Baseball > Football

I will start by saying this, I like football and baseball, but football is the weaker species.

Brian Wilson, Genius/Closer

I have been reliving Giants glory, rewatching the NLCS and the World Series, it has been phenomenal.  As I write this the Giants are 26 days away from Pitchers and Catchers reporting to their facility in Scottsdale Arizona.  Also as I write this Pablo Sandoval is losing about 25 pounds and the rookies and suck ups are at pre-training which started 4 days ago.  I have no expectations of the Giants doing to me this year what they did last year, because last year all they did was rip my heart out day after day week after week, play some hacky sack with it then hand it back to me tattered and worn but having enough life left in it to take another beating the next day.  That being said, if they win the World Series again they can do whatever they want with my heart.

But I get giddy because I love stories and I love baseball.

Buster Posey, Catcher, 2010 Rookie of the Year

Football isn't fun because of the stories, football is fun because a guy breaks a tackle and sprints 80 yards while being chased by another dude in a different jersey.  It is exciting, it is crazy, there was just a huge play out of no where.  Are there stories in football? Yes, but most of them are scandals about dog fighting and shooting yourself in the leg while partying in 'da club.

But baseball is different.

Baseball stories are what make the game.

Tim Lincecum, Starting Pitcher, 2 Time NL Cy Young Winner

Without the back stories that baseball offers it can get boring really quickly.  I can't sit and watch the Yankees play the Red Sox as much as ESPN thinks I can because I don't care enough about their players, I don't know their stories, I don't know who the Red Sox 5th starting pitcher is, so I won't watch that game.

But I will watch a football game even if I don't know anything about either team, why?  Because football is a more exciting game to watch.  It is simple, people get it and that is why the Super Bowl is one of the most watched television events every single year.

I guess what i am saying is football is more exciting to watch but baseball has depth.

Think of Football as the popular cheerleader in high school that can't count to 10 and baseball as the quieter cute athlete who can tutor you when you fall behind in Algebra 2 and also she loves Jesus.

What do you think, cast your vote, Baseball or Football, and don't worry if you choose football I won't judge you, that's God's job.

Terrifying

I stumbled upon this today and I am OUTRAGED that any parent would be so negligent to buy this for their child, mostly because I just peed a little watching it.



Also if you haven't read my Monday Morning with Coop for the day check it out HERE

Monday Morning with Coop

About a week ago something happened, I don't know what it was or why it was but someone flipped a switch and Cooper entered into his "terrible twos."  Before I get too much further into this I want you to know I never believed in the terrible twos, I considered them an excuse for parents to use when their kids acted out in stores or in front of extended family, but after this last week I can truly say I am 100 percent on board with this whole terrible twos idea.

This is how it happened, Cooper went to bed one night, and it was normal, it was nice. We laid down and read his San Francisco Giants book as I quizzed him on the different pieces of baseball attire (cleats, batting gloves, hat, jersey, etc. (starting shortstop in 2032 for the Giants)) we said his night time prayer and put him down with his ever growing collection of stuffed animals that are in his crib.  Everything was good, everything was normal.

The next morning he slept in until after I left for work. At about 10:30 I got a phone call from my wife who sounded worn down, on the other end of the phone was a crying baby and a screaming almost 2 year old.  Sarah went on to tell me that Cooper wasn't acting like himself, demanding things saying "no" on a whim when normally he is one of the most obedient children in the world.  This wasn't the precious little innocent boy I have enjoyed for the previous 21 months, this kid was a monster (but a really cute monster, think Mike Wazowski from Monsters Inc.)

It isn't that coop wants to be defiant, he isn't plotting in his crib with Lots-o-Huggin' bear and his stuffed monkey that is wearing a Giants jersey.  Coop is just trying to figure out how to be independent, he is testing his boundaries and with that Mom and Dad's patience.  So last week the Big TO was enlisted for the first time, and no we didn't call in overhyped and underperformed Terrel Owens to discipline our kid, Coop got his first real big kid time out.  He hated it, but not at first.  

