Passing Fads of My Youth #4: Beanie Babies

Ah, the legendary Beanie Babies. If you lived through the 90's, you knew them well. Honestly, I could not wait to talk about these guys because they literally make the least amount of sense. Essentially they were a small, plastic pellet-filled work of art, purely aesthetic with absolutely no purpose whatsoever. They fostered addiction and wanton spending turning normally good-natured elderly women and soccer moms into Medusas hell-bent on destroying any and all obstacles (including people) preventing them from obtaining every last one of them.



In 1993, the people over at Ty Incorporated decided to manufacture a new type of crack cocaine; one that they could market to consumers of all ages with no fear of retaliation. Thus, the Beanie Baby was born:

A typical 90's drug shipment.

Their appeal widely unknown, Beanie Babies quickly became hot sellers worldwide, hypnotizing the masses into believing that Legs was a good name for a stuffed frog (it is, they were geniuses). They invaded popular culture faster than D-Day.

"You think they'll have the one that's a moose?"

Collectible stores and Hallmarks sold out overnight. Fast food restaurants began carrying them as promotions. Special bears were created to commemorate events or particular individuals. They became as deeply embedded in culture as anything else.

What better way to remember the late Princess of Wales?

They were so popular that people even began to counterfeit them! The FBI cracked down on counterfeit beanies in the late 1990s, and some people were prosecuted for direct known involvement in their commerce. There was a ring in York, England, that was uncovered with over 6,000 fake bears.

This used to seem so lucrative...

I must confess that I too fell prey to the charm of these collectibles, and my vast collection of them still reside in storage. To this day, I could not tell you why I bought so many. But perhaps no one could put it better than Joe Fucigna, the current world record holder for owner of most Beanie babies: 14,346, "They bring peace and happiness to the world and they keep me company. They are the best friends anyone can ask for. Everyone should have 7 rooms filled with beanie babies."



Oh, God....

Bible Time: John 10 (emphasis v. 30)

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=John+10





Jesus Christ lived his life to an extent that no one ever has. He routinely challenged the so-called intellectuals of his day, and he angered the spiritual leaders of his people greatly. Yet, he was more intellectual than any other, and more spiritual than any other, and he gained many followers. What he did he do on one hand to gain such a following, and yet despite that, segregate himself from those who could catapult him into a highly profitable and influential lifestyle? The truth is that Jesus himself was radical from the mindset of his opponents. He taught differently, with an authority that no one else had. Jesus taught increasingly challenging and almost crazy sounding sermons, like love your enemies, pray in secret, and forgiving others without limit. He spent his time with the pariahs and untouchables of his society: the lepers, the sinners, the tax collectors, the prostitutes. He healed disease, exorcised demons, and even claimed to be able to forgive sins! This man was truly unique among all other men who have ever walked the earth. And he was either who he said he was, or he was a lunatic. On closer reading of the Gospels, one truly deciphers the source of all Jesus taught, said, and did; the true source of his power. I believe it is found in John 10. Jesus says, "The Father and I are one." Jesus' relationship with God his Father took precedence over all other things so much so that it spilled out into all areas of life. Jesus knew his Father. Jesus knew that the Father is love, so Jesus sought to live out that love, culminating in his death on the cross. Jesus knew that the Father is grace, so he was gracious to all men, even those who had never known grace. He knew his Father was just, so he lovingly, yet firmly judged sin. All his life, I believe Jesus was conscious of who he was, and what he was meant to do. Therefore, his relationship with the Father was essential. This is why Jesus goes to pray by himself, why he seeks to spend time with his Father, because Jesus understood where his strength came from. He knew how much, in his human state, how dependent he was on the Holy Spirit. What is my excuse for not seeking the Spirit's power!?! I want to emulate Christ. This is what I want in my walk with God. I want to see my time with God as so essential, that my life should revolve around him, instead of me trying to squeeze God into a little five minute time window and call it prayer or quiet time. Oh how I have sinned in this, time after time. I don't want to be like a driver in a car, just putting a dollar or two's worth of gas into the tank, and then hoping I can make it to the next gas station. I want to be filled!!!! But just like Jesus said to the woman caught in adultery, "Go and sin no more," I know God has mercy for me. Let's pray for God to instill that hunger for his Word and his Spirit in us. Let's pray for that desire to overwhelm us, just like it did our Lord while he was on earth.