The Star Game

A few years back, Stephanie and I were riding together in a vehicle. And we started to notice how many people had those decorative stars hanging on there houses. We'd drive by a house and say "there's one!" "Oh my gosh, there another one!" "There's another star there too!" It wasn't long before we would just yell out "STAR!" at the top of our lungs every time we saw one. And a new game was born. We officially called the game Star Search, partly because you are searching for stars, partly because I think I'm funny and Star Search was the original American Idol/America's Got Talent show from years gone by when I was a kid, although, now-a-days most everyone just calls the game "the star game." The game spread quickly! We mentioned it to our friends and they loved it! Some of them even taking it all the way across the country to Alaska and also to Maine. Other friends sharing it with their friends and youth groups around the area. It got bigger than we ever thought it would. In fact, we had no intention of it becoming anything beyond a Rezsnyak family car game. It became so big that people would every now and then teach us the game! It was crazy!

I only mention this, not because I'm looking for the fame and fortune that is due me, that's for the birds, but because as of late there have been a few people, even those close to us, that have made allegations that we did not invent this game. You can call me a liar all you want, you'll be wrong, but I can deal BUT I will not sit idly by while anyone insinuates that my wife is a liar!

So be sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Scott and Stephanie Rezsnyak together, certainly invented the Star Game.

Now, whether or not Dave Waite coined the phrase "gym-class hero"? I don't think that one will ever really be settled.

Amish Sundays

We have these friends, Gavin and Andrea. Gavin is our associate pastor, Andrea is his wife. They told us of these friends they have that lived down in Texas that do this thing they call "Amish Sunday." Amish Sunday is a Sunday when you don't drive more than twenty miles per hour no matter where you're going. It's a blast! Matt Bex and I went from church, one Sunday, to Jreck Subs in Canastota, keeping in the twenty to thirty range the whole time. It was really hard, but it was great. The idea, at least for me, if not the guys from Texas, is that you just take your time, don't care too much about what's happening and just enjoy the day, slowly.

The more I think about Amish Sundays the more I want to institute it as a family rule. On Sundays: No cell phones, no internet, no excessive speeds. Just good quiet times that edify family, friends and community. Did you know that the Amish don't prohibit certain technology just because they're scared of it, or against it for technology sake, they actually try to determine if a piece of technology is either good for the family or bad; is it good for community or does it detract from it? I think this is one of the most beautiful aspects of the Amish faith. That family and community are so much more important to them than convenience and ease of labor. It's pretty great.

So could we really pull that off... I'm not sure. But having a Spiritual environment that really promotes family and community over getting to the next thing as quickly as possible, or having a day when there aren't a thousand text messages being sent to so-and-so, just one day out of the week when we slow down just enough to reflect on God and all that He's done for us, that sounds really good to me.