Whether driving down the road, or sitting around the house, Mr. Monkey is always ready to break out into song.
And Mr. Monkey can play the piano! Who knew? When my daughter, Katie, sat down to the Yamaha grand at my mother’s house, he had to play along (Hear that, Yamaha people? My bass and acoustic are Yamaha, also. Do you sponsor monkeys?).
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. – Psalm 98:4 KJV
I am not a great multi-tasker. Once, in an emergency, I was forced to answer a phone, while cleaning house and preparing lunch for a small child – at the same time! Do you realize how difficult that is? I ended up in the hospital!
On the other hand, I do drive a school bus, which requires me to do a great many things at once.
Drive a 33,000 lb. vehicle
Yell
Communicate on a 2-way radio
Wipe perspiration (sweat) from my eyes
Watch 20 crumb-crunchers in a rear-view mirror doing everything they can to distract me from my primary job (see first thing on list)
Tell multiple stories to kindergartners, both true and fictional, but especially fictional (about aliens from outer space taking over the bodies of teenage girls)
Making Videos
I guess making Monday Monkey videos require a little multi-tasking, too. This week I had so much reading and writing to do that I actually broke a blood vessel in my right eye (no joke). I was so swamped, I didn’t know what to do, but I still had to work.
So, when I had to drive a field trip to the Chattanooga Zoo, I knew it would be the perfect time to take Buddy (Mr. Monkey). Maybe I am better at multi-tasking than I give myself credit. Maybe I am as good as my wife? No, I wouldn’t go that far.
Well, technically, my degree was conferred in December, 2011. However, this was the day when everybody walked. So, what was I supposed to do? Miss the opportunity to take Mr. Monkey?
The poignant thing is that my dad went to TTU from 1972-73. He never actually graduated. He would be proud to have been here, today.
Long Time Coming
I graduated high school in 1985. I got my Associates in 1995. Even after two additional years of study which was non-accredited, I decided to go back and take 2 more years in order to get my Bachelor of Science in Bible (Pastoral Studies).
I owe a great debt to my wife, Valerie, and my girls for putting up with me.
Can you believe this is the 20th episode of Monday Monkey?!
Woo Hoo! Let’s go swing from a tree! Or a light fixture. Anyone have cake? A card with money?
Anyway, I have been under a lot of deadlines, so I apologize for no video over the last few weeks. This one was just thrown together, though. I knew I had to post something, or my fans might seek other monkeys on Monday. Wouldn’t that be a shame?
My daughter showed me one video on YouTube [Click Here] of a girl who had her wisdom teeth removed. That led to another video, and another, and another. They were so funny (and sad) that I felt Mr. Monkey needed to have surgery.
There’s no deep, hyper-spiritual message to this episode of Monday Monkey. It’s just funny.
However, my wife did ask me, “So, what Bible verse will you use for this?” All I could think of was 1Corinthians 14:27 – If any man speak in an [unknown] tongue, [let it be] by two, or at the most [by] three, and [that] by course; and let one interpret.
With that said, don’t get more than 3 cotton-stuffed monkeys in the same room – we Baptists might get nervous (smile).
Monkey and I have been through a lot in the last couple of weeks. This video will help you understand why we did not do a video last week. Hopefully, everything will be getting back to normal.
Wait!….What’s normal? I don’t know if I like normal.
Since I couldn’t get anyone to be my actors and actresses in Wally-Mart, I decided to just draw my video.
A few years ago I wrote this song, Try Me, for my wife, Valerie. I’ll let you figure out what parts are autobiographical, and which ones are just full of sugar.
Thanks for letting Mr. Monkey have a week off. He needed the rest.
“Try Me”
Oh, and by the way, my song IS protected under copyright laws, even though James Brown had a song by the same title back in the 1950’s. If you would like to reproduce this song in any way, please contact me by email.
I am sorry, my friends, but Mr. Monkey in on vacation this week.
You may not realize this, but the innards of Mr. Monkey are attached to the body of a very busy, sleep-deprived, bi-vocational pastor who just got back from a weekend conference. After that, he preached two services on Sunday (the first one only 30 minutes after getting in from Gatinburg/Pigeon Forge, TN).
Mr. Monkey’s guts ended Sunday night with the completion of a third essay (the first two written in a hotel) and an online exam (which took 20 minutes). Seminary work is fun, fun, fun! Really, it is, honestly.
So, pass the word to all the broken-hearted. There will be no Monday Monkey this week, but there are more Mondays to come. I promise not to be like the jerks at NCIS and only show 2 new episodes the whole season!
Yesterday was the fifth Sunday of the month, and every fifth Sunday we have a singing at the church I pastor.
Our guest for the yesterday’s singing was Benny Berry. He was a tremendous blessing to us all. Check out links to his websites, below.
Anyway, I had plans to do some other stuff for this episode, but things changed when I heard the closing song in the service. The song was I Love to Tell the Story. The “story” is why Mr. Monkey and I do what we do. I hope you enjoy it.
This episode was added later in the day. I apologize for that. Sometimes a man and his monkey can only do what a man and his monkey can do, you know?
Well, this week’s lesson might be hard to gather from the video, but it’s about choosing your battles.
Don’t choose to fight a losing battle. If nothing else, wait for a better time and place to make your stand. Be patient and prepared. Don’t let your enemy pick the battleground or set the rules. As one great general said, “Never enter a battle unless you know you can win.”
However, there is a Hope when all seems lost, when the battle seems hopeless…
Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. – 1Jo 4:4
For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, [even] our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? – 1Jo 5:4-5
The Recovering Legalist 