HIMYM Monday: Robin Sparkles

In one of the classic early episodes of the great series How I Met Your Mother (Slap Bet, Season 2 Episode 9) Barney asks the gang to go with him to the grand opening of a new Sharper Image store. Everyone is in- until Robin learns it is at the local mall. She balks, refuses to go, and refuses to tell them why. After a wild series of events in which Barney thinks she was a mall porn star and Marshall thinks she got married in a mall, Ted tries to pin her down- but to no avail. Marshall and Barney make a Slap Bet as to which of them is correct (more on that in a later post). Finally, after much research, Barney discovers a video (which he thinks is porn) and they all sit down to watch together. They discover that to Robin's great embarrassment that in the early 90's she was a teenage pop star in Canada, performing under the name Robin Sparkles. And this was her big hit... 

As the seasons pass, they gang discovers that there are more videos of Ms. Sparkles floating around. Sandcastles in the Sand plays an important role the first time Robin and Barney hook up. P.S. I Love You introduced the world to Robin Daggers, a darker version of Sparkles who "invented grunge music" at the Grey Cup halftime show, years after Kurt Cobain thought he invented grunge. Robin Sparkles was that important to music history. We also learn of her obsession with Paul Shaffer and the wonders of Tim Horton's doughnuts. 

There was one other Sparkles story. Robin and her best friend Jessica Glitter had been on a children's TV show in Canada called Space Teens- a show about math. The big song from the show was called Two Beavers are Better Than One. Seriously. Needless to say, Barney goes back to assuming it is porn. We also learn that Robin and Jessica have lost touch over the years. The gang reunites them a New York's premier Canadian themed bar, The Hoser Hut. And a musical reunion ensues as well...

As I have mentioned many times, one of the things that set this show apart for me was the great continuity. The Robin Sparkles stories, spread out over many seasons, are a huge part of that. And on a personal note, my old friend Steve and I still text random Sparkles lyrics to each other just for fun. Have a "Sparkling" Monday. And remember...you should go to the mall. Today.

HIMYM Monday: Sunrise

Welcome to another How I Met Your Mother Monday! For a die hard fan like myself, choosing a favorite episode from the the series is like picking out which hot glazed doughnut in a dozen from Krispy Kreme you will eat first. You cannot go wrong! In a later post I will choose my top 10 from the over 200 episodes, but today I want to focus on one from the final season that is right at the top of any such listing. It's the episode entitled Sunrise (season 9, episode 16) and the more I see it, the more I love it.

To set the stage, we are only hours away from Barney and Robin's wedding. Barney, having gotten really, REALLY drunk that night, has wandered away from the Farhampton Inn. Ted and Robin begin to search for him. A wandering Barney discovers two lonely young men in need of a mentor and begins to teach them the ways of awesomeness. These two threads rum simultaneously through the show.

Robin and Ted make their way out on to the beach in search of Barney, where they begin to talk about Ted's old girlfriends. Robin inquires about several of them, asking if Ted talked to them lately. We learn through a series of flashbacks that Ted has talked with each of them- all in his efforts to find a locket Robin buried as a young woman and planned use as her "something old" for the wedding, but cannot find. In the course of this, Robin lists her Top 5 of Ted's ex-girlfriends, and does not include herself. Her top choice is Victoria, whom Ted dated two different times and who ditched her own wedding to run away with Ted. When Robin says that she never really understood why they broke up, Ted hesitates to tell her. When she pushes the issue Ted blurts out, Because of you, Robin. We broke up because of you." When Robin inquires "Why?" she gets the following answer:
Ted: I'm not gonna answer the question, because you know the answer. You want to talk about my Top Five? There's no Top Five, Robin, there's just a Top One - and it's you.

Ted wanted Barney and Robin to be happy. He was determined not to undermine the wedding in any way, and he eventually saves the wedding with the locket and a pep talk to both parties. But he knew the truth that he could not turn off his feelings no matter how hard he tried. More on that later...

Meanwhile Barney is schooling his young proteges in the fine arts of visiting strip clubs and talking to women- including introducing them to the game Have you met Ted? At the end of the evening, as the young men debate just who this genius is, Barney delivers the following speech:
Barney: A few final thoughts. Don't get married 'til you're 30. Play laser tag at least once a week. Give as many high-fives as you're gonna get. Teacup pigs are lady magnets but very hard to care for - not worth the effort. The same goes for dogs and babies. And most importantly, whatever you do in this life, it's not legendary unless your friends are there to see it. Good luck, boys. [gives them napkins detailing pages of his fabled Playbook] Take care of the Game for me.

