Faith or Fear? What Force Do You Rely On?

  
      When a new Volkswagen commercial debuted during the Super-Bowl, it already had over 7 million views on YouTube. It starred a six year old dressed as a pint sized Darth Vader. Over 100 million people watched the big game, and the YouTube video has since increased to around 22 million views. It has already placed first on both Hulu and YouTube in votes for best commercial.
    
      If you have not seen it yet, then you have been in a coma for the past few days. It features a young boy imagining that he can use the force to manipulate objects with his mind. When he points his hands at their car, his father turns the engine on remotely. I immediately thought of my son, Luke, (named after Luke Skywalker) who waves his hand at every automatic door that we come to.
    
      It is this childlike imagination that we seem to lose as we grow older. We still have dreams and desires that seldom make it past the chopping block of the cynic within. The part of every adult that wants to remind us of our limitations. We stay where it is safe, because if we don't try, then we will never fail. Meanwhile, our vision is crushed underneath the boot-heel of realism.
  
     What if your vision is more than just a dream? Could you inadvertently be running from a calling that may turn out to be your purpose in life? Jesus says, if we have faith, we can cast a mountain into the sea.
  
     What if you could put your fear to rest and your faith to the test? You could raise your hands to that obstacle in your way. You could stare down that mountain in your life. And maybe, just maybe, your heavenly father would stand back watching your faith and move the mountain for you.
  
      Our God is the God of the impossible. What has He asked you to do that you have been putting off?

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Childlike Faith

Parenting in Style

I am the type of guy who mutes commercials or changes the channel completely during breaks. Terrible commercials are the bane of my television watching experience. I may have called Geico for a cheaper rate on my car insurance years ago if it were not for their lame ads, and don't even get me started on Capital One.

Some of the most meaningless advertisements are from car companies. To listen to them, one would gather that every car is the most favored by buyers, has the best milage, and more storage space than any competitor.

It is really hard to see any of the actors in television commercials as real. The acting is almost always sub-par. Although I cannot stand most of the advertisements on TV, I am quite fond of the commercials during the Super Bowl. In fact I would rather watch them over the game itself.

If a company wants my attention then they need to spend their money on a great script. The video that I am featuring below does just that. It is an ad for the Toyota Sienna that spends more time talking about parenting than pushing this particular mini-van. The result is that if I had a choice of mini-van currently on the market, the Sienna rises to the top of the list. All of this and I know nothing about the van itself. I can, however, see a real family owning one. Great job Toyota.

Here is the video (the lyrics are below in case you want to do some karaoke after watching):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4

This one goes out to all you minivan families out there.

Sienna SE…in the house.
Where my mother/fathers at?
Where my kids at?

Where my kids at?
Where my kids at?
Where my kids at?
Where my kids at?
Where my kids at?

No, seriously honeywhere are the kids?
They’re right there, see?
Oh, cool beans.

[VERSE DAD]
I roll hard through the streets and the cul-de-sacs,
Proud parent of an honor roll student, Jack.
I got a swing in the front, a tree house in the back,
My #1 Dad mug says, Yeah, Im the Mack.

[VERSE MOM]
I’m the world’s best nurse when my kids get sick,
I make a mean gel-mold, I perfected my tricks,
Back when I used to party as a college chick.
Now I’m cruising to their playdates lookin’ all slick…

[CHROUS]
In my Swagger Wagon,
Yeah, the Swagger Wagon,
It’s the Swagger Wagon,
I got the pride in my ride.
In my Swagger Wagon,
Yeah, the Swagger Wagon,
It’s the Swagger Wagon.

[VERSE DAD]

Check it…

I love hangin’ with my daughter sippin’ tea, keep my pinky up,
All the drawings on my fridge sport an A+.
I’m an awesome parent, (Right!) and it’s apparent, (True!)
And in this house there’s no mother/father swearin’.

[VERSE MOM]
Straight owning bake sales with my cupcake skills,
I’m better with the money, so I handle the bills,
And I always buy in bulk, ain’t afraid of no spills.
Every Mother’s Day proves…I’m kind of a big deal.

Daughter: Mommy, I need to go potty.

Bring the beat back, ’cause, yo, I got more to say,
You know I’m always front and center at the school play.
I kiss their boo-boos, clean doggie doo-doos,
Cut the crust off of PB&Js, chill the Yoo-hoos.

[VERSE DAD]

Singin’ “Farmer in the Dell” in perfect harmony,
When I’m rollin’ with my posse in the HOV.
We rock the SE, not an SUV,
And it’s true, if I were you, I’d be jealous of me…