Like kids and improv performers we can live life unscripted. The group “Improv Everywhere” creates fun scenes in real life. Recently, they added a 13-member handbell choir to a Salvation Army bell ringer on Lexington Avenue in Manhattan. Joy and smiles followed.

Here’s a little more detail on the story.

Brenda and I were married on December 27, 2002. Our wedding ceremony included many video segments including our engagement, photos of us both growing up, and then our time together getting to know each other.

We’ve had requests to post the video that we played as a prelude to the wedding. It includes a quote from my Czech great great grandfather “Jan Cimbura” and many Scriptures from the Bible that were especially encouraging to us both. They are accompanied my photography (some with a Christmas theme since our wedding was during that season) and inspiring music.

So here it is. I hope you enjoy it, too.

If there’s one big thing that kids can teach us, it is to learn constantly. Children soak up information like sponges and have a thirst for learning new things. They’re always asking questions. As we age there is a tendency to start thinking that we know it all…especially after achieving advanced degrees. In every industry and occupation, learning more will make you more valuable as an employee. Learning more about relationships and life skills will contribute towards your overall happiness and success in life.

You’re never too old to learn. Pablo Casals, the great cellist was asked why at 85 years of age he continued to practice 5 hours a day. His response was “Because I think I’m getting better.” Life is a school. Think of each day in terms of what lessons you learned so that tomorrow can be better.

Here are some guiding principles for continual learning:
1. Approach learning with an open but discerning mind.
Do not fear to read books outside your experience. Thomas H Huxley said “Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion… or you shall learn nothing.”
“Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life.” — Dr. David M. Burns

2. Be content with not knowing everything. Admit that you never will.
For anyone who thinks they know it all. Here’s a lesson. You don’t. Unfortunately, “know it alls” are probably not reading this or listening to many other people, anyway. Are you lacking friends? The “know it all” attitude is one thing that really turns people off. Try listening for a change. Larry King said “I remind myself every morning: ‘Nothing I say this day will teach me anything. So, if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening’.”

3. Overcome the fear of learning or being confused by new found facts.
If what you believe is truly the truth, no newly uncovered facts should present any issues to your beliefs. Winston Churchill is quoted as saying “Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.”

4. Choose your influencers, mentors, and teachers carefully.
A teacher asked Johnny if he knew his numbers. “Yes, My father taught me.” he said. “What comes after three?” she asked. “Four,” answered the boy. “What comes after six?” “Seven.” “Very good,” said the teacher. “Your dad did a great job. What comes after ten?” “A Jack,” said the child.

A father and son went fishing. Like most children, the boy was curious and asked lots of questions: “How does this boat float?” The father thought for a moment, and replied, “Don’t rightly know, son.”
Still curious, the boy asked, “How do fish breath under water?” Again, the father replied. “Don’t rightly know, son.”
Later the boy asked, “Why is the sky blue?” Again, the father replied. “Don’t rightly know, son.”
Worried that he was being annoying, the boy asked, “Dad, do you mind my asking you all these questions?”
“Of course not son. If you don’t ask questions, you’ll never learn anything!”

These two stories teach us an important lesson. Who we choose to learn from is very important. Look for reliable people that have wisdom built up through experience and education. Are they an expert in their field? Are they trustworthy? Are they living their life consistently with their values and what they teach?

Here are a few practical ideas for putting this valuable learning philosophy into practice:
* Budget for your education.
Are you already done with college? That’s fine. View school as an ongoing expense for your entire life. What are you spending your “tuition” money on this year? Books? DVDs? Taking a mentor out to dinner? Seminars? Online classes? You deserve it. Education is a valuable investment in your future.

* Intentionally learn about some subject you don’t know anything about, never cared about in the past, or that you know you are not good at.
You’ll surprise others and yourself with your newly gained knowledge. For example, I’m not that into cars. I pretty much view them as a necessity for getting from place to place. Yet I listen to the “Car Talk” podcast on a regular basis because it’s funny and educational. Click and Clack (brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi) are some of the funniest radio personalities around. Listeners call in with questions about their cars and get some pretty entertaining and accurate answers. One time a lady called in that said she was in love with her aging Jeep Liberty because it represented adventure and fun. In fact, she wanted to name her Jeep “Patrick Henry” after his words “Give me Liberty or give me death!”. They gave her good advice on what car would fit her needs into the future.

