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4 Comments Posted on August 31, 2015August 31, 2015 parenting, Storytelling, Uncategorized

We Were Approached to Be on NBC’s Upcoming Show, The Family Project

A few weeks ago, Cast Iron Productions reached out to our family about the possibility of us being in a brand-new show on NBC, called The Family Project.

I have to admit, I feel honored that they chose us because A) they found our family simply because of my blog, which makes me very happy about my SEO, and B) because they said we seem like a really fun family based on what they saw on my blog, Family Friendly Daddy Blog.

After an email exchange, a phone interview, then a 2 hour Skype interview with our family, we were told we were good material for the show.

They liked specifically that we are a Christian, vegan/vegetarian family who doesn’t believe in spanking and who lives by an extremely enforced “Dave Ramsey” budget and who keeps our home spotlessly clean and who doesn’t own smart phones.

As far as what the show is about, here’s my best understanding:

It sounds like the concept of Wife Swap and The Real World combined. Instead of 2 polar opposite families swapping the wives in each family, it sounds like The Family Project will combine all the family members of both households in the same house.

They were clear with me that we would still have to work jobs, but it would be whatever my wife and I consider our “dream jobs”. As for me, that would mean full time blogging and making videos for my YouTube channel.

We had a lot of fun during the Skype interview, but I do have good reason to believe that ultimately, NBC will not be officially choosing us:

I was very clear with the casting agency that we have a complete Libertarian approach when it comes to our lifestyle:

In other words, we have no desire to enforce our beliefs on others. Therefore, I seriously doubt a camera crew would be able to get a rise out of me, which typically makes for “good reality TV.”

After all, conflict and chaos serves as the fuel of reality TV. From there, the audience watching is subconsciously prompted to pass judgment, thinking to themselves, “At least I’m not as crazy as that person!”

If one of the parents of the other family in the house tried to get me to debate with them on why we are vegans/vegetarians or Christians or why we won’t spank our child or why we live by a super strict budget, I simply wouldn’t argue back.

I am a man who is completely confident and secure in my beliefs. I have no desire to seek confirmation from anyone else.

While I’m always happy to explain any parts of our lifestyle, I back off the moment the other person thinks I am defending myself.

I have nothing to defend.

And I especially have no reason to argue with a non-Christian. Jesus didn’t argue with or try to fiercely convert those who were close-minded to His teaching.

Instead, He said time and time again, “Whoever has ears, let him hear.”

In other words, His teachings were meant for those who were listening; not those who tried to heckle him or prove him wrong.

I am a man who is completely confident and secure in my beliefs. I have no desire to seek confirmation from anyone else.

Where would the drama be in a reality show episode like that? Where is the conflict and chaos?

The only thing I can think of is to “try to get the Christians to crack” after being so irritated by the other family’s opposing “annoying” habits.

I’m not saying that’s impossible, but as Christians, our role isn’t to judge, but to serve others.

So I’m thinking, if their dirty dishes in the sink got in the way of our family making our own vegan meals, then we should probably help them out with their dishes.

Why would NBC pick us at this point? Yes, we’re a fun (and interesting) family; and yes, we have a different lifestyle compared to the American mainstream, I would assume.

But we have nothing to prove… or to defend… or to be offended by.

I have a feeling that just like with Steve Harvey and Katie Couric, when they approached me a couple of years ago about being on their shows, only to never call me back after they realized I wouldn’t argue with other guests on the show about my beliefs, that The Family Project will air without the Shell family.

Even still, I’m very curious to check the show out when it premieres in a few months!

Photos by Aimee Cornelius.

Leave a comment Posted on August 30, 2015August 30, 2015 Health, parenting, Uncategorized

Baby+Co. 10 FAQs & Walk Through Video (Nashville Location)

It definitely was an honor this week when Baby+Co. invited me to come check out their new facility in Nashville, which just opened a couple of weeks ago.

They sought me out, knowing that based on the content of Family Friendly Daddy Blog, I am passionate about… keeping things real.

When my wife had our son nearly 5 years ago, she went through a midwife at Vanderbilt. Coincidentally, the Clinical Director of the Nashville Baby+Co., Margaret Buxton, who you’ll see in both of my videos below, actually was the one who delivered my son.

Our family visited the new Nashville Baby+Co. facility yesterday in the 2015 Toyota Avalon we are reviewing.

Once we got there, I kept the camera rolling. I wanted to make the most useful videos I could for curious people of YouTube.

As a YouTuber myself, I know the importance of making walk through videos, walk around videos, and unboxing videos.

So I made a walk through video, with Margaret Buxton giving “you” the tour. Here it is:

Being the Millennial (Generation Y, born 1981-1997) I am, I showed up to Baby+Co. without a specific game plan; a life habit that so far, that has seemed to work out for me.

I sat down with Margaret Buxton CNM, DNP to ask 10 frequently asked questions. The goal was to help other people to know whether Baby+Co. is right for them and to help them know what sets Baby+Co. apart from hospitals.

In this FAQs video below, you will see me ask the following 10 questions:

How do I know Baby+Co. is right for me?
Is it safe to have a baby outside of a hospital?
How is a birthing center different from a hospital?
What does a hospital have than Baby+Co. doesn’t?
What is one-to-one care?
How much does this cost?
Where are the prenatal appointments?
What do the classes consist of?
Where are the Baby+Co. locations?
What is the vision of Baby+Co.?

I love it that for our generation, we have other options now; including the way we choose to do childbirth.

By the way, it would be an understatement to say that the facility is like a spa. So elegant.

Below is the link to the website for Nashville’s Baby+Co.

http://nashville.babyandcompany.com/

Our family had so much fun visiting the new place! I hope you enjoy these pictures and my videos… and my little jingle I wrote for Baby+Co. as well.

