Tag Archives: Superman

Batman…Leaving the Batcave one last time

Batman…Leaving the Batcave one last time

“Robin: Where’d you get a live fish, Batman?”

Batman: “The true crimefighter always carries everything he needs in his utility belt, Robin.”

Batman...Leaving the Batcave one last timeThe Batman character has certainly changed over the years. The series, and characters, that are on our minds this weekend, with the sad passing of Adam West, ran only three seasons beginning January 12, 1966, to March 14, 1968. Needless to say, my first remembrances of this classic were as a very young child myself. I can remember my two brothers running through the house shouting, “POW!” “Wham!” “ZOK!” (Yes, that was one, too!) “Splat!” and on and on they would go chasing each other through our small home. I was rather annoyed by the whole thing, and didn’t take much interest in the show unless Batgirl was on.

Her name also just happened to be Yvonne Craig, my first name as well, so, of course we had everything in common. (insert sarcasm here) If she was in an episode, I might sit down and watch it or sneak through the kitchen to get glimpses, not actually admitting I was interested in a boys crime-fighting show, naturally.

Fast forward a few years and I had a little blonde-haired, blue eyed boy of my own. He was fascinated with superheroes at a very young age. Super Friends was all the rage, bringing back old, beloved comic characters, all in one place. And, as luck would have it, Batman and Robin reruns were everywhere.

Even better? There were GUYS.

This iconic word served as a generic title for every super hero from Superman to GI Joe; our house was full of guys. You stepped on them, found them in precarious poses in your Lazy Susan, scooped them out of the bathtub, found them perched on window sills, where they had just scaled the wall to get in and save the world. Seriously, they took over my house. And this was still with just ONE little boy. The other two little tow-heads had not arrived yet!

Needless to say, whether by my own encouragement or not, we were Batman and Robin fans again. I have played the role of Lex Luthor, Robin, AquaMan, Wonder Woman, The Joker, and even Superman. But I do not recall EVER getting to be Batman. Only Kyle’s best friend and first cousin, Jeremy, was allowed to be Batman. And the only reason Kyle would succumb to that was because Jeremy had the costume.

Check out the backside picture. It’s just too much! The little guy, Michael was our good friend and neighbor who was also spending the night. He didn’t get the memo about the official pajamas but any good Mom can improvise and instantly add another super hero!

Robin: “You can’t get away from Batman that easy!”

Batman: “Easily.”

Robin: “Easily.”

Batman: “Good grammar is essential, Robin.”

Robin: “Thank you.”

Batman: “You’re welcome.”

Living in Indianapolis in 1986, the Dynamic Duo were appearing at a Comic Book Collector’s Convention. They had the Batmobile on display and the famous actors would be signing autographs.

We were in!

For two little five and six year old boys, meeting a real-live superhero was over-the-top in every way. We stood dutifully in line and Kyle and Jeremy were a tad bit nervous about shaking the hand of the two heroes who could put the Penguin on ice!

The closer they got, Jeremy became a little intimidated and wasn’t so keen on getting too close but he persevered. Meeting them in real life was kind of creepy and you had the foreboding that the Riddler would come leaping in with his hideous laugh and have us all tied up in question marks.

Jeremy getting his autograph!

Speeding forward in our Time Machine once more, Kyle called me yesterday morning. He is normally a texter so I figured something was up, hoping he needed a babysitter or wanted to chat about the awesome Worship Night on the Square that had just wrapped up a few hours before.

No. The conversation went something like this:

“Mom?”

“Yeah?”

“Batman died.”

It was the end of an era, and hearing about the death of a super hero who was such a big part of your growing up years brings back so many memories, hopefully all good.

We reminisced a few minutes about characters and a few funny things but I hung up grateful that we had that in common. That he remembered if anyone would care that a piece of his childhood was no longer with us…it would be Mom.

It wasn’t long before I received a text from my youngest with a meme of the death of Adam West. Before the end of the day, they had all joined in the conversation and probably wondering where their Batman and Robin figures were stashed. (Don’t tell them, but I could put my hands on a few in just a couple of minutes).

Now, My Three Sons do not live in the past, they just have great childhood memories (most of them were great) and they love nostalgia. They might not look anything like their mother but they acquired my love for all-things-childhood.

And, true to their nature, Kyle and Jeremy are continuing their love for the Caped Crusader with their wee ones, Mister Miller and Norah Jayne. Miller’s nursery is all super heroes, and adorable! He started out early with Batman attire:

And then there is Batgirl, Norah Jayne gets in on the action at an early age too!