* Learn something about a new hobby or interest. Some examples here might be playing an instrument, learning a foreign language, etc. Research has show that keeping an active mind helps to prevent alzheimer’s disease. If you want to grow, you need the attempt things that you can’t do right now.

* Go to the library. That’s the big building with lots of books you can get for free and no cars in the parking lot.

* Watch less TV. A lot of what we see on TV is not very edifying. Spending the same amount of time doing so many other things will increase the quality of your life. Instead of watching other people doing life, live it yourself! Homer Simpson once said “It wasn’t easy to juggle a pregnant wife and a troubled child, but somehow I managed to fit in eight hours of TV a day.”

* Get an iPod and use it for podcasts or audio books in addition to your music. One of the best and most inexpensive ways of learning is listening to podcasts. Most podcasts are free! It’s something you can do to redeem time you spend in traffic on the way to work or while exercising with your iPod. My top recommendation here is Andy Stanley’s podcasts. Another great speaker to listen and learn from is Andy Andrews.

* Purchase a yearly subscription to Lynda.com or another online learning resource and use it. They are an incredible value. With discipline, you can learn more than you ever could with individual training classes on your own time.

“The more we learn, the more we find out how little we know.” – Tim Cimbura
“Commit yourself to lifelong learning. The most valuable asset you’ll ever have is your mind and what you put into it.” – Brian Tracy, best-selling author

An old prayer encourages us to ask God the following: Help me to be brave in facing new truth, diligent in searching out half truths, and humble enough to know that I don’t have all the truth.
Listen to advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise. — Proverbs 19:20

One day my daughter Arianna was at the swimming pool and a girl about her age. She asked “Will you be my friend?” The answer was “Sure.” Arianna added “I’ll be your best friend forever!” Now that’s trust. She made the assumption that anyone about her height is a potential friend for life…and so they can be. It takes time to build real trust.

A few days ago I attended the book release party for “The Trust Edge” written by my friend David Horsager. David begins his new book, “The Trust Edge”, with a story about coming home from work and meeting his three-year-old son at the door with excited eyes and a big smile shouting “Daddy, throw me up in the air really HIGH!” His son has complete trust that his father will catch him every time.

When a child is born they trust their parents implicitly. As a child ages and gains experience in life, their likelihood to trust goes down and eventually it can lead to becoming cynical as adults. As a child has trust in his father, there is a special trust in letting our worries go as adults. We need to put our trust is something reliable. I once heard wise advice that said “each evening I give my troubles to God…since he’s going to up all night, anyway.” There is little we can do to change most situations during our sleep. We have an “illusion of control” that we can let go of and will help us to be healthier people. Trust can help us get a good night rest to be well prepared to take positive actions for what we actually can do the next morning.

Once a man was hiking in the mountains and fell over the edge of a cliff. On the way down, he grabbed a branch but had no way to pull himself back up. He screamed for help. Suddenly, a thundering voice came from the sky saying “I am God. I will save you. Do you trust me?” “Yes.” said the man. “Do you really trust me?” said the voice. “Yes!” said the man in desperation. The voice instructed “Let go of the branch!” to which the man asked “Is there anyone else up there?”

God is The Most Trustworthy
Even though we may fight it, when there is no one else to trust, there is always someone that is trustworthy and it’s God. I learned this lesson at a deep level after an experience that completely changed my view of trust. My spouse had been the one person in the world that I had placed the most trust in. She betrayed that trust and proceeded to divorce me with no hope of reconciliation. During this dark time of my life, a friend shared this simple story:
A man owned a beautiful horse. One day the horse ran away. The townspeople offered sympathy for his great misfortune. The man said simply, “Such is life.”
A few days later the mare returned followed by a handsome wild stallion. The townspeople congratulated the man for his good fortune. He said, “Such is life.”
Later, the man’s only son fell off the stallion and broke his leg. The townspeople once again expressed their sympathy but the man said, “Such is life.”
War broke out and all the young men of the village except the man’s lame son were drafted and subsequently killed in battle. The townspeople were amazed as the man’s good luck. His son was the only young man left alive in the village. But the man kept his same attitude: despite all the turmoil, gains and losses, he gave the same reply, “Such is life.”