And thanks for reading!

Leave a comment Posted on August 21, 2015 Uncategorized

Preventing My Own Inevitable Death

I’m constantly aware of all the ways that today could be my last day alive… each and every day.

So instead of sweeping those thoughts under the rug, I welcome them and keep my self aware of them, as doing so make me more prepared for them.

And by being more prepared for them, I can do a better job of preventing my own inevitable death; instead of just hoping I win the “long, healthy life lottery.”

Statistically, a car accident would likely be the easiest way for me to “slip into eternity”; as I have a 45 minute commute to work everyday in fast-paced Nashville traffic.

But I do what I can. While I’m driving, I always wear my seat belt, I stay off the phone, and I keep the radio’s volume at a low enough level.

I am aware that if I do my part, and pray daily for God to keep our family safe, then I’m doing everything I can in my control to prevent my inevitable death.

So that brings me to my next most likely way to go: heart disease or cancer.

I feel that the more I listen to men who are around age 50 talk, I hear phrases like “open heart surgery” and “stomach staple surgery” and “all my medications.”

So while my vegan lifestyle, which includes running and mountain biking, may sound extreme, I would say the other things awaiting me if I don’t live this way now are actually more extreme.

Granted, I’m only 34, so I still have some time before my body really becomes susceptible to going on “auto pilot to self destruction.”

But the way I see it, I actually do have a decent amount of control over my ultimately preventable death.

It could all end today, or tomorrow, for me- I realize that. However, I choose to focus on the parts I do have control over; not the other way around.

I don’t want to work hard my whole life, only to get cancer the moment I retire. I want the quality of my life to good the whole way through; not have to hurry up and try to fix things once it may be too late.

In the end, I won’t have any regrets about my crazy vegan lifestyle if it means I get to spend another healthy day with my family.

Leave a comment Posted on August 20, 2015 Spirituality, Storytelling, Uncategorized

I’m Not “A Pretty Good Person”

Last Sunday morning, while on family vacation in Sacramento, I decided to get up “early” and go to the little old Presbyterian church there in my mother-in-law’s neighborhood.

For the 8 years I’ve been coming here each summer, I was always curious about that place. So I showed up in shorts, loafers, and a checkered button down shirt.

I appreciate how I can just arrive at a church filled with strangers, yet we all have an understanding of what we have in common; even though they’ve never seen me before.

Something I’ve gained a better understanding of over the years is that my current place in life typically illustrates the words of the Bible and the pastor’s sermon.

While he spoke about Jesus’s parable of the Prodigal Son, the main theme I took away was this:

We are all sinners in need of God’s grace. We are not good enough on our own.

This is actually a boldly countercultural statement. I’ve learned that most people who are not Christians will typically and quickly summarize why they don’t need to believe in Jesus as the Son of God:

“I’m a pretty good person. I’m not an ax murderer or anything.”

But Christianity teaches the opposite:

I am not a pretty good person. My pride and selfish thoughts alone are enough to keep me from being a “good person”, as they serve as evidence I was born with a sinful nature. Therefore, I need God’s salvation from myself, if nothing else; because my nature creates spiritual distance between God and myself.

But “the church of mainstream secular America”, by default, believes that if you’re a “pretty good person” then you don’t really need God.

So for a person to quickly and openly admit they’re not a “pretty good person,” it’s definitely countercultural.

The irony is that a stereotype of Christians is that they are “holier than though”; in other words, self-righteous and judgmental.

For the record, let me be clear. I am completely aware that I am not perfect. I am corrupted.

How can I judge anyone else when I am too distracted with the plank in my own eye?

I am not better than anyone; and if I ever think I am, then I am living in open rebellion against everything Jesus taught His followers.

Christianity is definitely offensive, though. If for no other reason, because it casts all of us in the same boat:

None of us are “pretty good people”. It’s only by setting aside our prideful thoughts of “I’m a pretty good person” that we can begin to learn what Jesus came to teach us.

4 Comments Posted on August 20, 2015 movie reviews, parenting, Uncategorized

Who Is the Real Villain in Disney Pixar’s Inside Out?

Last year, I published, The Real Villain In Disney’s Frozen: The Parents Of Elsa & Anna; where I explained that the villain’s role is to introduce and move along the plot. Had Elsa and Anna’s parents not foolishly kept their daughters from socializing after the incident, basically keeping one daughter locked in her bedroom, things wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand.

The whole Frozen movie could have been much shorter. Seriously, what the parents did in that movie was not normal. In real life, if you knew parents who did what their parents did, you wouldn’t simply pass it off as, “Oh well, no parent is perfect.”

I figured it would be interesting to do my same “who is the real villain?” analysis on Disney Pixar’s Inside Out.

The answer: Riley’s brain; which also serves as the hero.

Notice how in this movie, no other human beings seem to really serve as any kind of of antagonist.

Even when that might seem the case, it’s actually just Riley (and her brain) that makes things worse.

The emotion of Sadness serves as a sort of false antagonist, but it becomes clear that even she is truly part of the hero team inside Riley’s head.

In fact, the plot line of Inside Out is actually pretty simple: An 11 year-old old encounters minor psychological and emotion challenges as she moves with her family from Minnesota to California. That’s it- that’s all that really happens.

She misses home.

They aren’t any bullies at her new school. Her parents are completely supportive and loving.

In fact, Inside Out is one of the few Disney movies (ever!) in which both parents are alive and well the entire movie!

I was completely satisfied with Inside Out. The movie really impressed me. I recommend it to anyone.

Inside Out does a perfect job of bringing an interesting adult concept (psychology) and turning it into a warm, smart family movie.

And when you see it, keep in mind what I said: The only villain in this movie is the hero as well: Riley’s brain.

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