Zero Sum Game

This photo betrays the month it has been. Lia gave me the old: Things can't go on like this speech a few days ago, and I agree. 

The hard part for me to swallow is that life this month has been full with good things. Lots of activities. Great times with friends. And a number of opportunities - I've given twelve talks since March 1. I love giving talks. But I agree, twelve in a month is a few too many.

You see, the thing is it's not really the number of talks. It's the price my family pays when I give them. It often feels like a zero sum game. Like the better one of us does - the worse it is for the rest of us. 

Is that like the fourth law of Murphy?

I don't really know what to do with it. Other than to hope for better balance. The challenge for me is that too often things seem to come my way in feasts and famines. If only opportunities would spread themselves out...

Unfortunately, opportunities come when they come. 

For me, I need to make decisions not solely on the basis of whether I can do them or not. I need to say yes when it is great for all of us. In order to accomplish this: Lia and I are implementing a few new ground rules for Ned. This blog is another way to hold me accountable. It helps to get my desires written some place where I can see them. I have also recruited some fellas to lash me down to my seat when they see I'm getting a bit too excited. 

All this to say that I'm thankful for the opportunities, but there are also things to be thankful for when they don't come.     

  

As I was reminded this weekend: childhood only happens once. 

First Ever Basket

Turn up your volume for the full effect:

: o
: )

Talk on Rest

Here's a talk I gave at Southside Community Church Last week on Rest. Sorry for the bang at the beginning. I haven't listened to the entirety because I haven't entirely gotten comfortable with the sound of my voice.

Defining Photo

Yep, this about says it.

My New Friends from New Providence

Just returning from an incredible weekend with my new friends from New Providence, NJ.

I had the true honor of speaking to my middle school youth pastor's church (this is twenty-three years back y'all). We reconnected a few years ago, and I can't tell you how cool it was to hang out with him again. Mike Flavin, you are the man.

One of the many cool cats I had the privilege of chilling with. (It was seriously like 5 degrees)

Never one to be unambitious - I set out to answer life's two most important questions: who am I? and why am I here? It was a quite a bit to bite off, but hey, why shoot for less?

Here's me and Mike.

So now you know where I get it....

He wasn't the only dead head (see below)...get it? Pretty funny. I didn't come up with it.

The camp was located directly next to Bushkill Falls, one of the prettiest places in America. I snuck into the park and took a few pics. If you are ever in the area, be sure to check them out. (And pay an extra $7 bucks for me)

We spent Saturday morning thinking about how we have been shaped. For those of you who don't know, I've written a book called Clay that will be coming out later this year. It was a lot of fun to share some of the story with these new friends. 

One molded a mini-Ned for me! Bubble butt and all. It's now waving at me in my office! Thanks Jeremy.

Thank you everyone. I have never felt more appreciated.

Till we meet again. Keep stepping into the promise.

My Favorite Things All Mashed Into One

I have been eyeing this place for awhile now. It's called the Allegheny Jubilee. From the looks of it, the joint looked like a bluegrass-squaredancing-clogging-party-my-kind-of-place. I had never seen it open. Friday and Saturday nights in Sparta we're usually half asleep by seven putting the kids to bed.

So when we were thinking about things to do with the Young Life leaders - it dawned on me that this was my chance to see what the Jubilee was all about.

The week before, I decided to stake the joint out. So I show up with my family and in-laws at seven and the place is empty, the door is locked and the lights are out. But there was a phone number. I called it on the way home and got Agnes.

I asked Agnes why they weren't open. She said the band from Winston cancelled on them for fear of bad weather. Bad weather! Come on! I said. I know, she replied. So I told her that the following weekend I was bringing up college students and was wondering if there'd be a band next Friday night. Agnes told me that they didn't do shows on Fridays in the winter.

I told Agnes that if they did do a show on Friday it would be a party they would never forget. She told me that they didn't have a band. I told her that from the look of their billboard the Rise and Shine Band liked to play. I asked if I could get their number. She said that her husband played in the band. I said, well can I talk to him? She said, "Honey, do you boys want to play next Friday?" I said, Tell him we're bringing forty college students.

Agnes said, Did you say forty? I said, Yes. She said, People? I said, Yes. Then she said, Yeah, they'll play. I said, Great. And she asked, Can we make signs and invite the locals? I said, PLEASE!

Look what she made us!





She gave me a hug when we got there.

And we gave them a night that none of us will soon forget.

Thank you Agnes! Thank you Allegheny Jubilee. Check out their website and go visit them yourself some time. We went with our dear friends Kim, Crick and Ellory last weekend. Check out this video to hear Dave Dave's laughter. 

Dave Dave's Year Three in Photos

It started with Blue Cake

We mixed it up at the Soccer Plex for your party

We hiked with Granddaddy and Grammy on a warm March day looking for frogs at Reynolda Gardens

You bowled your first strike in April

In May, you climbed Bluff Mountain

And hung out by the pool in June

Over 4th of July, the sprinkler was fun to run through and taste.