Some may object that God is not trustworthy because they see pain in the world. This story helped me to understand how something terrible may actually be good and how we might explain that God is trustworthy in the middle of hard times. At the point of my divorce, God was truly the only one left that I knew was fully trustworthy. I thought the divorce was the worst thing that could happen in my life. Now looking back with greater perspective, I’d say it was one of the best things that happened to me. What I learned through that experience and how I grew as a person completely changed me for the better. No one sets out on his or her wedding day to imagine the day their divorce is finalized…but when it became a reality for me I had to make the best of it. I believe God did not create the situation but He allowed it. God was powerful enough to work out the situation for my good. (Romans 8:28)

So who can say what is good or bad? You need the greater context to know. Our perspective is the key that changes the view of something as good or bad. From close up and with a myopic view it’s hard to tell. From far away and with greater wisdom our view might change. After I recovered from my divorce, I searched for a new companion. Trust was the most important quality I looked for in a future spouse. God did help me to find the right person and today I’m blessed with a new relationship and family because I changed my old pattern, trusted God, and did something different.

I think of this issue through the eyes of a parent. When a child is first learning about hot and cold, a careful and loving parent may allow the child to experience some minor pain in order to prevent a greater future pain. “You see this pan? It can get VERY hot. Go ahead and touch it quickly. It might hurt. See how hot it is? You need to be VERY careful not to touch a hot pan or you’ll get a big ouchie.” In life, we might see everything that happens in our short time on earth as a relatively minor pain in the context of eternity and a huge universe.

The next time you’re wondering who to trust take out some money. You’ll find the answer there “In God We Trust”…not the money. Finances may go up and down but we can make it through the changes.

A new school principal was startled to see the door to the school supply room wide open with teachers taking things in and out freely as they prepared for the arrival of students. At his previous school, the principal had instituted an elaborate check-out system to keep tabs on supplies. He asked the school’s custodian, “Do you think it’s wise to keep the stock room unlocked and to let the teachers take things without requisitions?” The custodian replied wisely “We trust them with the children, don’t we?”

Trust is so much about priorities. We don’t trust everyone with everything. You must have a competency in the area where you are trusted. For example, when I juggle flaming torches or sharp knives I have to trust that not only will each throw I make be accurate enough to not fly out into the audience and hurt someone (although I’ve got insurance for that) but also that it will come back into my hand the right way so that I don’t hurt myself. It’s a competency that is not implicit. I have built it up through practice. Even more trust is required when the knives are flying back and forth between two partners. This trust is build up with consistency over time and creates teamwork.

Norman Vincent Peal once said “when fate throws a dagger at you there are two ways to handle it. Catch it by the blade and let it cut you or seize the problem by the handle and use it to fight obstacle ahead.” Just like the handle on a knife, there is a handle for every fear. We need to throw, let go, and trust it will happen and everything will be OK. (Of course, the practice helps.)

Perhaps the greatest example of childhood trust and bravery was when a young boy named David stood up to a giant soldier named Goliath when no one else would. The Bible says that David trusted God who had consistently helped him in the past “The LORD … will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine. … David ran quickly towards the battle line.” 1 Sam. 17:37, 48 If onl
y we could have the kind of trust that allows us to run quickly toward our fears.

According to one Bible search, the phrase “Fear not” is in the Bible 365 times…or one for everyday of the year. If God is for us, who can be against us? “In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” — Psalm 118:5-6

The Bible has this to say: “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” Psalms 118:8 (NKJV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Who do you trust? Are they completely trustworthy? Do you need to trust God?

Being Trustworthy
After even one lie, a child may not trust again. Acting hypocritical may also allow a child to lose trust. The way we build trust in a child is the same way we build trust in others. You must treat people with respect, show love, keep your word, and not break promises. Doing so will set an example that people will respect and respond to positively. When you make a mistake you should explain and admit your errors.

Are you trustworthy? Do you build trust in others by acting consistently over time?
Look back on worst times in life. What did you learn? Did you allow it to make you better or bitter?

If the issue of trust is something to you’re looking at improving in your life, I highly recommend David’s book “The Trust Edge“. I’m sure this book will have a positive impact on many people and organizations. Check it out.

What car will make it for the official “Child at Heart” car? The Pixar movie Cars made the auto pretty fun and funny. How do real cars stack up?

Any vehicle that can get you smiling whenever you get in it certainly qualifies as Child at Heart material. Of course, if the vehicle becomes a burden financially you may not be able to smile every time you get into it. In that case, it may be time for a change. Even an older car can make you laugh. One of my best friends had what we affectionately called a “boat” in high school. I was one of the first teens in my grade to have my own car. Unfortunately, we spent a lot of time pushing it in the snow when it failed to start…but we had fun!

