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 The end of the year causes me to take stock of the good and bad of the past. Looking back over my jacked up life, I could write a book on the mistakes and blunders I have made. I’ll save you the details and highlight a favorite episode of my stupidity.

I was preparing to teach one Sunday morning at Maryland Community Church. I was wanting to make a point of how we overload our lives. I talked a friend into riding his 6′ unicycle on stage at a designated point in the teaching. He had agreed to let me climb a ladder, strap a backpack on him, and fill it with bricks, all while he rode the unicycle. The point would be made that it is hard to live life (or ride a unicycle) with a backpack full of bricks. OK, so it sounds lame now, but trust me, it was brilliant; or so I thought.

Earlier in the week I talked with my friend, let’s call him “Jim.” I inquired as to if he really thought we could pull it off. “No problem,” said Jim, “I recently won a competition where I rode a 6′ unicycle backwards over a 4×4 beam; across a stream.” I was pumped. Jim suggested a little music for the introduction. I set the whole deal up with our tech team and we were ready to rock.

Sunday 9 AM. We were prepping for our 10 AM worship service. The band was done so it was time for Jim and I to run through the unicycle experience. I knew it would be brilliant. It had the potential to change lives for the better. It could be world changing. I was pumped.

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