Do we have a take-away from the death of an actor, a character that brought a lot of happiness to many children (and adults) in his cape and ballerina tights? I think so.

Everyone is looking for a super hero. We all want to think there is some super power out there that can come and save the day, get us out of our messes and deliver us from our mistakes. Whether he comes in a Batmobile, or flying through the air faster than a speeding bullet, we want someone to step on the scene and bring instant calm to our chaos.

Unfortunately, Batman isn’t real, nor Superman, Spiderman or any of our comic book character icons. They make for great entertainment but that is where it ends.

But since this is a Christian blog, let me end this with some hope.

We DO have a super hero, friends. There is only One that can really walk through a wall and only One who can walk on water, or give the command for another to do so! 

This Super Hero of our every day, every moment existence, LIVES to bring deliverance to our universe. He literally gave His own life, willingly, that we could also live an overcoming life and have eternal hope that we will live forever in a glorious place with the Savior of the World.

He will come running to you in an instant when you speak His name.

He will go to the depths to lift you up and carry you higher.

He can heal all of your diseases or give you strength to go through any trial.

He will give you wisdom for every situation and words to go in your mouth in a moments notice.

He will surround you with His presence, bringing instant peace to your circumstance.

There is absolutely nothing that He cannot do, or will do, for you, His child. 

He put that cape on a long, long time ago. And He is patiently waiting for the day that YOU join Him and bring completion to His perfect work.

Remember today, Batman couldn’t save the world, and he can’t come back once death has claimed him. But Jesus did both and left us with the hope that we can overcome as He did, if we know Him.

As we see the world around us crumbling, we remember His Word to lift up our eyes! Look up!

Our redemption is drawing near.

For the kingdom

One last tribute to Adam West. Same bat time, same bat channel!

 

 

 

Lose the Cape!


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The reason some of us strive to be superhuman is that we are forever trying to live up to the expectations of certain key people in our life. We can’t say “NO”! Is it hard for you? Come on, try it! Say it with me, “Nooooooo!”  Maybe you can learn that it is okay to actually not have to be Superwoman or Superman all the time.
There was only One person who saved the world and you’re not it.  A good friend recently told me I needed to do this myself…..Lose the Cape!
It began with our parents; we wanted to please them at a very young age. We came home with our report cards, always seeking the perfect A. All A’s was the ultimate goal. Even though our parents said they wanted us to be happy and to “just do your best”, we still felt that drive to over-achieve. It was in our nature. Whatever we did we felt like maybe it wasn’t good enough.
Then it was other teachers, peer groups, supervisors, professors, husbands, wives, co-workers, and on and on it went. The pressure was always building to be perfect and take on more and more. There is still a drive to become superhuman, to be all things to all people. It can be overwhelming!
Maybe you are able to leap tall buildings and you are faster than a speeding bullet, but if you are not taking care of yourself you are no good to anyone.
Women are especially bad about this because it is in our nature to take care of everyone else first. That is a good attribute to have but if you don’t love yourself first, and take care of YOU, then you cannot possibly take care of anyone else. You can’t give what you don’t have!
Of course first and foremost, in taking care of YOU, that quality time with God goes a long, long way in giving you peace of mind, self-control, security and happiness. Then you have got to make some time for yourself, even if you have to schedule it in.
You may first just try tucking the cape inside your shirt. Train yourself to say, “NO!” Sometimes you just have to set limits. You cannot be all things to all people all of the time. There is a reason why on an airplane they tell you to put the oxygen mask on yourself FIRST, and not on your child. If the plane was going down and you put the mask on the child first, you might not have time to put it on yourself and the child would be left without anyone to take care of them. But if you put it on yourself first, you would then be able to put the mask on the child as well.
Sometimes we need to take a look around us and regroup. It is good to be taken care of by others who care about us. We need to learn to receive because we are letting the one who is helping us know that their love is worth something. It doesn’t mean we are weak and frail at all! We have been the giver, now let someone else bless us in return.
lose the cape
You are doing your best to pray for your family, your children, your friends and co-workers. You are concerned about others around you, their health and finances, and you pray for their children who are away from God and struggling to make it on their own. The Bible even tells us to: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2.
But there is a limit to how much you can take on; you cannot fix everyone’s problems. Don’t try to be Superman or Superwoman!
I have a secret for you:  He is much better at it anyway. He has it all in control and you know what? He can do it without you! Did you know you can actually lay your head on your pillow at night, give your burdens to Him and not have to WORRY?Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” 1 Peter 5:7.
If you are taking on too much and feeling overwhelmed, reach out. Find a friend, co-worker, pastor, pastor’s wife, someone who can listen and help. Sometimes just sitting down and talking helps.
At home, set limits. If you have teenagers make sure they are doing their share. The biggest mistake a parent can make is to not teach their children responsibility.
Your kids should know how to do a load of laundry and wash dishes. It won’t hurt them, no matter how much they whine about it. Teach them how to cook, how to clean. Even your boys. They may live on their own one day, and then what will they do? Besides that, you should not be walking behind them every minute picking up after them; they should be pulling their own weight. Lose the cape!
In your social life you have to give a little as well. Woman want to feel needed and admit it, we also want to be liked. We have a tendency to want to do things our way. Just because others may not do things the way I would do them doesn’t mean they do them poorly. I need to step back and delegate and then let go. Give them their wings! This gives you the chance to do other more important tasks and keep your sanity in the process.
Did you know even Superman was vulnerable? When he took off his cape he had to have close human contact just like us. He needed to be comforted, loved and he needed intimacy.
What would it be like to take off that cape….forever?
Look around and see who it is you are really trying to please and seeking approval from all the time.
Where in your life are you trying to be Superhuman?
Ask yourself what you are trying to prove?
Let go of that need to please, lay down that load and quit trying to be everything to everybody all of the time.
Start trying to just please God first, love your family, take time for YOU and give yourself a break.
You only have one life so do it now….lose the cape!
Kingdom2