For all of his posturing and narcissism, Barney understood one very important things. Friends make the world go 'round. Whatever you do in life, it's not legendary unless your friends are there to see it. Now that's awesome.

Back to the lost locket. Ted tracks in down with Victoria in Germany (looooong story!) and she overnights it to him- but it is intercepted by another of Ted's exs, crazy Jeanette. She meets him on a bridge in Central Park and upon learning why he wants the locket accuses him of trying to ruin the wedding and win Robin back. She accuses Ted of being crazy. And Ted responds with what to me is one of the greatest definition of romantic love ever spoken...
Ted: I'm in love with her, okay? If you're looking for the word that means caring about someone beyond all rationality and wanting them to have everything they want, no matter how much it destroys you, it's love. And when you love someone you don't stop- EVER! Even when people roll their eyes or call you crazy. Even then. Especially then. Just just...you don't give up! Because if I could give up, if I could just, you know, take the whole world's advice and move and find someone else, that wouldn't be love. That would be, that would be some other disposable thing that is not worth fighting for.

Of course Ted does eventually give up and finds "the Mother," but that doesn't change the fact the he stole a blue French horn for Robin- and as he says, would have stolen her an entire orchestra. There is nothing easy about letting go of true love, even if it is unrequited. It's just a magnificent episode that never fails to move me. The 3 quotes I featured today are among my favorites, and the scene with Ted and Robin on the beach at the end- when Ted finally lets her go as the Bangles song Eternal Flame plays behind them- is beyond perfect. It's this kind of humor combined with this kind of heart that made HIMYM so amazing to me. 

Join us next week for another HIMYM Monday!!!

"How I Met Your Mother" Mondays

"Kids, I'm gonna tell you an incredible story..."

It's now been over 2 years since my favorite TV show of all-time, How I Met Your Mother, aired its final episode. But thanks to syndication, and especially to FX, it is never off the air. I own the entire series on DVD, and I can watch every season over and over again without growing weary of the great comedy and friendships shared by Ted, Robin, Barney, Marshall & Lilly. I read recently that McGee's in Manhattan, the bar that was the inspiration for McClaren's (featured in nearly every episode of HIMYM), still changes there menu every Monday (the night the show aired for 9 seasons) to feature themed items that celebrate the series. I recently re-watched the final season again and was amazed at how emotional it still makes me. These things combined to inspire me to write a series of posts about the show to be featured on Mondays here on the blog. So welcome to the first HIMYM Monday!

Each week I will attempt to capture the true spirit of the show and explain some of its lasting influence on my my heart. There will be flashbacks to entire episodes and to brief moments in time. There will be exploration of some of the ancillary characters who helped make the series feel so real. There will be lists of things that should not be forgotten and favorite things that never will be. Friends, it was would be a stretch to say that anyone I know has been asking for this series of posts. But I need to write it. So I trust you will enjoy reading along.

Today, I want to share some words I wrote in the final days of the original 9 year run of HIMYM. It explains why the show mattered to me, and why it is my favorite. It seems like a great jumping off place and an easy way to let you know the WHY of my need to write about this show. This is from March 31, 2014- the day the series ended.

You see, HIMYM has been the rarest of TV shows- 9 years with the same cast, the same writers, the same director and the same story line. It has more continuity than any show I have ever watched. Just this past week I watched the pilot immediately after watching the most recent episode, and they feel completely connected- 206 shows later. Plus (as I have written here before) HIMYM has always rewarded faithful viewers with inside jokes and references. And nowhere has that been more evident than in this final season. Every show has been a treat for those of us who have watched faithfully, full of little things that let us know the writers remember us. It is brilliant. And it makes HIMYM my favorite show ever. Sorry, Seinfeld.