I asked him I said, "Cooper, if you keep fussing you are going to have to get a timeout," his response was, "Timeout? Okay Daddy!" Hmmm, in hindsight maybe I didn't make it sound scary enough, like instead I should have called it the "Dragons Pen" or "Mannequin Alley."  Either way it didn't strike much fear into The Coop, until he had to sit there.

I had to hold my son still in timeout for a whole minute because he refused to eat one more bite of his sandwich before he got to have some jell-o.  it took all of my ability not to laugh as my son was melting down because he had to have a bite of his favorite food.

Parenting gets rough, it isn't fun implementing timeout or disciplining your kid at all for that matter, but our oldest is at an age where he knows what is right and wrong and we have to make sure that he is raised in such a way that when he is 35 he isn't collapsing on the floor in a screaming fit because a Barista put whipped cream on his caramel macciato.

Did your kids ever enter into the terrible twos?  How did you deal with it, because i am kind of scared I broke Cooper somehow.

Babies are Awesome

Micah spent the afternoon yesterday bouncing and laughing at out dog, Parker.

Then a breakfast dance party
For Uncle Scotty coming home.

Babies are a lot of fun.

I'm Just Sayin'

Jack Jack baby Incredible

Micah Bradley, baby Anderson

Micah Jordan

Get it? He's jumping like Michael Jordan? No? Okay but he's really cute.

- Peter

No Nalgenes or Camelbacks

When I was in college I had no clue what route my life was going to take, probably like a lot of other college age students.  I was going to the classes that people were telling me to go to, I was taking tests I was supposed to take and doing assignments I had been assigned (for the most part).  When I got married, working part time at The Buckle wasn't going to get Sarah and I financially secure very quickly but at least it was a job and we were generating some income but were by no means able to start planning for the future.  

Then in the same week I got three phone calls, three phone calls from three different churches looking for a Youth Pastor to head up their ministry.  I began to follow up on the phone calls and I decided to take a job in beautiful Selma, California at Selma First Baptist Church, it was probably Pastor Craig's charm and quiet demeanor that sold me on the place. 

I was ecstatic, I had my first real job, I was getting paid a salary not a wage based on how many clothes I could force people to buy (did you hear Buckle has a layaway plan too? You can give us your money today but won't get the product until you can afford it later on. The Buckle credit card is a great option also, buy as much as you want now and worry about the payments later; when you still can't afford the ridiculously over priced, over winged, and over dragoned Ed Hardy and Affliction clothing).

I was a big boy, I felt like Buddy the Elf, "It's Santa! I know him!"

It wasn't until having a few different conversations recently that I realized how quiet some people can be about what it is they do, whether it is a youth pastor shying away form telling strangers his title for fear of being treated differently or a CEO not wanting others to think he is too rich or not in touch with other people.  

I think it goes back to wanting to stay relate-able to our fellow man, not wanting to make others feel uncomfortable or less fortunate or pitied or whatever.

It makes me think about how at times I think about how cool it would be to do another type of ministry, moving to San Francisco to help fight poverty alongside college aged students, or having some type of really cool surf ministry or starting an adventure rec company that takes people on adventures where the only thing they can take is a canteen (No Nalgenes or Camelbacks permitted, just canteens) and their faith in the Lord.

It makes me think about how I feel insignificant in my role as a Youth Pastor sometimes, how I am not doing enough things or being as relevant or as crazy as some of the other functioning ministries out there.  But then I remember some scripture in 1 Corinthians 12 that tells me I have a specific function, I am where I am for a reason I have no reason to be ashamed of who I am or what I have been called to.

If everyone moved to the city to battle poverty, the kids who grow up on farms will be left with no one to lead them.  If everyone ran a surf ministry, the people who are terrified of dark water would be left behind (Hey, it's scary, you can't see what is down there and a crazy huge fish could eat you whole,  it's possible, ask Jonah).

I guess what I am saying is, be content with what you do and who you are in the Lord.  God has put us where we are for a reason, be there and be stoked for the opportunity to serve.

Do you feel like the place you are at gets stale sometimes or do you dream of something bigger?  What is it?  Leave a comment and start the conversation.

