Here Wii go again!

I am approaching another milestone in my life in the next few days - another birthday is almost here! If you have read one of my past entries in this blog you will know that I have wanted a particular gift for several years but I don't expect to get it this year - again. I am coming to realize that may not be all bad. You see, I have been hearing and reading about the many varied forms of injuries that occur from my desired special gift. In fact, check out this article:

"A case of 'Nintendinitis'? Exploring Wii-related injuries"
"Experiencing tennis elbow from overindulging your love of the Nintendo Wii? You may want to put down the remote.

The New York Times has a fascinating story of the number of aches and pains some Wii owners associate with playing games too often. As the article describes it, more people are suffering "Nintendinitis," according to doctors they spoke with.

A sports medicine physician in Manhattan says he's dealt with two types of Wii-related ailments: repetitive stress from playing games such as Wii Sports too long, and more serious injuries caused by playing in tight spaces.

The physician also warns users about not completing full motions on certain activities such as tennis or bowling. Here's how the Times explains it:

A common problem is the realization by players that a full swing is not required; a flick of the wrist is often enough to return a serve or bowl a strike. As several doctors pointed out, that is the exact motion — concentrating the force of a swing in the muscles of the forearm — that can cause tennis elbow.

Injuries and other calamities related to aggressive Wii play have been documented regularly on the Web at sites such as Wii Have A Problem. In fact, problems maintaining a grip on the remote forced Nintendo to replace the wrist straps with a sturdier version."

Now, when I did a google search on the internet for "Wii injuries" I had over 380,000 sites show up! Amazing! There was everything from broken fingers to black eyes, pictures, videos and news articles such as this one from Consumer Affairs: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/06/wii_injuries.html
It all made me wonder how something that is supposed to help you can cause so much damage?

Church is a little like that also don't you think? We often have the same people doing so many things that we wear them out, maybe even to the point of giving them "servantitis". Oftentimes when someone just can't say no, the only thing left for them to do is to leave the church. We have extinguished the light in that individual and now are only seeking to turn over those responsibilities to someone else. But, if we are the body of Christ, the church, wouldn't we serve Him better if we all did what we were designed to do?


"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body." 1 Corinthians 12:12-20

On Being a Wii

For the past few years I have been hinting to my hubby that I would like to have a Wii game system. I've rationalized this desire with arguments like, "I could get in shape with it, they have a great fitness program!" Another one I tried was, "We could go dancing, bowling, or have a date night right here at home!Think about all the money you could save!" I've also played the "pity me" angle, "I don't ask for much and after all it is my birthday (Christmas, anniversary, etc.)" So far, none of these arguments have been successful and I still don't have my own Wii game system. My arguments for this new toy may have come to a halt after a message was shared today during the memorial service at UMC Annual Conference.

What I heard was, "I am not a "me" I am a "we". I am made up of a part of everyone who has touched my life or whose life I have touched." As I reflected on that statement, my mind could not help but think of all of the people who have touched my life and influenced me to be the person I am becoming. In the same way, my mind wandered to the scores of people who I have come into contact with and been privileged to leave my fingerprint on their lives. The next thought that jumped into my mind as I listened to the names being read of the clergy and laity that had served the Methodist Church so faithfully was, "Have I lived my life following Jesus' example?" Is there any way we can measure that example?

John Wesley is oft times quoted as saying, "Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can." As an example of accountability in the Methodist Church, maybe this is one way we can use to measure ourselves and the way we have touched another person's life. I for one intend to think how a word, a smile, a touch, can leave a fingerprint on someone's life. Maybe then I will become more aware of the fingerprints that are being left on my life and the loving example's God is sharing with me each day as I continue to become more of who "We" are called to be, instead of trying to be more "me".

"Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us." - Romans 12:4-6a