Hip New Buzz Word: GOOGLY

GOOGLY - the new buzz word is just something that roles off the tongue. What do you suppose it means? Pronounced "Goo-Glee", . Take your pick without going all "Google Search Freaky" on it and just try to come up with a good meaning on your own. Leave a comment and I'll post back with my pick of the best.

FHE: More Than Just Hangin' Out Together

Last night as my U9B coaching crew discussed practice, the extended daylight hours and the need to get in more practice, the topic of extending practice on Monday nights to 7PM came up. My response: 2 of the boys will be leaving early. Their perplexed looks were not of "where is their commitment" but more of simply "why." The answer is simple really. Family Home Evening (FHE)!

As the sound of crickets died down, I eased into explaining that Monday nights are reserved for families to spend time together, to have spiritually uplifting experiences and to generally block out the world. Of course, with a response like that, neither could immediately rebut the argument and generally accepted that 2 of the boys would be leaving early on that night.

So what's the big deal with FHE anyway? Don't LDS members also spend all day Sunday in worship and rest? Why not just combine the two? What do you do during FHE?

Growing up my family at times did combine the Sabbath and FHE as our schedules didn't sync up. In retrospect I think soccer likely took some time on Monday nights so FHE just didn't fit into the schedule. Wrong way to go. In recent years I've had the same dilema and at times had "condensed" versions of FHE because practice went a little long. Wrong way to go.

FHE is time the family can counsel together, discuss the needs of the family, openly discuss the budget, parents provide spiritual guidance, children can teach gospel principles in a secure setting, the family and plan and carry out wholesome activities and the family can enjoy dedicated, uninterrupted time together. From a snippet off the LDS Newsroom site: "In 1915, Church leaders established a program that would urge parents to gather their families around them once a week for an evening devoted to family. Family home evening is a time when parents can teach children principles of the gospel. A typical family home evening includes a prayer, song, short lesson, activity and refreshments. Lessons are taught by parents and sometimes by children."

While last night's FHE for the Hanson family was quite a typical in that we didn't formalize the evening with an opening prayer, song or short lesson, we did enjoy an activity and refreshment. As my wife and I just newly purchased bicycles, we took a family bike ride (about 4 miles). The ride ended up being more of a neighborhood kid ride with 3 neighbor kids joining the fray but nevertheless we all had a good time.

In celebration of two our children's receiving "commended" status on their TAKS test, the kids enjoyed FHE chocolate cake.
The evening ended with prayer and we felt the evening was enjoyable. Taking time to enjoy God's creations may have counted as the lesson but a more formalized FHE lesson will be a part of next week's plan.


Regardless of just how the time is spent, the purpose of the evening is to join the family together, creating eternal bonds and strengthening God's greatest creation, the family.

Now you know! If you're interested in learning more or witnessing a FHE for yourself, find a local LDS member and invite yourself to the weekly event. If you're stuck and don't know any, drop me a comment and I'll hook you up.

Tweeting While Camping is Still Camping

When was the last time you went camping? How remote was the experience? So remote there was no mobile service coverage? Were you disappointed? Can you truly enjoy the moment if your mind is on technology and which tweep updated what?

Here I sit in the middle if the LBJ Grasslands just NW of Decatur, TX and I writing this entry in a campsite. I'm with my local scout troop. The leaders and boys are still asleep but the local wildlife has kept me up since probably before 6AM. it's been a beautiful experience: cows, crows, wild turkey, dogs, all sorts of loud little birds I've never heard before, and the creepy little spider that was inside my tent.

So is it really camping if I tweet, post pics and comment on Facebook? Some have commented that it isn't. Well, who writes the rules of camping and mobile living?

My creed is if you so feel inspired to blast the twittershere, blogosphere and whateversphere with your thoughts, regardless of your location or circumstance, DO IT!

So here I sit just prior to breakfast, before the 20 mile bike ride, enjoying the peace of the morning and blogging. Hopefully your morning is as peaceful as mine and your joy as full as mine. God is the source of this wonderful blessing: both in nature and His creations as well as His greatest creation's (mankind) handiwork in technology.