Gandalf and Strip Clubs

As I write this my wife is asleep in bed, Coop is in his crib and Micah is in his swing next to Frodo Baggins. Frodo is listening to his uncle give a speech at his one-hundred and eleventh birthday and the shire looks phenomenal. Theres fireworks and wizards and green everywhere, its like the 4th of July, St. Patricks day, and Disney's Anastasia are all hanging out in a field.

There is security and safety and innocence. Yet in the midst of all of it all there is more darkness than anyone could have imagined. One thing I noticed watching this movie (The Fellowship of the Ring) again was how careful Gandalf was not to touch the ring once he knew the power it could hold over him.

This is probably the Youth Pastor coming out in me but rather than let the ring control his actions, rather than risk the temptation he simply fled from it. I said in a talk a long time ago that I have zero desire to prove that I can beat temptation. I am not going to go into a strip club and turn my back to the stage to prove I am strong enough, I am simply not going to go into a strip club.

Gandalf knew this, he didn't need to prove he could carry the ring he didn't trust himself to even touch it much less bear the burden of wearing it. There were other people, stronger people to carry that burden.

Too often we fool ourselves into thinking we can handle the sin that plagues us constantly by making a goal or resolution and wish really hard and assume it's under control. But the sad truth is that it isn't. Not until you draw a hard line in the sand and invite your elf, dwarf, 3 hobbit, 2 men, and wizard friends to stand with you. It will also be a lot of fun because the elf and dwarf will have this competition going on about who can kill more orcs.

You can't beat sin alone, you have to be part of a fellowship you have to stand with brothers and sisters in Christ who have your back when The Nazgûl are trying to kill you and take the ring at Amon Sûl.

Do you have a fellowship? How do you fight the garbage in your life?

- Peter

Things Change and That's Rad

Before you start reading look at the date, it may just blow your mind.  Now look at the time this post went up, too bad your head just exploded and now you cant read the rest of my post...

Big kid beds are sweet, and not sweet like daisies and sun-dresses on 3 year old girls, sweet like,  Jack Bauer really made Chloe shoot him in the chest.  It is a big deal, it is crazy when it happens and just like me when I saw the last episode of 24, Coop started jumping on the bed, playing with his Buzz and Woody toys, and even peed a little.

Transitions continue to happen in the Anderson home, and they are phenomenal.  Cooper is getting used to his bed by laying it in before nap time and bed time, reading books, in bed with mom and dad and occasionally taking a nap.


What I have realized since becoming a dad is that your kids are in a constant state of change and transition.  A day doesn't go by when I am not amazed at something one of my boys does.  For example I got a picture sent to me yesterday of Micah being a big kid and supporting himself, holding his head up, he looks like a stud, I know.

Not long after that picture was taken my wife sent me a second one of our same loving beautiful comedian.  He decided to vomit everywhere, on Sarah, on himself, and the whole time he looked adorably disgustingly cute doing it.

Cooper was this old not long ago, he was vomiting and looking cute doing it, now if Cooper vomits it not only is really not cute, it is cause for concern.

The transitions that our boys make also causes me to have to protect my boys in different ways.  I want my boys growing up taking risk but two days ago Cooper was rocking on a rocking chair backwards when he almost fell off the back and cracked his head on the most vicious coffee table ever created.

I don't have to worry about rocking chairs with Micah yet, right now my main concern is putting enough pillows on the couch so he doesn't roll off the side.

This turned into me throwing all of my thoughts onto the page, so take from it what you will, but I will end with this.

As Christians and beyond that as humans in order to grow we need to be in a constant state of transition, it doesn't have to be with our kids, it doesn't have to be with a new job our spouse, it needs to be in deciding to go a new direction with your life and going in that direction.

Most of us have broken our New Year Resolutions by now and that's okay, but transition is what grows us and makes us who we truly are.  Transition and enjoy the ride.

Look back at your life what are some of the hardest transitions you have ever had to make?

