This weekend while chillin in Lexington, Kentucky with my main man Rob Geezy we checked out a few movies. Friday we went out and watched the new G.I. Jane movie. Yes, I said G.I. Jane, I never remember playing with my G.I. Joes and thinking, “Hmmmm I think it would be real fun to go get some of my lil sis’ Barbie dolls and create some sort of love square Soap Opera scenario.” G.I. Joes were made to kick the crap out of each other not be Disney prince charmings! FYI the choice of actors was terrible and all the cool stuff was shown in the previews. Anyways, sorry for the rant, let me hop down off my popcorn box now.

We also watched the movie Role Models, which if you look past all the “R” rated garbage, it was pretty funny and had a good message. Matter of fact, I am pretty sure I am in search for a Mid-Evil Knights of the Round Table-like fan club to join around East Tennessee, so if you know any groups hook me up with the info.

Then yesterday we watched the movie The Soloist, with Jamie Fox. I heard a ton of mixed reviews on the movie, mainly negative, mainly coming from an 8 year old and a couple Middle School students, but I didn’t care I wanted to see it anyway. After hearing everyone’s ideas on the movie, my verdict is that it was a pretty good movie. I really enjoyed it. It made me take a long hard look at how I deal with friends and students who are having problems or going through some rough times.

So many times, me being a man, I want to fix everything. I want to figure out some way to stop the hurting or the behavior that’s going on. I talk way too much, I ramble and I preach when I simply need to shut up and listen. Listen to someone who is in need of a friend to talk with. Someone to hang out with. A friend who helps them keep their mind off the hurt or the mistakes for a few calming minutes. Someone to love them.

Working in the ministry I think many times we forget the verse found in James 1:19. Instead of always throwing answers at people and trying to fix them and their situations we instead need to be “quick to listen and slow to speak.”

May I stop trying to be askjeeves.com all the time, take a timeout and be a friend who genuinely cares.

I’m Gone.