Spirituality

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The McDonald’s Here in Spring Hill, TN, is Going Viral: Nativity Scene Proclaims “His Name is Jesus”

The McDonald's Here in Spring Hill, TN, is Going Viral: Nativity Scene Proclaims "His Name is Jesus"

I had just put my son to bed when I saw the news: The top story in Facebook news was about the McDonald’s just 3.9 miles from my garage door.

Thanks to Amy Basel taking a picture of the nativity scene painted on the front window of the McDonald’s here in Spring Hill, Tennessee (located at 5431 Main Street, right off the main road that runs through the town), the story has gone viral.

I love to dive into the psychology of a viral news story like this…

For example, why is this suddenly such a popular story?

The McDonald's Here in Spring Hill, TN, is Going Viral: Nativity Scene Proclaims "His Name is Jesus"

After all, I have to assume that even non-religious people who celebrate Christmas are at least aware that the official reason Christmas is celebrated is because Christians recognize the birth of Jesus; who lived and died to bring those who believe in Him eternal life and forgiveness of their sins.

I believe the reason people are fascinated by a McDonald’s with the nativity scene painted on the front window is because it’s refreshing to those of us who believe in the Biblical meaning of Christmas.

After all, we’re not talking about a mom-and-pop burger joint here. This is McDonald’s. This is America’s most popular burger restaurant that is allowing their franchisees to host such an explicitly religious scene on their restaurant.

The McDonald's Here in Spring Hill, TN, is Going Viral: Nativity Scene Proclaims "His Name is Jesus"

In such a politically correct version of America we now live in, it’s actually amazing to see “His Name is Jesus” painted on the front of a restaurant chain’s window.

It’s actually kind of… rebellious.

Seriously, it’s like we’re getting away with something here.

The McDonald's Here in Spring Hill, TN, is Going Viral: Nativity Scene Proclaims "His Name is Jesus"

I wonder where this story will go from here? Will the corporate McDonald’s office put an end to this? Or will they (wisely) embrace this movement and take advantage of the attention that such an overtly Christian statement is bringing them?

Please check out my video that I just shot about an hour before I published this story. You’ll be able to see exactly what everyone is talking about…

 

All photos and video footage by Nick Shell of Family Friendly Daddy Blog.

6 Comments Posted on parenting, Pregnancy, Spirituality, Uncategorized

Dear Holly or Logan: Your Biblical Middle Name

18 weeks.

Dear Holly or Logan: Your Biblical Middle Name

Dear Holly or Logan,

We are just 6 days away from finding out, and 7 days away from announcing to the world, whether you are a boy or a girl.

Over this past weekend while we were in Destin for your brother Jack’s 5th birthday, Mommy and I finalized what your middle name will be.

Either way, your middle name will be Biblically based.

If you are Holly, your middle name will be Joy. Originally it was going to be Jane. I personally love the name Jane so much. However, Mommy pointed out that “Holly Jane” sounds a bit like “Mary Jane.” We didn’t want your named to be synonymous with marijuana.

However, if we ever have a 3rd child, and she was a girl too, the plan is for her first name to be Jane. I just love that name.

So Mommy chose Joy instead, for your middle name. Your middle name will serve as a reminder that in life, we must choose joy.

The Bible is full of reminders of the importance of “choosing joy” in the Lord despite what happens in life. One example is this verse, 1 Thessalonians 16-18:

“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

If you are Logan, your middle name will be Jeremiah. This is a name I had originally picked for your first name, but Mommy and I decided we wanted you to have a shorter first name.

While I was in college at Liberty University, one of the guys in the dorm room next to me was named Jeremiah. He is the only person I have ever known with that name, but I really like it.

The Biblical reference there is in the verse, Jeremiah 29:11, which is this:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,” plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Just this morning your brother Jack was watching an episode of VeggieTales on Netflix called “It’s a Meaningful Life,” in which the theme was that we are not here by accident; that God has a special plan for each one of us.

The name Jeremiah will serve as a reminder that you are special in the eyes of God, as he has a special plan for you; as He does all of us.

So now we will wait about a week to find out what your middle name is; but more importantly, whether you are a boy or a girl.

Love,

Daddy

6 Comments Posted on Nostalgia, Spirituality, Storytelling, Uncategorized

McGee and Me! Soundtrack: “Hold On” by Michael W. Smith

McGee and Me! Soundtrack: “Hold On” by Michael W. Smith

This post will not be read by the people seeing it on my Facebook or Twitter feeds. Instead, it will be specifically sought out by a small fraction of the Internet who grew up in an explicitly Christian culture. I will become the #1 source when someone Googles “Hold On by Michael W. Smith McGee and Me Soundtrack”.

If you happened to grow up like I did, you were born in the early 1980s and were at church at least twice a week.

And on those days where the teacher was out in Children’s Church (the class where all the kids went during the main church service on Sunday mornings), you walked into the room to see a TV set up with a McGee and Me! VHS set up.

The series consisted of the protagonist Nick (played by Joseph Dammann) who liked draw. That alone was enough reason for me to like the show since I shared the same name and hobby as the main character.