So as we say farewell, HIMYMers will remember the classic moments that will stay with us long after the show is gone. We will always suit up, always give high fives and never forget to be legen...wait for it!- dary. We will fear the cockamouse while believing that Nessie is a gentle creature, and that Sasquatch is very real. We will continue to search old music stores for vintage Robin Sparkles vinyls. We will treasure last words and understand the importance of being there when friends are hurting- even if it means dancing Christmas lights set to AC/CD music. We will occasionally hum Bang, Bang, Bangity Bang and Marshall Vs. the Machines. And I, for one, will have Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit as my default ringtone. We'll remember that we have indeed met Ted, that nothing good happens after 2 am, that new is NOT always better and that most anything can be "the dream." We will remember the crazy eyes and that there is a "hot/crazy scale." We will still be expecting one more slap to finish off the bet. We will remember that nothing is more romantic than stealing a blue French horn for a girl the first night you go out, throwing 3 parties in 3 days just to see her again, or making it rain (by doing a rain dance!) so you can get together with her again. And most of all, we will remember that nothing we do in life is legendary unless our friends are there to see it. To call this show a comedy is to miss out on the many dramatic moments and life lessons that have been offered up along the way. To not see it as a comedy is to miss 9 years of hilarity. HIMYM is the complete package.

If all of that is nonsense to your brain, then come back every Monday and learn about the wonders of HIMYM. If that started your heart on a trip down memory lane...then ditto. Join me next week and we'll explore what has, with the passage of time, become my favorite episode, complete with the ultimate definition of romantic love. See you at Sunrise. You don't think I can write about the show most every week for a few months? Challenge accepted!!! 

"I'm Gonna Be..."

You know that thing where you would do anything to show another person how important they are to you? Yeah...this is about that. I woke up singing this song today. Now it will be stuck in your heads too! :)

Now that's commitment! Have a Happy Hump Day, my friends!

Reflections on the HIMYM Finale

I wasn't planning on writing about the epic one hour finale to the TV show How I Met Your Mother. It was met with very mixed reviews and I felt like my opinion was really not all that important. But I have received several requests to share my thoughts on the subject, and so today I shall. Or rather, WE shall. The majority of this post was written as a comment on the Entertainment Weekly website by my 18 year old son Will in a response to the negativity so many people were expressing. Please know we are not attempting to change anyone's mind- these are just our personal feelings about a show that we dearly love. Here's what Will had to say (in italics) with some notes from me as well:

The finale was the perfect ending. As a full nine-season long fan, I found it to be brilliant, the entire hour of it. The show has always been real. Even last week, the wedding between Barney and Robin which had been built up all season, was utterly downplayed so as to demonstrate real life, where the big moments flash right before your eyes. 

The finale was real. It wasn't a happy ending in many ways, but it was the perfect ending. It gave each and every character a fitting goodbye and an emotional end to their story. Life isn't always happy, sometimes it is sad, and life ending is always a sad thing, HIMYM did not shy away from this harsh reality (Editor's Note: Have you MET Robin & Barney? How was anyone who knows the personalities and characteristics of those 2 characters surprised that their marriage didn't last? And to those who felt like Barney changing immediately upon becoming a father was out of character, we had known for years that babies have an impact on Swarley. Remember when he found out his brother James was adopting?).

As for the final moment between Ted and Robin, it can be taken many ways, which is why it has incited so much debate. Let me make this clear though, Ted LOVED the mother with all his heart. She was his everything. Six years after she died, Ted's kids didn't want to see Ted grow old a sad man. Even the Mother herself told Ted to carry on without her earlier this season in a flash-forward. It just took Ted a few years to understand that it was alright to move on (Editor's Note: So many people are missing the point about Ted & Robin. The ending was not to show us that Robin had always been the one and Ted had "settled" for Tracy. Quite the opposite. Robin had always been Ted's "the one" until he met Tracy. As Lilly said when she saw Ted look at The Mother- "This is different." It was Robin, in the end, who finally realized that Ted had always been the one. And as often happens, life cycled back around.).

And of course it ended in a big gesture showing that through it all, Ted Mosby's heart will never be broken. No matter what the world may throw at him, he will always be the eternal optimist, the eternal believer. He will always be the guy with the blue french horn.
(Editor's Note: Will also wanted to point out that the final song, Heaven by The Walkmen, was commissioned by the show's creators several years ago for the finale and speaks volumes to the show's ultimate message- "Remember, remember, all we fight for...").

Judge Fudge...do I have permission to say LAWYERED?

