dodging, laughing

Last Night a strange event occurred at pleasant valley. Eighty teenagers collected in the FLC to hurl balls at each other in an attempt to make each other "out" in the classic competition "dodgeball". This provided the opportunity for many heroic events and daring plays by these atheletes. In the end, nobody won, and everyone had laughed hard.

One of the great ironies found in a game like dodgeball is that, if you want too, you can hang in the back, safe from danger from most of the game. But, if you do, two things will happen. First, you will not help your team very much. A little bit, feftching ammunition, etc, but not very much. Secondly, when the game nears completion, you may find that you have survived...only to become the last remaining target for the other team. Now, they are all trying to hit you in the head, and have little chance of winning the round. So your tactic which was to your safety, ends up creating a very hazardous situation for you.

I'm not sure if there is a life lesson there, but there may be. If nothing else, it should enhance your dodgeball strategy.

Meaning and Usage of "Props"

"Props" is a slang word that roughly translates into "proper respect", and is common parlance in popular culture. Everyday, in a wide variety of forums, people earn, and are then given their "props". When you say to someone, "I gotta give you props for (whatever they've done well)" You are saying that because of their fine performance or attributes, you are obligated to give them due respect. Or, more efficiently, you could pack all of that meaning into the words itself, and simply say to a person who is performing particularly well, "props." Slang can be so beautiful.

To make it clear, allow me to use the word in a sentence.

In my interaction with different churches, it has become more and more clear how critical the leadership of shepherds is to the vitality of a congregation. Shepherds don't make the church, they don't own the church, but they do lead the church, and like any other job among us it can be done well or poorly. Our elders do it particularly well, and somehow pull off an amazing balancing act in their lives between their own families, jobs, and the affairs of the church. I think they do a great job of building relationships and helping people through all kinds of things. Of course simple math tells us that its a big job, and it can be tough to keep everybody on the radar. Please be aware of that and help them out, by being intentional on your side of the relationship as well. Make it a mission to get to know them! I really have a lot of confidence in them, and know that the relationships they have with the church have been critical to the way God has been able to use PV to glorify himself in our city and in the world. So, ready for that sentence?

"I give our shepherds props."