Scout Campout: 20 Mile Bike Ride

I absolutely love being a leader and active participant in the Boy Scouts of America. When I took the oath of Eagle Scout some 20+ years ago, I don't believe I fully realized just how that oath would effect me and my posterity. How grateful I am that I was guided by a loving mother and father and gained a love of scouting.

Tonight we depart on yet another monthly campout. With soccer season taking up half of the year and balancing 4 teams on Saturdays, I don't always get to participate in all of the campouts. As this week is spring break and all of the games are canceled, my opportunity to go on the campout is cleared and I'm more thrilled than ever to go.

As a part of the camping merit badge requirements, our little patrol will be taking a bike trip tomorrow morning that is estimated to be 20 miles. The requirements are for 15 miles or 4+ hrs, but the young men also can fulfill the Duty to God requirement of 20 miles. Without a bike to use, I attempted to borrow some friends bike's but came up empty handed. Finding myself working just across the street from Costco, I sauntered over last night and cast my eyes upon this which is adequate and will provide our family with additional fun to come.

After clearing it with my wife (she's the financial guru in the fam), I purchased the bike with the understanding this would be my father's day gift and in return she would likewise receive a bike for mother's day. Works out well considering our children all have bikes and only "mom and dad" are left without something to ride at the park. As we're an active family, the compromise on parental day gifts works out well.

As far as camping, I'm excited once again to be out in the elements tonight and gaining a better appreciation for the gifts God has given us. Having the opportunity to train and experience these joys with my son makes it that much better. I'm so grateful for a dedicated set of scouting leaders that actively pursue events to develop my son. Our scoutmaster has been serving as such for well over a decade and is not only thorough in his duties but loves each of the boys.

One day I hope that this legacy of service will carry on in my children and they will see that the efforts each leader has offered is a direct reflection of their love of God and His children.

As for tonight, bring on nature and bring on the trails tomorrow. Ask me how it went on Sunday as I hobble up with stiff legs.

Innovation of Soccer Ball Beyond Round? Bring in Noaz Safari Sportz

How do you innovate on a soccer ball? That was my question this morning and jokingly I put out there that "round is round." I did have a friend comment that you could provide texture to the ball, which conceptually would be an innovation. Other than the goalie, texture would likely go unnoticed as most players would have their boot on ;)

So how do you innovate on a soccer ball? Manufactures have designed a plethora of balls that are just that: innovations. From different outter covering types (leathers, synthetics), to stitching (hand vs. machine) to glues, to padding. Even the bladders of balls are different (I admittedly had never paid attention to this detail before this morning). If that was not enough, soccer balls come in 3 regulation sizes to fit the growing strength, size and development of the players.

With all the differing types of balls on the market, what attracts a buyer into purchasing one ball over another? Obviously there is marketing data out there (to which I'm not privy), and I'm sure there could be scientific clues as to what invokes a passion for one product vs another. All that aside, an average player will likely look at a ball and choose based on color, pattern and some visual connection they make with the product.

Keeping eye candy as a selection criteria in mind, I'd like to showcase a friend's new business and product line: Noaz Safari Sportz (http://noazsafarisportz.com). I met with the founder and owner of the business this morning at a local coffee shop (yup, I had my hot chocolate ;) and went through the basic concepts of the business and personally viewed the product prototypes. The business is built on Christian values of integrity and honesty, touting they bring a "rainbow of promise" to children as far as they can reach. They're plan is to create a profit share with organizations as marketing/distributing channels. The design of the product was realized by their son (my former soccer player), Chase. The company is in a unique and specific market that will allow them to propogate Christ's goodness and bring excitement, uniqueness and enjoyment to the sport I love.

Will the product be a competition level product? Not likely. In fact, they're touting it as a training product. But all that remains to be seen. Will the product rise above mere fashion and eye candy? With the hand-stitched product, quality seems pre-eminant in the minds of the owners and if the product were marketed as just fashion it would likely fail. I see this product having a good run at the market.

How can you contribute or get more information about the product? Feel free to contact me personally or go straight to http://noazsafarisportz.com/657.html for more contact information. I'm hoping after talking with the owner this morning, he'll venture into a product site on Facebook and show the power of social networking.

Good luck Noaz Safari Sportz! Looks like you have a winning product concept on your hands. May the Lord bless you through it's development and guide you into the channels were you can be of the most value in His hands!