 

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That time I made him get rid of his change…

For years, The Sweetheart carried change in his right pocket. Not just a couple of quarters for a Coke. Not a dime or two to dash into the telephone booth. (Yes, we can remember those!) He carried a large handful of change every day.

I was frustrated that after 35 years of marriage my beloved was still carrying a pocket full of change. I could hear him coming a mile away and recognize him in a room even if I was blindfolded. He jingled when he walked and it was distinct. It always sounded the same; on the downbeat, a jingle, on the upbeat it was more like a breath before the next clanging of copper and silver. (Do they still even use copper in our pennies?)

As time and methods have evolved down through the years, we no longer need so many coins. A bottle of pop, or soda, usually costs more than a couple of quarters, and most all vending machines take paper money now.

If you see a phone booth on the corner it probably belongs to Superman, not AT & T. While living overseas we didn’t even need those gold and silver euros for parking; we paid with our phones!

So one day, after hearing me gripe for years about “getting with the times”, he did it. He emptied his pockets for the very last time and added the last of his coins to his savings basket.

He no longer jingled; he could now sneak up on others if he was so inclined.

I couldn’t hear him coming down a hallway.

Change

What had I done? I had begged for him to change, I had teased and bugged him until he had given in. Now I wanted the jingle back. There were even a few times we NEEDED the change!

I wanted it back because it was a part of him. I insisted HE change to please me but when I finally got what I had asked for I discovered it wasn’t what I wanted at all.

Why do we think we ALWAYS know what is best for someone else? We are constantly trying to change them, to mold them into what WE want them to be.

God didn’t make us all the same and that is a wonderful thing. I have habits and annoyances that drive The Sweetheart up the wall but he loves me for who I am and realizes he cannot change me after all of these years.

Me? I keep trying. Ugh.

How many times have we been guilty of things like this in the spiritual?

We pray, think we have all of the answers, even go so far as to tell God what we want done, how things should be adapted according to our desires.

I think that sometimes God sits back, folds His arms and says, “Okay, have it your way.”

“And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul.” Psalm 106:15

Then we are left with the results. There is no jingle or happiness in our lives because we have tried to manipulate the Almighty into doing what WE think is best. Instead, we should be trusting the One who sees down the road.

He is the Master conductor. We can trust Him and His ways. He does all things for our good, looking ahead to make sure every piece of the puzzle will fit. He sees that we are not only taken care of but that we thrive.

What kind of change are you pushing for?

Maybe you are trying to force it, wanting too much, too fast, or trying to bargain with God in order to get your way.

“The LORD Almighty has sworn, ‘Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen.'” Isaiah 14:24.

Remember that pocket change. You might get what you ask for but you won’t like the end result.

Let that handful of silver stay in your pocket until God says, “It’s time.”

Kingdom2