In August, we spent a weekend of fun at Windy Gap

As fall approached you discovered a new love for dragons.

In October, you "helped" daddy rake leaves.

We cut down a Christmas Tree over Thanksgiving.

A polar bear swim in December!

Happy New Year!

A bouncy castle birthday for you!

Happy Birthday Dave Dave! What will next year be like?

Valentines Day Part 2

For those of you who have read the book (and for those of you who haven't, it's just one click away hint. hint), you know that Valentine's Day has played host to several of my not-so-shiniest moments. So this year, I asked for help.

"Anna Rose, I need to come up with a great idea for Valentine's Day for Mommy."

She thought a while then shot up in her booster seat. "I got it! Let's make a huge card the size of a wall!" 

"OK."

This is what we ended up with:

Pretty cool. Anna Rose did the tracing. Dave Dave put on the stickers. I wrote the words. It was a team effort. 

We unveiled it on Wednesday morning. Thursday, Lia and I went to a winery for the afternoon. Weathervane Vineyards in Welcome, NC. The owner is the grower, wine-maker, and wine tasting guy. He does it all. He even bought a billboard while he was serving us.

If you look closely, the picture below is from another vineyard. We forgot to take pictures. 

On the way home, we stopped by Bojangles for a couple chicken biscuits. How about that for a Valentines dinner! Then, I was off to speak at Intervarsity at Wake Forest. Not the greatest romantic ending to a Valentine's week. But not bad either. The best love we experience is the love we share with others. 

Happy Valentines week to you, Leela. I won't double book next year. I'll try not to. One of these years, we'll get this right.

Valentines Day Part 1

Now that there are two women in my life, I get to celebrate Valentine's Day twice. Anna Rose's was last Saturday thanks to the Daddy Daughter Adventure Princess Dance.

Cuter Date? I don't think so.

The Raging River Tribe went all out. First, dinner at Forsyth Country Club. Then, off to Winmock for the dance. We killed it I must say. One of us, I am forbidden to say whom, even cleared the dance floor with his break dancing skill.

It also provided me a perfect opportunity to wear my tuxedo. (I mean, when is it not a perfect opportunity to wear a tuxedo, but you know what I mean.)



Anna Rose and I had a blast. The highlight for me, in a night of highlights, happened during a conversation we had while we were taking a dance break for cake. Anna Rose looked at me and said, "When I get married, I'm going to make my husband take our daughter to this."

Wow.

Valentine's Day Number 1 - Check.

You're next, Leela.

Taking the Plunge

Ah. The Waffle House, where all great dreams begin.

It was an appropriate subject for my first picture on my new phone, no phone is not the word for it - high capacity digital media rectangle - that's better - it's like if Disney World was shrinked to the size of a cigarette box.

Last week, Lia and I "upgraded" to high capacity digital media rectangles. I am not ready to call these contraptions "smart" yet - at least not in regard to the decision to get one. But they are pretty snazzy.

And like most plunges Lia and I have taken in our life, we have gone all-in with this one. We are facebooking, instagramming, angry-birding, even tweeting! this, coming from a guy who thought # meant pound.

(Confession. I actually thought the word was "splashtag.")

I still don't know what it does - but it hasn't stopped me from slapping them on every tweet I've tweeted so far.

1. Ned Erickson ‏@NedErickson

   I usually wait for the sermon #luvuclyde http://instagr.am/p/VRzxygi7FS/ 

   Expand
2. 2 FebNed Erickson ‏@NedErickson

   Ernest and Agnes you are the greatest #alleghenyjubilee#powerofpersuasion

   Expand
3. 2 FebNed Erickson ‏@NedErickson

   #splashtag

So anyway, it feels great to be back on the blog. The platform has served me well. So, until next time - happy tweeting.

Snow Day

"It snowed, David!" shouted Anna Rose, peering out the kitchen window last Friday morning.

"Snow!" shouted David. "Get out the Christmas decorations!"

We made snowmen instead. This one had a comb over hairdo. David's idea. A first for me.

Anna Rose wanted to make a snowchicken. Another first. The beak was also her idea. Pretty cool, I must say. 

Needless to say, snow days have become fun again. 

How How

One of the fun additions this fall has been joining Adventure Princesses (formerly known as Indian Princesses). Anna Rose, I should say, "Deer Hoof" and I, "Slippery Fish" are part of the newly founded Raging River Tribe.

It's been a blast. And as Tally Keeper (Secretary) I have had the honor of documenting the fun. Here is the latest edition:

Tally Keeper Report – December 5, 2012

It was not a banner night for Tally Keeper Slippery Fish. Having arrived at the brightly illuminated Wigwam of Swimming Dolphin and Diving Alligator late, for no reason but sheer lethargy, Slippery Fish discovered to his great dismay that he had entirely forgotten to remind Deer Hoof to remind him to procure cans of sustenance for Senior Services as Flying Fish, Beautiful Heart, Blue Bird, Swimming Dolphin, Rainbow Trout, Golden Dolphin, Golden Fox, and Soaring Butterfly had done for their Braves who clearly must have remembered to remind their princesses to remind them as Slippery Fish had forgotten to do with Deer Hoof.