Lawn Mowers and Social Networking

On Saturday, I noticed my lawn mower got stolen.  It didn't get stolen on Saturday, I am pretty sure it was stolen a few weeks ago when grooming my yard was as high on my list of priorities as chewing ice and taxes.  But I got the yard work itch this weekend, I went and pulled weeds, raked out my flower beds, I felt good about my progress.

Then I went into my side yard to get my edger and lawn mower, all I saw was a pile of wood and a 20 foot metal pole mocking me.

So I did what all rational people do, I wrote a status update about it on my Facebook page.  Within 2 minutes of posting that comment I got a phone call from a good friend of mine, who like all good friends at first was angry for me, his greeting was actually, "Who the heck stole your lawn mower?"  To which I responded, "Wait, your lawn mower was stolen too?"  The conversation got confusing and awkward after that.

Regardless though, this friend of mine is going to let me borrow his lawn mower until we can get ours replaced, or until he forgets he loaned it to me and I write my name all over it.

Two things stick out to me most about this tale:

Social Networking works when you least expect it to.
       I had no thought in my mind that someone was going to reach out and allow me access to their lawn mower for as long as I needed it, he is even bringing it to me today because I am truckless and he is truckful.  It just makes me laugh sometimes when people go onto Facebook seeking advice or help and get a big fat "No Comments" on their status.

For example, when people write: things like What color shirt should I wear tomorrow? When there is a certified answer that is wanted, people are less likely to respond to that, why?   It is boring, people don't respond to boring on Social Networking sites.  That is why places like Twitter get a bad name sometimes because people write things like:

       @PeterNAnderson: I love my frosted flakes.

No one cares about your frosted flakes, but they would care about your frosted flakes if you write something like,

       @PeterNAnderson: I just found a severed finger in my frosted flakes that looks like Lincoln's face.

The strange, the unusual, the quirkiness of reality is what drives social media as well as the blessing that comes from encouraging other people and feeling like you are part of a larger community.

I wasn't pandering to try and get a lawn mower, I was simply stating that my lawn mower was stolen and the dude who stole it could at least trim my lawn on Satudays, but in my time of need when I thought my reality would be interesting to those in my social network, someone reached out to help out me and my family.

The other thing I learned is this:


I own my stuff, don't steal it, but if you do I hope it blesses you.


Please don't come into my yard and take my 300 dollar lawn mower, it is behind my fence for a reason, but if you do decide you want to break the law and take what doesn't belong to you I hope it blesses you and I will get a new one.

As a Christian I want to make sure that my treasures aren't kept on earth, I don't want my value to be tied to my things, especially my lawn mower, I hate mowing the lawn.  I don't want to be so tied to something that I can't ever part with it.

If a homeless person in need came up to me and asked for my favorite jacket of all time I want to be okay with giving it to him because I have a closet full at home (also that homeless person could have a golden voice that I could possibly profit from because I was nice and gave him my jacket).  I think that is part of having an eternal mindset rather than a temporal, is my pea-coat sweet? Ya, it is, if someone truly in need wanted it, I wouldn't hesitate to part ways with it, why?  Because I want to be the hands and feet of Christ and show love to those who get none.

Anything of yours ever been stolen?  How are you the hands and feet of Christ?

Waking with Purpose

I am not a morning person what-so-ever, my morning disdain I believe started when my parents signed my brother and I up for a Saturday morning bowling league when we were 10ish. I liked the bowling, I hated the time frame. My average was around 50, I was the heavy hitter and g od at throwing the ball as hard as could. Anyway, my hatred of the AM continued when I got into high school and water polo practice was before and after school. Six in the morning I had to be speedoed and in the pool swimming my warm up.

It wasn't until recently that I remembered why it was so nice to get up that early.  I started waking up earlier than normal when the time changed and it was getting dark way earlier than it was supposed to.  I needed to get my run in but didn't want to run back roads when it was night time.  So my alarm is set for 6:00 am.  It goes off everyday, as a matter of fact this morning it went off and I didn't want it to, but I was compliant and pulled myself out of bed, I ran four miles, came home and had my quiet time, and took care of Micah Man while Sarah went on a run.

I write this because it wasn't until recently that I understood the difference between waking up early to get some stuff done and waking up with a purpose.