It is a requirement that whatever the car you have, must have a sunroof or moonroof so you can always look up to get the bigger picture of the sky (preferably not while you’re driving). Convertibles really win in this category. What is a moon roof anyway? A sun roof at night? According to sunroofs.com, “Sunroof is the generic term used to describe an operable panel in a vehicle roof which can let in light and/or air. “Moonroof” is a term created by Ford in the 70s, yet is now used generically to describe glass panel inbuilt electric sunroofs.” So all moonroofs are sunroofs but not all sunroofs are moonroofs. But I digress.

In another high school car expirence, my friend had a purple AMC Gremlin. (It was marginally better than a Pacer or Pinto at the time.) It was raining and pulled up to a corner with a big puddle. Suddenly, water rushed through the floor and all over me. I thought “Why am I all wet? I’m inside a car!” Evidently, in this car, the floor mat was not optional equipment. The floor was completely rusted through kind like a Fred Flintstone’s car. If I ran, we might even have gone faster. If I lifted up the mat on the highway, I could see the pavement going by at 65 mph!

For a great Child at Heart experience…go out test driving cars for an afternoon. Put some fun ones on the list even if you don’t plan on purchasing. With the economy down, car salesmen probably have less to do. Help keep them busy.

Don’t like cars? Listen to the Car Talk podcast available via iTunes. I’m not even that into cars, but I love to listen to Car Talk. “Click and Clack” (brothers Tom and Ray Magliozzi) are some of the funniest radio personalities around. Listeners call in with questions about their cars and get some pretty funny and surprisingly accurate answers. Did you know that motorists in North America spend about 6 months of their lives waiting at red lights? (Ripley’s Believe it or Not). You might as well make good use of that time. Enjoy a good podcast, laugh, and learn. One time a lady called in proclaiming she was in love with her Jeep Liberty because it represented adventure and fun. She wanted to name it “Patrick Henry” for his speech “Give me Liberty or give me death!”

I believe Mazda wins the Child at Heart award for this company philosophy displayed on their window sticker: “All children instinctively know it. A few adults still remember it. One unique car company refuses to outgrow it. In grown-up language, it means the exhilaration and liberation that comes from experiencing sheer motion. But as usual, children put it much better and simply call it ‘Zoom-Zoom’. We practice it every day. It’s why we build the kind of cars we do. Mazda. Always the soul of a sports car.” Consequently, I had to have a Mazda. I got the more family practical Mazda 5 but the Mazda RX8 sports car looks pretty good from this description: “The RX-8 feels like wings bolted right to your arms.” — MotorTrend 09.2008 (America’s Best Handling Car: Track Testing)

Here are some runners up Child at Heart car ideas:
* The Mini Cooper
* VW Beetle – Who doesn’t like Herbie?

Fox News (Sunday, June 07, 2009) reported that The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe was the best selling car in 2008 with 457,000 units. Who said America can’t build a popular small car? This classic toy car was inducted into an auto museum in Cleveland! The Little Tikes Cozy Coupe is also likely the most affordable car in America. You can get one for around $50. Now they even have a Princess Cozy Coupe
I think little electric cars that kids drive around are ridiculous. What? They can’t ride a bike or produce their own motor power with their legs? No wonder the percentage of overweight kids is growing. Get moving.

Do you have any votes for your “Child at Heart” car? Leave your stories and opinions here.

Recently, I played an exhausting hour of tag, hide-n-seek, and then “duck duck grey duck” with my daughters.

I didn’t even think it was possible to play “duck duck grey duck” with only three people. I thought you needed a circle of children. The kids were inventive enough to make it possible with new rules that they made up on the spot. It had the element of surprise and then excitement when you got chased around the yard in “tag” fashion. “Duck duck blue duck. Duck duck red duck. Duck duck GREY duck!”

It was actually pretty fun. I needed to let myself be in the moment and let the children lead. When I asked the kids “Why is this fun?” their response was “Because you’re here and we’re together.” Time together is what matters. This is truly what keeps us young.

On a side note: Most of you will know this child’s game as “duck duck GOOSE!” or “quack quack honk!” But that isn’t the case in Minnesota. It’s either “duck duck grey duck” or “duck duck gray duck” here. Take your pick. If Minnesotans are the only ones calling it something different, then obviously we are right and everyone else is wrong. I wonder if they call it “duck duck Canada goose?” in Canada.