Will pretty much says it all for me. But before ending this post I want to re-emphasize one more of the points he makes. If you are a long-time fan of HIMYM, then you knew going in that this was not going to end in some happily-ever-after fantasy. Think back to the passing of Marshall's dad, Barney's search for his father, the divorce of Ted's parents, Lilly's estrangement from her Dad, Robin discovering she is unable to have children and even Lilly & Marshall's break up. HIMYM was never just a sitcom. From the very beginning, the writers always knew where they were going. They always pursued something greater than mere laughs. For myself, my son and several of our friends who love the show the way we do, it was brilliant. And so was was the finale. In fact I think I may watch it a third time tonight just to be sure. And await the box set this Fall...the pineapple is still a mystery. And I GOTS TO KNOW!!! 

HIMYM: Farewell!

The series finale of How I Met Your Mother airs tonight on CBS, and I will go ahead and confess upfront that there will be tears at the Jones' residence.  We have been fans of the show for a very long time, and have watched most of the first 8 seasons over and over again in syndication. I dearly love this show and these characters. And tonight we say goodbye. It won't be easy.

But I do realize that there are those among you who have not watched much of HIMYM, or who are just getting into it because of all the hoopla over the wedding last week and the finale tonight. And if that is true for you, then I am guessing you don't see what all the fuss is about. You see, HIMYM has been the rarest of TV shows- 9 years with the same cast, the same writers, the same director and the same story line. It has more continuity than any show I have ever watched. Just this past week I watched the pilot immediately after watching the most recent episode, and they feel completely connected- 206 shows later. Plus (as I have written here before) HIMYM has always rewarded faithful viewers with inside jokes and references. And nowhere has that been more evident than in this final season. Every show has been a treat for those of us who have watched faithfully, full of little things that let us know the writers remember us. It is brilliant. And it makes HIMYM my favorite show ever. Sorry, Seinfeld.

So as we say farewell, HIMYMers will remember the classic moments that will stay with us long after the show is gone. We will always suit up, always give high fives and never forget to be legen...wait for it!- dary. We will fear the cockamouse while believing that Nessie is a gentle creature, and that Sasquatch is very real. We will continue to search old music stores for vintage Robin Sparkles vinyls. We will treasure last words and understand the importance of being there when friends are hurting- even if it means dancing Christmas lights set to AC/CD music. We will occasionally hum Bang, Bang, Bangity Bang and Marshall Vs. the Machines. And I, for one, will have Nothing Suits Me Like a Suit as my default ringtone. We'll remember that we have indeed met Ted, that nothing good happens after 2 am, that new is NOT always better and that most anything can be "the dream." We will remember the crazy eyes and that there is a "hot/crazy scale." We will still be expecting one more slap to finish off the bet. We will remember that nothing is more romantic than stealing a blue French horn for a girl the first night you go out, throwing 3 parties in 3 days just to see her again, or making it rain (by doing a rain dance!) so you can get together with her again. And most of all, we will remember that nothing we do in life is legendary unless our friends are there to see it. To call this show a comedy is to miss out on the many dramatic moments and life lessons that have been offered up along the way. To not see it as a comedy is to miss 9 years of hilarity. HIMYM is the complete package.

My family has fallen in love with Ted. Marshall, Barney, Robin, Lilly and now The Mother. We will miss Ranjit, Carl the Bartender, Wendy the Waitress and even Patrice. We will even wonder what could have been for Ted and Victoria. We will miss so many things. I wish everyone could have been on this ride as long as we have. There may well be sadness tonight, as this show has never dodged reality. But any tragedy or dramatic twists will be within the context of the last 9 seasons. For Mother Lovers everywhere, it will be the end we need. But please...PLEASE...don't let tonight be your first time watching. You'll be cheating the series and yourself. The finale will have some mystery to it, but I do know this much. At the very end, we will hear future Ted look at his two teenage children (Luke & Penny) in the year 2030 and say, "And that, kids, is the story of how I met your mother." And we'll all say farewell...

