$500 million for Grand Theft Auto. Half a Billion for stealing a car? No, that is not what someone was fined for committing a crime; that my friends, is the amount of money the video game, Grand Theft Auto, made the first weekend it hit the shelves. Tragic. I miss the days when we had toy controversy’s like…was the “magic 8 ball” really magical? I have to admit it was a little disconcerting when I asked the 8 ball what I should strive for in life and the answer it gave me was, “keep striving for mediocrity.” While we are talking toys, I have a question: Why did girls get all the good stuff? They got Easy Bake Ovens that actually worked….we got Tonka Trucks whose axels rusted after one rain and went from being a dirt hauler to a garden hoe. Remember trying to get those things to roll? They dug up half the yard!! At least the edges weren’t sharp….yeah right! Did the Tonka Company intentionally set out to injure an entire generation of boys? If you grew up in the 70’s or 80’s, I can guarantee you that somewhere on your body is a scar with Tonka written all over it.

Recently my kids got a new toy called, Dinosaur Eggs. Have you seen these things? You put the eggs in a glass of water and over a couple of days they hatch and start to grow. Remember Sea Monkeys? They are kind of like that. Over the next few days of watching the Dinos, we discovered something: the Dinosaur will only grow as big as the environment it is placed in. The smaller the glass, the smaller the Dino…the bigger the glass, the bigger the Dino. So, logic has it that if you want a big Dinosaur, then place it in a big environment. The same is true of us. How big is your environment? I have to admit that often I want to stay in a small glass. It is so comfortable in there. I know what’s going to happen, how it’s going to happen and what I will do once it happens. It’s called a comfort zone. I have a good question for you: When was the last time you did something for the first time? While you are thinking about your answer, I will tell you mine.

This past Saturday morning I did something I have never done before… I played with Barbies. Now before you make me turn in my “Man Card” let me explain. My 9 year old, Cameron was up in her room and I decided to check in on what she was doing. I quickly figured out that Malibu Barbie was having some type of get together and everyone in Barbieland was there. I surveyed the party and realized the only one there that resembled GI Joe was a guy named Ken. Evidently he and Barbie are a couple and live a pretty lavish lifestyle. I was amazed at the wardrobe options and various modes of transportation they had….I started to ask Ken who he had his mortgage with but figured that might be a sore subject. Among all the dolls in her room, sat a group that weren’t involved in any of the action. I asked Cameron why they just sat on the shelf and she responded that “they were porcelain dolls and weren’t good for anything other than looking pretty.” She went on to say that the reason Barbies are more fun to play with is because “they are flexible.” How about you? Are you flexible or stiff like a porcelain doll? If flexibility determines usefulness in the hands of a 9 year old, how much more important is it in the hands of who holds you? Jeremiah 18:6 says “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand.” Have you ever tried to mold hard clay? It doesn’t work real well does it? Get off the shelf and get in the action!