On another note, I want to share one of the most fun toys of the summer. Hasbro Water Pistols made for an inexpensive and fun afternoon of running around and dodging water.

Recently, we found a fun bean bag chair from CordaRoys. This product is way better than the bean bag chairs I had as a kid. It’s not filled with thousands of Styrofoam beads that are impossible to clean up if the bag ever tears (or gets opened by a curious kid). Inside it’s got chunks of foam that are soft and resilient. The really cool part about this chair is that there is a bed inside! Unzip the bean bag cover and pull out the mattress for an extra sleep over bed.

This weekend we took a short trip a couple of hours north to the Duluth area with our family. I’ve been to these places before (mostly as a kid or teenager) so I wasn’t so excited about seeing them again. My wife and I wanted our kids to experience them as we had. When we arrived it was amazing how things had changed! It was all new to us once again.

We stayed at the new Burlington Bay lodge rooms at Superior Shores Resort on Lake Superior just north of Two Harbors, MN. We enjoyed their restaurant and a swim at their indoor pool with outdoor connected whirlpool that was cool enough that our little girls could join us.

The United States National Parks are a great way to have a Child at Heart experience. Viewing nature in the parks can be stunning, breathtaking, and awe-filled experience that helps get perspective on your world. There are over 83 million acres of National Parks in the United States that allow for a breakaway from our every day stress.

Shelton Johnson has been a park ranger for 15 years. On September 20, he appeared on the CBS Sunday Morning show.

He said it this way “When we become adults we become anesthetized to the beauty of the earth that we stop seeing it and stop hearing it. But when we’re in a National Park it reawakens that sense of wonder that we all had when we were kids. Everything is new, everything is fresh. This is the first day that ever has been. It pulls you out of whatever it is that you are and into something that is much greater than you are. I’ve never been in any other environment that had that capacity to evoke so much wonder.”

I fully agree. Taking a vacation allows us to see things in a new way. In the parks there is little negative emotions such as greed, sadness, etc. People are at peace and amazed by the scenic environments. I’ve been to several of the parks and none has disappointed. I still remember my first view of the Grand Canyon.

It was so incredible that I almost thought it can’t be real. It looked like a painting. This is ironic because a painting often mimics nature and I was seeing the real thing with all its vivid colors. The Canyon brings about a sense of wonder that makes you want to know it’s secrets.

Ken Burns has a new series about the National Parks airing on PBS that should be a great introduction to those that you’d like to see in person. Here’s a list of 10 National Parks you don’t want to miss. [1. Yosemite, 2. Yellowstone, 3. Everglades, 4. Zion, 5. Shenandoah, 6. Grand Canyon, 7. Denali, 8. Glacier, 9. Great Smoky Mountains, and 10. Acadia] If you did one per year, it’d take 10 years to see them all!

So take a trip to a park. Take in a sunrise or sunset over amazing scenery. Breath deeply, get things in perspective, and feel renewed.

We had a reunion party for some friends yesterday. One of the smartest things we did was rent a bouncer. (If you’re in the Twin Cities area in Minnesota…I highly recommend Magic Bounce for your rental.) We made a big deal about it for our girls. We were bringing the Disney princess castle to our house! It was magical watching them watch it inflate in the backyard. It only took about 5 minutes (but speeded up here for your viewing pleasure).

The bouncer was the single most important party investment we made. It gave the kids hours of fun and meanwhile the adults had time to enjoy conversations without thousands of interruptions. It also gave the adults times to have great fun IN the bouncer. It was big enough for the “big kids”. One person said it clearly: “I feel like a kid!”.

Having rented the bouncer, the only problem I see now is that after our kids have played in one for hours at home we’ve kind of spoiled them. They’ll never be able to go to a carnival and think it’s a big deal to spend 5 minutes in one for a dollar.

I thought bouncing was way more fun than on a trampoline. Everything is soft and safe. You can’t accidentally hit the edge and crack open your skull or get a finger stuck in a spring…and trampolines don’t have slides or basketball hoops! At first glance I was kind of confused by that one…a basketball hoop and net inside the princess castle? I guess Cinderella had to do something to pass the time while waiting for her prince to come.

It’s really easy for guests to find your home when there’s an 18′ princess castle in the yard. You can get all kinds of themes to match your party. Enjoy.