HIMYM Memories: Days of Future Past

Our friends Robin and Barney get married tonight- and it will not go smoothly. Like so many other things about the wonderfully layered world of How I Met Your Mother, we know this because we we have seen the future. We know that Barney is going to freak out and wonder if he has chosen the correct "tie" to wear forever. We know that Robin is going to ask to see Ted. We can assume that Ted, who at this point has still not met the Mother (although we have) will be torn as he watches the love of his life ("There is no Top 5, Robin. There's a top one. And it's you!") marry one of his best friends. HIMYM is a show about old friends telling old stories. But along the way faithful viewers have also learned much about the futures of our 5 friends.

We know that Ted will meet the Mother, have two kids, and that as yet undetermined events will somehow cloud their future. We know Marshall and Lilly will live in Italy for a while and have a another child- a daughter named Daisy. Marshall will be come a Judge (Judge Fudge!). We know that Robin and Barney will continue to live large and legendary lives. And we know that these friends will continue to gather on a regular basis to attend Robots verses Wrestlers. We have seen enough of their lives going forward that we wish we were going to be able to share the future with them in the ame way we have shared so much of their pasts.

And that is part of what makes next week's finale feel like a sad occasion. As with all things HIMYM, it will be funny. It will be touching. It will be surprising. But there will also be sadness as we let go of these fictional friends forever. No more wonderful catchphrases (see chart at bottom). No more evenings at McLaren's. No chance of ever seeing Ted with blonde hair ("Pulling. It. OFF!") or the cockamouse again. No more Swarley or chances to be "lawyered." For faithful viewers, Monday nights will now have a huge, gaping hole that will be hard to fill. I know it's JUST a TV show. But I will miss it.

At the end of the very first episode, after we learn how Ted met Robin and immediately fell in love, Ted says to his two teenage children in the year 2030 "and that, kids, is the story of how I met your Aunt Robin." While his kids could see that this was going to be a very long story, we could see the future from the very beginning. And now we are at the end. Enjoy the wedding, Mother Lovers. And treasure the memories these 9 season have given us.  How many of these catchphrases can you use in context in daily conversation? CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!

#HIMYM Memories: Artifacts

After tonight there are only 2 more Monday nights with new episodes of my TV obsession, How I Met Your Mother. For these three Mondays I will be sharing some HIMYM memories here on my blog as my way of paying tribute to a truly great show. Today I want to remember some items- artifacts if you will- that have played an important role in the 9 year history of the show. This is in no way meant to be an exclusive list. These are just a few of my favorites...

*  The Yellow Umbrella - This came to be the symbol of hope for Ted as his love life ebbed and flowed over the history of the show, because it represented the Mother. It was her umbrella, which Ted "borrowed" from a St. Patrick's Day party in 2008, only to return it to her accidentally while on a date with her roommate. Even as I write this, Ted knows known of this. But we do. Thus the brilliance of the show.

*  The Playbook - Barney's elaborate collection of amazing schemes and gimmicks designed to help him pick up women. My personal favorite- The Weekend at Barney's, where he reenacts the movie Weekend at Bernie's and meets women while pretending to be dead. He burned the playbook after becoming engaged to Robin, but he recreated it from memory and passed it on to a couple of hopeless young men a few weeks ago. The episode where he tricks everyone in the gang with The Scuba Diver is also a favorite! 

*  The Swords- When Ted and Marshall first moved into their apartment in Manhattan they bought swords to hand on the wall. Those swords became part of two epic sword fights. Marshall and Ted dueled to see who would get the apartment after Lilly and Marshall got married. It ended when Lilly walked in and was wounded. Later in the series we discover that Lilly and Robin also go into a duel as a joke, in which Lilly hilariously misquoted The Princess Bride and cut an expensive dress in half.

*  Marshall's Fiero - Marshall's car from high school played an integral role in the early years of the show. The episode in which the car dies just short of 200,000 miles gives us stories of Marshall and Ted becoming best friends over a road trip in a blizzard while in college, and of Robin and Lilly bonding over staging a break in to the car to cover up spilled food. And Barney trying to learn to drive. But the best part was the tale of how a cassette tape of The Proclaimers singing I Wanna Be the Man (500 Miles) was stuck in the car's tape player and for years had been the only song you could hear. The Fiero died that day, but its 
memory lives on in that song!

*The Red Cowboy Boots - Ted gets talked into buying ugly red cowboy boots by a hot salesgirl. They make various appearances over the years, most notably an episode where Ted wears them everywhere and insists on telling everyone that he is "pulling them off." The boots are eventually destroyed in a fiery blaze by Ted's crazy "last girlfriend" before he meets the Mother - Jeanette.