“People on this land do not have food or houses to live in,” proclaimed Golden Fox, furthering Slippery Fish’s shame.

To which Swimming Dolphin added: “People who do not have houses collect wood to make houses and collect leaves to make windows. And if you don’t have water you might get killed.”

To which Golden Dolphin replied: “If people who don’t got money because we are rich, we can give them money so they can buy stuff.”

All the princesses nodded in agreement at such wisdom.

It was then announced that the craft for the night would be how to make the perfect S’more.

At the word, the princesses burst forth into the woods in quest of a perfect marshmallow torching stick. Unfortunately, Diving Alligator had done such a remarkable job manicuring the lawn of his Wigwam, nary a stick was to be found. Thus led to Slippery Fish’s third misstep of the night.

Hoping to redeem himself, Slippery Fish took it upon himself to search far and near for marshmallow torching sticks. Venturing far into the pachysandra in the vicinity of Diving Alligator’s neighbor’s Wigwam, Slippery Fish found more than he had bargained for.

After supplying two young princesses with sticks, he came to discover that the bottom of his left moccasin was plastered with, there’s no other way to say it, dog poo.

Thus completed Slippery Fish’s stellar evening.

One addition note – Slippery Fish and Deer Hoof represented the Raging River Tribe at this year’s Polar Bear Swim. Slippery Fish would like to assure the rest of the princesses that Deer Hoof performed admirably. Not only did she brave the icy waters, she also passed the swim test with flying colors. How How for Deer Hoof!

Fruitcake

You've probably heard that there's like ten fruitcakes in the lower forty-eight states, and they just get passed around from one house to the next each year. I believe it. At least, I have done my best to further the rumor. 

You see, every year my parents send me one. It comes in a cardboard box along with some Christmas presents. Now, don't get the wrong idea - my parents are great cooks. They used to teach bread making at a local community college. My dad even had his own cooking show!

The thing is - who wants to eat fruitcake?

This is this year's.

So like I said, I've continued spreading the rumor by taking fruitcakes and leaving them at Christmas parties around the country. Places like at my in-law's house, which happened to be the plan this year: to conveniently forget to take it home with us after it survived yet another Christmas unscathed. 

But dag blast it if mother-in-law Sue didn't get the better of me. When I wasn't looking, she stuffed the uneaten fruitcake in the bottom of one of our bags. 

You can imagine my surprise when I saw the fruitcake staring up at me in between a Lego car and a T-ball set when we got home. 

I'll get you next time, Sue. 

So a couple days ago I was hungry. And since we had just returned from said in-laws house, we hadn't gone to the grocery store yet. My options were few; and like I previously mentioned, the fruitcake was staring at me.   

I sliced myself a butt end. Lathered about a 1 to 1 ratio of butter to bread. And took a bite. It was unbelievable. 

Unbelievably good. 

I almost didn't want to tell anybody because I wanted it all to myself. But Anna Rose caught me. And now she likes it. Lia still won't give it a try, and Dave Dave doesn't eat anything so hey - more for me. 

All this to say - thanks mom and dad for the fruitcake. And to the rest of you, try something new in 2013. You never know, you might like it!

One less fruitcake in circulation!

You're welcome.

Review of Les Miserables

Lia and I have been shocked to read so many mediocre reviews for this movie.

We LOVED it. This is coming from a guy who has seen the broadway production, watched Liam Neeson's non-singing version, and read the book. This movie beautifully captures the essence of Victor Hugo's masterpiece.

The acting across the board, with the slightest exception of Russell Crowe, is extraordinary. As my brother-in-law put it, they performed as if they had a gun to their head.

I was blown away.

Please, do yourself a favor and disregard the critics. See this movie. You'll laugh. You'll cry. You'll clap at the end. (I did)

Go. Let the story stir your soul.

Christmas Gifts

Anna Rose wanted a Jeep for Christmas. It was a big thing to ask for. Santa said, "Talk to your parents." Lia, by far the most generous person in the family, said no way. I said, we'd think about it. 

Growing up, I never got anything like a Jeep for Christmas. No mark on my parents. They gave great presents. Just Jeeps weren't one of them. I wasn't sure if we were parents that gave gifts like Jeeps either. 

They're so big and have so many parts to put together and are not cheap. (No matter what sheep say...see sheep for reference) But the request kept gnawing at me. Not Anna Rose, no gnawing there. It was the idea of giving a gift that was like the kind of gifts God has given me. 

Gifts that are big and require a lot of work behind the scenes and cost a lot.

Could that be the true meaning of Christmas?