Nick’s doodle, McGee, helped him navigate through moral decisions. Each episode contained an awesome original song composed by James Covell.

All together, there were about a dozen of McGee and Me! episodes. Perhaps the rarest one was “Take Me out of the Ball Game,” which was the only one not to contain a James Covell song.

Instead, its feature song was “Hold On,” by the legendary Michael W. Smith. Strangely, this song was not featured on any other Michael W. Smith album, nor was it on the CD version of the soundtrack; it was only on the cassette version, which I owned.

Another thing that made this song more rare and unheard, was that in addition to the episode being harder to purchase because it was released after the peak of the series popularity, the song was not featured during the action sequence of the episode, but instead during the closing credits.

But as a 6th grader who got my hands on the cassette tape version of the McGee and Me! soundtrack, I didn’t know any of this. I just knew I loved the song.

In fact, I bought my first portable cassette player especially so I could listen to this soundtrack. All the songs were amazing, but my favorite was “Hold On” by Michael W. Smith.

I think it’s safe to say that the “new original song for every new episode” formula in my original webseries, Jack-Man, has something I learned from seeing McGee and Me! as a kid and loving the soundtrack.

Please feel free to share your own warm memories of McGee and Me! Show me I’m not alone in my nostalgic thoughts!

5McGee and Me! Soundtrack: “Hold On” by Michael W. Smith

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Dear Holly or Logan: You’re Due on April 21, 2016

12 weeks.

Dear Holly or Logan: You’re Due on April 21, 2016

Dear Holly or Logan,

Where should I begin? First of all, let me officially proclaim it: You exist. In about 6 months, you will be meeting your family face to face.

You are a human being with a soul. You are currently 12 weeks old.

God has created you and is knitting together in the womb as I write this. He has placed you with us, the Shell family; you will be the newest and youngest member.

It sounds so cosmic, doesn’t it? But I suppose it really is.

Dear Holly or Logan: You’re Due on April 21, 2016

By the way, I am your Daddy. I will serve as your guide, your mentor, and ultimately, the narrator of your life.

You will learn so much from me. But I can’t fit it all into just one letter. That’s why I’ll be writing you at least once a week, for the rest of your life; just like I have for your brother since several months before he was born.

Speaking of, you have an older brother named Jack, who will be 5 and a half years-old by the time you are predicted to be born on April 21, 2015.

And of course you can’t forget Mommy; you’re actually in her tummy right now. She’s taking good care of you.

Dear Holly or Logan: You’re Due on April 21, 2016

Oh, you should know this: There’s actually a decent chance you and I could share our birthdays, since I’ll be turning 35 the day before your due date.

Right now, we don’t know whether you’re a girl or a boy. If you’re a girl, your name will be Holly; and if you’re a boy, your name will be Logan.

We should know for sure around the first week of December, which is 2 months from now.

Until then, I’ll just refer to you as “Holly or Logan.”

Now that you have met your family, you should take a look at yourself. That’s what all these black and white pictures are. That’s you.

Dear Holly or Logan: You’re Due on April 21, 2016

It looks like you have a halo about you, as you can see. Apparently that’s the yolk sack, and it’s completely normal.

But it’s fun to think of you as a tiny little baby with a halo.

So there’s what you need to know for now. We should be seeing you in about 6 months. Until then, I have plenty more to say to you in a lifetime supply of letters to come.

Dear Holly or Logan: You’re Due on April 21, 2016

Love,

Daddy

P.S. Here is a fun video I made with your brother, which helped tell everyone about you coming into this world.

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Dear Jack: A Righteous Man Cares for the Needs of His Animals

4 years, 10 months.

Dear Jack: A Righteous Man Cares for His Animals

Dear Jack,

Saturday afternoon you slept hard for three hours while Mommy and I watched the movie Unbroken in the bonus room.

During the middle of it, I snuck in your bedroom to check on you and discovered such a sweet sight: You were cuddled up tightly with Bongo, your stuffed animal monkey.

Not to mention, your bed is always full of your zoo of all your other stuffed animals, which even includes an anteater.

After you woke up later in the afternoon, I took you to the Spring Hill Ham Festival, where you were able to pet (very tame!) farm animals; including a sheep, goat, cow, chicken, duck, rabbit, and a pair of pigs.

Dear Jack: We Rode in a Real Monster Truck at the Spring Hill Ham Festival!

I loved how unreserved you were when approaching the animals to softly pet them. I don’t know that I myself would have trusted them not to attack me.

This video I made includes some footage of you with the animals:

But your calm spirit assured them you were only there to nurture them, not to scare them.

I just recently became aware of a verse in the Bible that made me think of you:

Proverbs 12:10 says this:

A righteous man cares for the needs of his animals.

You love animals. You treat them like babies.

Literally, you wrap them up in blankets and take them with you wherever we go.

With that being said, I don’t see our family getting an actual real life pet any time soon. Our busy lifestyle and schedule would likely lead to not being able to show the pet enough affection and attention.

However, we can definitely enjoy everyone else’s pets and animals.

You are definitely built to care for others and to be a leader. It’s what is in your heart.

I believe you will always find a way to take care of others, especially those younger than you.

Love,

Daddy