* The Pineapple- In season 1, episode 10 Ted gets very drunk and cannot remember the events of the night before when he wake up. With the help of the gang and Carl the Bartender he pieces the story together- with one exception. There was a pineapple on his nightstand. On a show that meticulously follows up on every loose end, we still do not know where that pineapple came from. It had been mentioned, but it is a mystery not even The Mosby Boys can solve. Maybe in the finale... 

*  Puzzles - The "Bar" that Barney and Ted open in the apartment on a couple of occasions when they on the outs with McLaren's, their usual home away from home. They had great hopes and dreams for the place. Why Puzzles? That's the puzzle...

* The Blue French Horn - For me, this artifact from the very first episode has always symbolized the very heart of How I Met Your Mother. Ted meets Robin and immediately begins to fall in love. They have dinner at a place called Carmichaels's, where a blue French horn hands over the mantle. Robin mentions how much she loves it. Later in the episode Ted is returning to to Robin's apartment (after ruining everything by blurting out "I think I love you" on a first date) and he stops by the restaurant and steals her the blue French horn. It becomes the symbol of his undying love for Robin- which is still in place even now, as she prepares to marry Barney and he is about to finally meet the Mother. Later, as her part of their romantic relationship is ending, Robin laments "but you stole me a blue French horn." Ted responds, "I would have stolen you a whole orchestra." And he would have...

So there's my list, although I could go on and on. What did I miss, HIMYM fans? Three shows to go. Three more Mondays of great television. Let me know if I you'll be watching with me.

Can Youth Pastors Learn Anything From Barney Stinson? PLEASE...

(Spoiler Alert! If you are a fan of HIMYM and have not watched this week's episode, this post does contain a spoiler. Just so you know...)

Wisdom and inspiration can often come from the strangest of places. On this past Monday's installment of the TV show How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) yet another long hidden secret was revealed. Barney Stinson (played by the amazing Neil Patrick Harris) finally (under very bizarre circumstances) had to tell his friends what he actually does for a living. It it well known that Barney works for Goliath National Bank; it was unknown as to what he does to earn the "16 crap-loads" of money they pay him each year. For years anytime he has been asked what his job actually is, Barney would smile and say with a pleasant dismissiveness- "PLEASE." There had been zero hints about what that meant until this past Monday night, when it was revealed that P.L.E.A.S.E. was in fact an acronym used to disguise the fact that he was in charge of signing documents of questionable origin and intent to protect the bosses at the evil empire of a bank that employs him. Literally, his job is to PLEASE...

I spent a lot of years working for churches, and I can tell you that quite often Youth Pastors feel like their job is to PLEASE. You often want to please the youth, their parents, your senior pastor, the church custodian, committees you may work with and your family- and if you're not careful you find yourself trying to do things to PLEASE God as well, instead of simply giving Him glory, honor and praise. These desires can often control the way we do ministry, and not in a good way. But as I thought more about the HIMYM episode and that acronym. it occurred to me that the selfish, womanizing Barney Stinson might have come across a way to help those in ministry PLEASE in a good way. It seemed like an odd revelation. After all, Barney wrote The Bro Code and The Playbook, not 6 Easy Steps To a Successful Youth Ministry. But there was something there. So try this acronym on for size...

* P is for PRAY. Youth Pastors should be praying for students, their families and for God to move in their lives every single day. Scripture says to "pray without ceasing." True story.
* L is for LISTEN. Most teenagers need adults to talk to, adults they can trust, adults they believe care about them. There are very few people who take time to listen. Everyone in ministry needs to be on that list. 83% will not cut it...
* E is for ENCOURAGE. All youth pastors should be cheerleaders, helping to build up their students in the body of Christ. Always encourage; never tear down. They get plenty of that already. Students need to know that they are loved, and that Jesus can use them to do legendary things...
* A is for ACCEPT. Teenagers are often brutally unaccepting of one another. Those in ministry need to be for them like Jesus is with each of us, accepting them for who they are while loving youth too much to leave them where we find them. And that acceptance needs to be unconditional, or it is NOT the way of Jesus! 
* S is for SERVE. Ministry in the name of Christ is, at its heart, a service industry. Jesus charges each of us to feed his sheep, to care for the the lost, the lame and the hurting and to wash each  others feet. We should not approach ministry with the attitude that we are the educated, spiritual giants who have so much to offer our young apprentices. Ministers should be the very people modeling service and humility to those we have the privilege of impacting.
* E is for EVANGELIZE. Not in the "beat a kid over the head with a 10 pound bible" kind of way- not that I know anyone who has a 10 pound bible- but in the true sense of the word! Our words and our lives should constantly reflect the Good News of who Jesus was, what he did, and what that can mean in each of lives. Students need to know there is a reason WHY you do those first 5 things on this list. My go-to scripture verse for my ministry was always 1 Thessalonians 2:8 - "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share not only the gospel with you, but our very lives as well, because you had become so dear to us."  Is there any better definition of ministry?