When you wake up to get stuff done there is a process involved, it takes a long time to roll out of bed, a snooze button is usually involved and before you know it you woke up later than you normally do and got nothing done in the morning.

When you wake up with a purpose you go straight to what you are supposed to be doing.  I know if I don't get up and run bright and early I won't work out for the rest of the day, I won't get my quiet time in and I will keep sleeping until Micah wakes me up at 8:15.

I know for me it is incredibly beneficial to wake up with a plan, to move through my day with a plan, when I get home from work I ask Sarah, "What's the plan?"

Waking up with a purpose, with intention, gets your day moving in the right direction, it gets it started and continues it in the correct direction.  I still need coffee, I still get side tracked, and I still want to sleep in but I know I have things to get accomplished.

What purpose do you have for rolling out of bed in the morning?  Self-betterment? Time constraints?  Family time?

Apparently I Hate Toys

Cooper had a great Christmas, he got lots of toys and flashing lights but he rediscovered a toy that won't let me forget it.  I took this video when my sanity was leaving me, I had a headache, I was feeling overwhelmed after the holiday season and then my loving son decided he wanted to play with a toy that loves to repeat itself.

I think toys are as cool as the next Youth Pastor, there is a remote controlled Big Foot that wants me to buy it every time I walk past in Wal Mart.  But some toys just get absolutely ridiculous, with the amount of lights and sounds that get put on them, this fire truck is a great example, but there are a few others I would like to call attention to and more specifically would like to let the toy making companies of know how much I hate the power they hold over me.

1. Wiggle and Giggle Guitar - First off, we don't watch the Wiggles, Cooper is into Leap Frog, Super Why, Handy Manny and Yo Gabba Gabba!  I think that means his profession will be a construction worker who enjoys dancing while reading Shakespeare; what can I say, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.  But I digress, this toy is the bane of my existence, when you press the buttons on some toys they repeat the sound, not this one, this plays the sounds on top of each other.  Which wouldn't be so bad if there were 3 sounds, but it has like 57 different sounds and when they are all playing at the same time sounds like a migraine for Daddy.  I beat this toy once, I took out the batteries and Cooper was still happy with it, however his uncle wanted to be the favorite and put the batteries back in and then taught Cooper how to turn it on.  Thanks Uncle Phil.

2. Sound Puzzles- I was never that into puzzles, it took too much time and concentration for me to finish them, plus you never know if you have all of the pieces until you spend 4 days of your life trying to complete the God forsaken thing only to realize you are missing two pieces.  Oh well, better luck on your next 5,000 piece puzzle of jellybeans and grass.  But my disdain for puzzles escalated when a puzzle that was rejected my my brother and sister-in-law made its way to Grandma and Grandpa's house.  It is a animal sound puzzle made so when you put the piece into the right spot it makes the respective animal sound, sounds cute right?  I am now almost convinced this puzzle is possessed as it meows at it's leisure and moos any time the light gets turned on or off.  It has been banished to the play room but the boy still finds it sometimes and chases me through the house with it.

3. Sticky Hands- This is my wrong doing and I am sorry Mom and Dad, being a parent I see the error of my ways.  Sticky hands are the only good things to come out of the 25 cent machines ever.  The best part about them was there ability to be slung at someone and return right back to you.  I distinctly remember a car ride home from the mall where I dropped 50 cents to get a bigger sticky hand with a real plastic handle.  I was sitting behind my mom in the car and the back of her head became my target for the 15 minute car ride.  I never understood why she got so mad at me until my son played the fireman remix on his fire truck the other night.

Toys can be a great tool in parenting, but are of the bells and whistles really necessary?  My favorite toys growing up were a baseball and a stuffed animal named spike, thank you toy companies for making me sound like an old man.

Any annoying toys that you can recall receiving or getting, if not, I have plenty more I can share.

