expectations of our society  and be an example for the young men I am responsible to train at the same time, I am glad to limit the messages I am putting into myself by "boycotting" television. 

While I do not find this specific commercial raunchy, there are some messages that I don't like within it, mainly the ones that take your sexuality from the private to public.  This ad was designed to be sexual because of the hip movement, the same effect could possibly be had while jumping up and landing.  And then there is the term "ring her bell"...yeah, that one is there too. 

There are many more actually, but we have become so conditioned to the messages that we miss all these undertones.

As a society, we have allowed for the belief that the way we are cared for by another is sexual performance and pleasure, and we have missed out, leaving people lonely, empty, and searching.

I understand the fight against the commercial, but it shouldn't be this one commercial.  It should be so much more. 

It does not insist on its own way

Since I used to be a sports fanatic, I took the term CBA (collective bargaining agreement) from the MLB to refer to the give and take I expected in my marriage with Kim. 

This CBA was really a "you do this for me and I will do this for you"  

In reality, we manipulated each other, possibly me more than her 

I would do this so I felt cared for.  I would do this so I felt secure. I would do this for so many other reasons. 

But in all my positioning, it was ultimately all about me, and I sinned against her. 

Friends, please don't do what I did. Make it about her.

restless

my heart is unsettled.

with every beat a different thought comes to mind.

at 1 am in the morning, i should be fast asleep, but there is no rest.

i am caught in between a place of dreaming about what God is going to do and fearful of what God is going to do at the same time.

i spent the night at abbafather.com glancing at books, being pushed by the spirit.  the excitement of seeing men grow around me, of my own becoming, and the oh so blessedness of seeing my own boys become men, i am beside myself.

i do need to sleep though.  God please give me rest.