JonathanHerron.com

Me + Beehive + Ladder =

The goal was to take out the beehive, not take me out.

A week ago Saturday (12 days ago) I had the brilliant idea to climb up a ladder solo so my bee-killer-super-soaker could reach the beehives 27 feet up the outside of our house.

If a video had caught what happened next, I would probably be a YouTube viral sensation right now.

As I carefully aimed my can of Buzz Poison Killer at the hive, I smiled inside: Die, bees, die.

Bees must have ESP or early-spray-detection-radar, because suddenly some bees darted out to greet me.  And when I say "greet me," I really mean sting the ever-luvin-tar out of my eyeballs.

The site of bees rapidly deploying toward my face made my stomach drop.  I was sweating like Mike Tyson in a spelling bee.

Fortunately my lightning-quick ninja reflexes kicked in.
Unfortunately, I forgot I was on a ladder and dropped like fatty on a seesaw.

Later, in the Emergency Room with family in tow (it was late Saturday night, no sitter in sight):

Josiah to Me in a mocking tone: "Superman" has to get an x-ray.

My reply: Couldn't Superman x-ray himself with his x-ray vision?

Yes, I schooled my five-year-old.

Good News: Nothing is broken.  Sprained ankle and sprained foot.

Bad News:  Every conversation I have had over the past two weeks includes this exchange:

Person Observing Me On Crutches: So, is it broken?

Me On Crutches:  Nope, just two sprains in one spot.

Person:  Ouch.  I've heard that sprains hurt more than broken bones.

Me Struggling To Maintain Balance On Said Crutches:  Yup.

So there you have it.  My reality for the past two weeks (and counting). 

Kinds looks like the guy's foot in the movie Misery.
Elevated foot and happy-loop-meds. 

So looking forward to getting out and about on Sunday.

Why I Am Coaching Baseball

Yes, it's true.  I am coaching baseball.

Well, Little League. 

But it still involves a bat, baseball and bases, so I'm technically your newest baseball coach.

Here's why: I am committed to the next generation.  If I want to see young men and women full of honor and grace emerge to take the baton, I have to step up and help make it happen.

Our team is focused on the three pillars of Little League baseball:

• Courage - Saying No to fear and Yes to the future!
• Character - Becoming young men and women of integrity and honor
• Loyalty - Always having each other's backs... no matter what.

I'm proud of our kids and looking forward to a fun season with...

The Green Slimers!!

 

Current Reads:

How To Knock Over A 7-Eleven: And Other Ministry Training by Michael Cheshire

Leading with a Limp by Dan B. Allender

Contending for Our All by John Piper

 

iPhone Rotation:

Brian Wurzell: Grace Ocean

Billy Joel: Live at Shea Stadium

The Best of The Monkees - (#20 on Billboard)

 

Netflix Queue:

Friday Night Lights, season three

 

Projects:

New church

Possible e-book based on Improv*ing Leadership series.  Would you bite?

 

What else is out there to Like?  Let me know.

And do me a favor - go Like our new Facebook page. 

Whoever gets the most people to like Life Church Michigan on Facebook will receive our brand new, limited edition Life tee (repost on F*book and we'll keep track).

Stuff from my week in Phoenix:

• Reconnected with my buddy Brent Fenton.  I met Brent back in January when I spoke for the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention.  Brent led worship, we did a late night improv-comedy set together, and I'm trying to convince him and his lovely bride to bring their mad worship leading skillz to Michigan (really).  Brent took me to a baseball exhibition game of the Oakland A's versus the Marlins.  Good times:
  
• I grabbed time with Chan Kilgore mid-week.  I deeply appreciate Chan's wisdom and care.

• This quote from T.E. Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia) rocked my world:

"All men dream, but not equally. 

Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds awake to the day to find it was all vanity.

But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for the many act out their dreams with open eyes,
to make it possible."

• Somehow I ended up at a huge dinner table eating spicy hot Mexican food with Darrin Patrick.  It was fun re-connecting with him - - a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, I was in the Acts 29 church planting tribe.  Darrin's a good guy and always manages to bust my chops.  In a good way.

• And finally, I came up with a new, recurring series for this blog: Ask Jon Anything.  I'm going to open up and answer your questions on pretty much anything you want to know about: my life, my ministry, comedy, adoption, church planting, God, whatever.  You can start leaving questions in the Comments and we'll get the ball rolling shortly...

PINK CIGARS FOR EVERYBODY!!!

After 14 months of waiting, we received the phone call from Adoption Associates last Wednesday:

A preemie.

Born Sunday, February 26th.

Completely healthy.

We met her birthfamily on Friday.  Beautiful, loving Christians.  Making a beautiful adoption plan.

And then we met her.

Today it became official.

We named her Ainsleigh Grace.

And as soon as the judge signs the paperwork in coming days, Ainsleigh will be coming home!

You may be asking yourself, "Self, how can I help out with the Herrons' little newborn baby girl?" 

We definitely request your prayers. 

And if you're so inclined, here's our Baby Registry.

 

Being a child of the 80's, I wasn't introduced to The Monkees until they appeared in 1986 on Disney World's 15th Anniversary tv special (I had tuned in to watch Emmanuel Lewis tap-dancing in front of Cinderella's Castle).  The bits with Micky, Davy, and Peter grabbed my imagination.  I taped it on our VCR and wore out that poor VHS tape watching it over and over again.  At recess during school, all my buddies would pretend to be The Monkees (I was always Micky). 

The Monkees popped back onto my radar in 1987 via Nickelodeon's must-see, not-quite-MTV-but-safe-for-elementary-eyes, Nick Rocks (right after Danger Mouse and before You Can't Do That on Television).  I was hooked, Heart and Soul.