Three Weeks to Myself

I like Youth Ministry for a lot of different reasons, first and foremost I get paid to do something that I would volunteer for if I had another job, teaching students about God to hopefully move them to a place of genuine worship to Him is something that is exciting for me to see.  Another reason that I enjoy working in full-time ministry is I get to make the schedule, not just for the students but for myself.  Am I expected to be in the office from Sunday through Thursday? Yup, but that doesn't mean I sit at my desk and do mindless things all day, that means that I should come and check in and then go do ministry, whether that be going on to campuses to have lunch, meet with students for coffee, or take leaders out to lunch, I am free to do ministry the way I want to do it (as long as the bossman says it's okay).

I write this because I like being out and about and doing things with students and leaders and this time of year gets kind of boring for me.  After our High School lock-in we shutdown for three weeks.  We don't have any Youth Group, we have no Sunday School, and for the most part I don't see many of my students until things start back up.  So in these three weeks a few things happen:

1. I clean my office- Now some of you may be thinking to yourself, "But Peter, you seem like such a clean and organized person who is slightly OCD and needs everything to be in its place." To you I say, "Hello, we have obviously never met before, I'm Peter, whats your name?"  I work amongst messiness, actually as I type this there is a coffee cup four feet away that has turned into my own personal garden. This is a time for me to clean off my desk and dust my shelves.

2. I read- Sure it may be The Voyage of the Dawn Treader so I can go see the movie and talk about how inconsistent it is with the book, but it is a time for me to slow down a little bit and pour back into myself.  Ministry gets so busy and a lot of times you forget to nourish yourself so during this time I make sure that I am getting the water I need to prevent burnout.

3. I plan- A lot of Youth Pastors try and get their whole year planned in August, I can't do that.  I have before and it seemed like a disaster, I need to constantly change and move things to keep up with the ever changing dynamic of my ministry.  During these three weeks I plan out our Spring, I put our Winter Retreat planning into full gear, I start preliminary planning for our mission trip, and I get ready to Rock and Roll for the next few months.

By the end of these weeks am I going crazy and really looking forward to seeing my students and preaching the word?  Absolutely, but I also recognize the importance of these three weeks to my sanity, my family's sanity, and also my ministry.

What are some things you do over the Holidays to ensure your sanity for the coming year?

A Bearded Mentor

I got a letter the other day and by letter I don't mean a Christmas card with disgustingly cute pictures of babies on it, I mean a letter that was typed out for me to read and process. The contents of the letter don't concern you, but the sender of the letter does. Let's rewind to 2001 when Dre made his first comeback and bleached tips and pooka shells were still in style.

I was a wee lad in the summer of my Sophomore year of High School and I had just gotten back from an event with my Youth Group. On the trip was an older man whose car I got stuck in because the older students got the "cool" drivers who sped and raised the roof if Delerious or DC Talk came on. It didn't take much longer than a few minutes to realize that the man driving us was well read and wanted to pour into our lives, also he had a sweet beard. When we had returned from our trip the next day this bearded man pulled me aside and told me of my worth and my value, he told me that he loved me an that God loved me and had amazing things in store for me. It was one of the greatest encouragements I have ever received even to this day.

John and I have never sat and had coffee on a regular basis, I was never in his bible study, and we have never even lived in the same city but regardless of that I consider him to be one of my best mentors. Not because he calls me everyday or bakes prayer cookies for me but because every chance he gets he encourages me and challenges me simply by the way he lives his life.

At the end of every year I get a letter from John challenging me to look back and move forward in the name of God so that His kingdom may be glorified. I want to be that to others someday, an encouragement simply by the way I live my life.

How about you? Who is someone who encourages you and how do they do it?

2011 Goals

I told you all yesterday that I don't like resolution but measurable goals, it's true and here are mine.  Please help keep me accountable in 2011, it is one of the reasons I am posting these here.  I hope your New Years was safe, fun, and celebratory.  Cheers!

Goals for 2011

1.  Read scripture everyday

2.  Run 4 days a week or 108 times

3.  Get up at 6:30 on workdays

4.  Blog 5 times a week

5.  Finish my wife's honey-do list by March (Wait, is there an end to that list?)

6.  Maintain rather than change.

What are some of your goals for 2011?  Leave them in the comments section below.