Naomi and two of her friends entered the Swiss Festival's talent contest last weekend. They spend several weeks practicing a hip-hop dance from KidStuf before performing their act on main stage during the competition. Here a few pics:
And.........they took first place!
Being interviewed by the local newspaper...
Way to go, Nomie! Man, that girl can dance!
Check out this pic...
You know, Bubba Joe just wants to be a blessing (especially to his Momma!).
Amazing. How did they do it?
(great work, Paul)
I stopped by the NewPointe bookstore after First Wednesday and look what I found:
My kids came running to me and said, "Daddy look! Bubba Joe mouse pads!"
I had no idea that the Bubba Joe product line had expanded from T-shirts to mouse pads. Crazy. I'm told that the bookstore has already had to order more T-shirts (they're sellin' like hotcakes). And hey, what kid wouldn't want a Bubba Joe/KidStuf mouse pad next to his computer.
What's next? Bubba Joe bumper stickers? Mugs? Credit cards? Cologne? Essence du Bubba. Stay tuned.
Oh, one more thing, rumor has it that there may be a Bubba sighting in KidStuf this Sunday. We'll see...
It's been a while since good ol' Bubba Joe has been in KidStuf. Sunday he was back...and up to his usual shenanigans.
Here's an email about Bubba Joe I received this morning:
Dear John,
You will think this is funny. Yesterday morning before Kids Stuff you were dressed as Bubba and you walked past my daughter and you were standing beside her talking to Dana, I think one of the volunteers. She kept yelling Bubba, Bubba, then finally you turned and gave her a high five. She turned to me and said, "Mom, Bubba gave me high five!" I said, "Cool, do you know what that means? That means Bubba's going to be in Kids Stuff today."
She was like yea...Well then of course you were in kids stuff. It was funny...Well then after church you were back in your regular clothes not Bubba. I told her, "Look, there's Bubba." She said, "Where? I said, "Right there, that's the guy that plays Bubba." She said, "No it isn't." I said, "Yes it is." She said, "No it's not he's better looking and his teeth aren't rotten..."
"Smell my feet" is definitely something Bubba Joe would say (and did say). Tonight was trick-or-treat night in Sugarcreek and Bubba Joe was there on the front porch asking kids to choose between Skittles and a bowl of barf (most kids opted for the Skittles--weird, I know). The winner for best costume, without a doubt, goes to Ben Yoakam...check it out:
Yep, Ben was lookin' sa-weet...sportin' the Bubba teeth and even had the belly workin'. Nice job Ben. He told me he was just tryin' to be a blessing.
That's funny right there...
For a number of years Jenny and I tried to find alternative things for our kids to do on Halloween. We didn't think it would be wise to have our kids participate in "the devil's holiday." So we took our kids bowling, or to Chuck E. Cheese's or something like that. Some churches even offer alternatives to Halloween. We often opted for the "Hallelujah Party" instead (that was really what it was called).
Then it occurred to us a couple of years ago: why should we pull our family out of our neighborhood on the one night of the year when we actually have a really good opportunity to interact with your neighbors? I suddenly didn't make sense to us why all the Christians abandoned their neighborhoods on the one night of the year their neighbors were out and about. So we decided to redeem Halloween.
Isn't that what God does? He takes stuff that the devil intends for evil and he turns it into good. So now we're home on Halloween. We're on our front porch, talking to our neighbors and handing out candy. And oh, here's something else we started doing last year: we handed out really cool, well-done KidStuf invite cards.
If you're going to stay home this year and give candy, here are a couple of suggestions:
Don't...
Have fun with it. Reedem it.
When we began KidStuf in its current format (between services, a no-drop-off-zone), we had no idea it would get as huge as it's become. From the beginning we've packed 500+ people in the KidStuf theater. Week one in December was standing-room-only and it's continued to be that way. Later we added a second KidStuf (following the second service) just to accommodate the demand.
Man, KidStuf is a blast! I love the whole philosophy. I love the approach. I love the idea of kids and parents learning virtues together--stuff they can talk about at home. I love the idea of kids and parents laughing together. I can't wait till this Sunday!
This Sunday a brand new season of KidStuf begins. If you've got a kid in grades K - 4, holy smokes, make sure you're there! (I heard a rumor that a certain fella named Bubba Joe was going to be there...I can neither confirm or deny that report. You'll just have to come find out for yourself.)
Don't know what KidStuf is about? Check out this video:
I get to have fun playing several different recurring characters at NewPointe. And man, I don't know if there's anything as fun as being Bubba Joe Crankshaft at KidStuf. It's a hoot!
Bubba Joe is easily my favorite role. He's just fun. I've had many people tell me that the Bubba Joe character seems to come waaay too easy for me. Maybe so.
Bubba Joe showed up at KidStuf yesterday to help Kevin introduce this month's virtue: Service. Bubba Joe had a great idea: to "lend a hand" to Kevin (notice the latex glove on Bubba Joe's right hand...and as Kevin learned yesterday, you really don't want to go there).
Bubba Joe's just an uninhibited idiot--that's what makes him so much fun to portray. One of my favorite things to do is to just be Bubba Joe in the foyer at church. People just don't know how to react. Can you believe that there have been several people that had no idea it was actually me?
Yesterday, in the hallway outside the KidStuf theater, one of our regular attenders tried to introduce me (while I was in character) to a friend he had brought with him to church. It was a riot to see him try to explain that Bubba Joe was actually one of the pastors...and I wasn't making it any easier for him...I just stayed with the Bubba Joe thing. I don't know if the friend will be back (just kidding).
What would we do without KidStuf? When we first moved into our new building, there were actually some adults questioning having to go to KidStuf every week! Since we've begun, I haven't heard a single complaint or criticism. In fact, every week I see people in KidStuf who don't even have KidStuf-aged kids. They just want to be in on all the fun and learning.
Kevin West, Jim Howard, and their team are doing a great job. Don't know what KidStuf is? Click here to find out more.
Gordo and Bubba Joe entertain the KidStuf crowd with their own unique rendition of "The 12 Days of Christmas"...Holmes County style.
Believe it or not, I've had several people tell me that I looks suspiciously like Bubba Joe. Others absolute swear that there's no way the Bubba Joe and me could possibly be the same person. So the question to ask is this: Have you ever seen Bubba Joe and me at the same place at the same time? Hmmm.
KidStuf is great, isn't it?
If you haven't been to KidStuf yet, you have to go! I've been extremely impressed at what Kevin West and Jim Howard have been able to do for parents and kids in this way cool environment. It's first-class. I think I've heard more parents comment on it than kids. They all love it. Once again, the room was packed out. Lots of energy and excitement. I can't wait to see what's next.