It is my belief that if more youth pastors understood that their real job description is to PLEASE, their impact on the students around them would by greatly multiplied. I've said it here 100 times before and will continue to preach it until my dying breath, but ministry to students is not about programs, sermons, games or trips. All of those things are means to an end. And that end is relationships with other students and with caring adults that lead to a better understanding of what it means to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. And this Barney Stinson inspired acronym is a great place to start.

So youth pastors and others in ministry, the next time someones asks you the infamous "What do you actually do?" question, just smile at them, shrug playfully, and say "PLEASE." It's gonna be a thing...

Because of Jesus,

The Ultimate #HIMYM Gift Set

I know that there are plenty of people who spend the days immediately following Christmas shopping for bargains. Some of the more advance shoppers will even already be purchasing gifts for the 2014 holiday season. I am not among them! But I do have to admit my thoughts have already turned to what I want for Christmas next year. I seldom have anything I ask for, let alone a list- but I suppose this constitutes both. You see, on March 31st of 2014 my beloved How I Met Your Mother will cease airing new episodes forever. So by next Christmas, there will inevitably be a deluxe edition collector's box set of the entire 9 years of the series, and many extras.  I want it. You may all have to go in together to afford it, but I want it. And as long as I'm declaring my greed, I might as well go ahead and let those in charge of such things know what extras I would like to see included. If you have the power, please make it so...

1. The Blu-ray discs themselves should include the normal outtakes and interviews, but should also include some special bonus features. There should be at least 2 (Let's Go To the Mall & Sandcastles In the Sand) full-length Robin Sparkles videos. There should be a 1 minute history of the Slap Bet. Perhaps an alternate ending to Karate Kid where William Zabka whips Ralph Macchio. And most importantly, there needs to be a full-length, uninterrupted version of Marshall Vs. the Machines. There's lots more, but I don't want to seem too needy!
2. There needs to be an unabridged copy of the Bro Code. In addition, it would be nice if Barney could select his 10 favorite plays from the infamous Playbook and include them as well. It would also be nice to include a visual aid to help us keep straight how many times Ted & Robin broke up, got back together, and broke up again, as well as an illustrated chart of all of Ted's girlfriends through the years.. And finally, give each hardcore fan a copy of of one of Lilly's painting. Dogs everywhere need their soothing influence!
3. My big idea is to include a a set of collector's edition Christmas ornaments with each purchase. There are so many things that could be done with this idea, but here are a few of my suggestions: A talking Barney ornament with catch phrases (Have you met Ted? and more!), a blue French Horn, a yellow umbrella, a cockamouse, a model Fiero with sound ("And I would walk 500 miles..."), a pineapple, red cowboy boots, a storm trooper, a Canadian flag, a Minnesota Vikings jersey, the phone booth, Marshpillow and a tiny bottle of Glen McKenna 30 year old scotch. Just as a start...  :)
4. Even if it's only for me, I would ask for one more video clip. An alternate ending. I know that Ted and the as yet unnamed "Mother" go on to a very happy life together. But yet I wonder...was Robin really the one? So give me an alternate ending. What would life have been like for soulmates Robin and Ted if they had finally given in and held on to each other forever? You know what- forget that idea. The ending will just have to be the ending. I'll just be happy for Barney & Robin (assuming they really get married) and for Ted & the Mother. Any alternate ending will just have to be the one in my dreams. 
5. And finally...a poster of the gang sitting at their booth in MacLaren's Pub. This is where life happened for them, where they met so many nights to relive adventures and share good times. They've laughed there, cried there, fought over ducks and bunnies there and shared the kind of love we all hope we find with our own friends. The heart of this show has never been the search for the Mother; the heart of this show has always been friendship. And that's why I will miss it so much.