In 1996, I took Amber on a romantic date to see The Monkees on tour (click my above left pic to see Davy Jones' mad tambourine skills).  It was a blast.  Well, for me it was a blast.  I think Amber was just tolerating my harmless little musical obsession.

In 1999, I took my Mom on a date to see Davy Jones do a solo gig on the riverboats in Davenport, Iowa (click my pic on the right).   Again, blast was had by all.

We followed that up with a 2001 Monkees concert in Cleveland, Ohio and a 2006 summer festival solo concert from Micky Dolenz in Akron:

So, to say I'm a Monkees fan is an understatement.  In a sense, they changed my life.  Sorta.

You see, they influenced me in 3 key ways:

1. With the exception of Martin & Lewis in 1950, The Monkees were the first to create television music and comedy through improvisation.  Yes, they had a script, but 1960's NBC was sharp and edgy enough to air the improvised bits created on the fly by the boys.  The Monkees were trained in improv-comedy by Second City vets, which led me to study there also during my college years.
2. The theme of the tv series was that they were Perpetual Underdogs.  They never got their big break on the tv show, just shlepping from one gig to another (along with the occasional haunted mansion).  Perseverance while keeping your sense of humor were the keys to the on-screen band.  And guess what - it's true for real-world creatives also.
3. The Monkees always had second chances.  Their 1987 reunion was the highest-grossing concert tour in the world, their 1996 reunion album received great reviews, and their 2011 reunion tour featured rave reviews from Rolling Stone Magazine.  Even though they were always getting written-off by critics, The Monkees would manage to reinvent themselves over the years and keep the magic rolling.

Davy Jones' passing is a bummer, but also an opportunity to reflect back.  It's a reminder of childhood innocence, bubblegum pop, and how little influences add up in one's life.

So cheer up, Sleepy Jean.  The Monkees sure did leave a mark on many a Daydream Believer.

I've been blogging since 2003 about life, comedy, and ministry (not always in that order).

Sometimes my blog posts have been awesome, othertimes they've been like Yoda reading C.S. Lewis aloud in a crowded elevator curiously featuring early 1980's Phil Collins muzak.

I'm at a place in life where I crave clarity and want to reboot how I blog.

Why now?  Over the past 6 months, I've lived within the verses of Genesis 26:12-25.  And yet I can say that from start to finish, God is great, good, glorious, and gracious.  Genesis 50:20 is true - - we are seeing life take root! 

My wife also has a great blog series this week born out of our experiences:
Wounds from the Church.  You should check it out.

For now, I'm praying for verses 26-33 to happen. 

And I'm rebooting this blog to fit our new adventure:

• Every Monday I'll be blogging Improv*ing Leadership.  I learned a ton studying at Second City under Tina Fey and Martin de Maat.  I want to share how the rules of creating comedy can be applied to leadership in the local church.  Hopefully this will be helpful to you.
• Every Tuesday I'll be writing to our church start-up.  We just want to reach the lost.  That's it.  Our agenda is to have a church where its ok to not be ok, a church for people who don't like going to church!  I love Life Church Michigan and the people coming on board to make this vision a reality!  It is truly a labor of love and once we launch weekly public worship services, we hope to see hundreds of lives transformed throughout our region (see John 10:10).
• Wednesdays and Thursdays I'll blog about adoption, church planting, or what I'm learning from God about leadership.
• And finally, Phridays are for Photos.  Of course.

I'll also be opening up Comments for questions and encouraging thoughts. 
So feel free to chat (although not anonymously).

You can subscribe to this blog here.

And you can always follow along over on the twitters or say hi on the facebook.

Thanks for understanding this reboot.  Glad to have you along for the ride.

 

 

2 options when someone hurts you:

 

1. Give them back what they gave you.

2. Give them back what God gave you.

 

Remembering the late Martin de Maat

This time of year my thoughts always return to Martin, one of my theater professors at Columbia, who passed away eleven years ago.  While he easily could have indulged self-importance as the Artistic Director of The Second City, Martin instead oozed with humility and wild acceptance, personally welcoming me with open arms (literally) in the Fall of 1996, introducing me to my eventual improv-comedy teachers: Mick Napier, Norm Holly, Anne Libera, Jim Zulevic, and Tina Fey.

Martin was a close friend and mentor who bought this poor college kid lunch, drove me to the hospital when I was sick with the flu, and stood beside me as a groomsman at our wedding. 

He once surprised Amber and I on a wintry Windy City evening with ice cream at a hole-in-the-wall diner, mixing his improv-philosophies with silly humor and engaging stories of Chicago-lore.  "You know," he whispered to us with a twinkle in his eye, "This booth we're sitting in right now is where The Beatles used to hang out after their shows!"

The effect Martin had in shaping my work as a communicator and leader is immeasurable.  Here are some of his leadership quotes that continue to shape my thinking and approach to ministry:

"You can get the biggest laugh in a scene simply by saying 'ahem' - it's all about context."

"You are pure potential!"

"The Hokey Pokey.  Think about it.  At the end of the song, what do we learn?
What is it all about?  You put your whole self in!"

"You know what intimacy is? It's into-me-you-see."

"Always in life surround yourself with people who make you happy. Life is short and you will be surprised how much better your life is if you just stop hanging out with the jerks we are all drawn towards."

"The fun is always on the other side of a yes."

"Do you have the right to call yourself an artist? The moment you manifested enough courage to enroll in your class you jumped off that cliff. You have no choice but to keep your wings flapping."

"You have the right to follow your dreams.
I'm giving you permission to follow your dreams."

A few moments ago, Grandpa met Jesus face-to-Face.

And was reunited with his wife.

Love him.