So now you all know what to get me next Christmas. It will be legen-I have to wait for it because Christmas is a year away-dary! And if that seems like a bit too much, just remember that a fruit basket makes a lovely gift. Have a happy day!

The Brilliance of #HIMYM

Warning: The following post contains spoilers, personal opinion and inside jokes about the TV show How I Met Your Mother. In fact, here's an inside joke right now- Relax, "Robin."  This is not about you!!!  :)

Yesterday was the 15th anniversary of the final episode of Seinfeld.  Time flies, huh?  Many of you who know me or follow this blog know that I consider Seinfeld to be the greatest TV show of all-time. I love a great sitcom, and we currently have some really good ones gracing the airwaves. Modern Family.  Community.  The Big Bang Theory. I love them all. But I have recently come to the realization that for me, the most important 30 minutes of TV each week is Monday night at 8 pm.  That's when How I Met Your Mother (HIMYM) airs on CBS. It has now achieved the status of my second favorite show...EVER.  Bold statement. I know. But there are reasons. Like Seinfeld, almost every situation you may encounter in life has an episode of HIMYM that relates in some way.  Unlike most sitcoms, the show is meticulous in following up story lines- even if it takes several years to do it.  The main characters - Barney, Marshall, Lilly, Ted & Robin - have had to deal with real life.  They have messed up relationships, lost jobs, betrayed friends, had parents pass away and divorce and dealt with infidelity in their own lives. And yet the show remains very funny. They have their own language, like nearly every great sitcom.  We have learned about the Bro Code, which is now legend- wait for it - dary!   We know that sometimes to get a real answer out of a friend, the right question is "Where's the poop?"  We know Teddy Westside. We eagerly await the final slap in the infamous "Slap Bet."We have learned that Laser Tag is the greatest of all sports. We met Canadian pop sensation Robin Sparkles. We discovered the existence of the Cockamouse. And so much more.  It's been a wild ride.

This past Monday night was the finale of season 8, with the promise of the answer to one of the longest running cliffhangers in TV history- who is the mystery woman who will marry Ted and become the mother of his children, and how did he meet her? To be honest, for many of the hardcore fans of the show the question was no longer important.  We had already discovered that the journey was so much greater than the destination.  And we knew so much about this woman.  Knowledge gained over many years of faithful viewing.  We had seen her ankle when Ted dated her roommate without ever meeting her.  We knew she wore boots. We knew she played bass in a band.  And we knew of her fabled yellow umbrella.  We even already knew that Ted would meet her outside of the church where Barney and Robin were getting married (maybe- that's still next season). But still...we were finally going to see her face. The mother of all mothers would be revealed. In an episode that contained more plot that most sitcoms squeeze into a year, the last scene featured a woman carrying a guitar case and a yellow umbrella, wearing boots and buying a train ticket to Farhampton- site of the wedding.  The camera swung around, and we saw her face.  Even though Ted has not met her yet, we have.  And there was celebrating at the Jones house!

It was at that moment that the full brilliance of HIMYM became clear to me.  A show that has always rewarded intelligence, faithfulness and attention to detail had topped itself one more time.  You see, we knew that we had just met the mother.  Other long time fans were certain they had just met the mother.  But for the uninitiated, there was no clue. Unless you had been watching, caring and paying attention, you only knew a woman with a yellow umbrella and boots had just bought a train ticket.  The writers didn't tell us who she was.  Those in the know just KNEW.  

We live in an "I want it NOW!" society.  For the past 8 years, HIMYM has offered us the opportunity to enjoy the virtues of patience, loyalty and wisdom- all while laughing our butts off!  That they reached the penultimate moment in the show's history and were still faithful to those virtues is a tribute to all involved.  We were rewarded for persistence. So today I say thank you, HIMYM. Thank you for 8 seasons of joy, laughter, ridiculousness and friendship.  There is one season left, and still many stories to be finished.  I can't wait to see how it all turns out. And to see if maybe...just maybe...Seinfeld's reign at the top of my list will end.  Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

Carl