Bieber Fever, For Real?

It's tough to know what to blog about today as so much has happened since my last opportunity to blog. First of all, after caring for the sick grandkids, it was my turn and I spent a week feverish and sniffling. Needless to say, I had not scheduled being sick in my February 2011 date book.

But, that wasn't the worst of the physical ailments to creep into our household. My husband, after months of suffering stomach pain, ended up in the hospital on Monday, a week ago. After a diagnosis of an obstruction (thank you, doctors, we needed an answer), he had surgery on Wednesday. The surgery was a success, but the patient is still moving slowly. I did get him home on Sunday, which makes for a better Valentine's Day. Once again, none of last week's events were in my calendar book.

Then there was another ailment to enter our family. Although I did have some warning, I didn't know the extent of the affliction. It started with the two eight year old granddaughters and a few of the younger grandsons, but they're not willing to admit it. This ailment has been aptly named Bieber Fever. If you are not familiar with this crippling disorder, perhaps you need to turn on the TV or buy a magazine. Young and old alike seem to have become afflicted with Bieber Fever. It occurs when Justin Bieber's music, hairstyle, and "toothpaste-commercial-worthy" smile are allowed to infiltrate your heart and head. I have to admit—I'm now afflicted. I wasn't an early convert. For a year, I brushed Justin Bieber off like the crumbs from yesterday's cinnamon toast. I thought he was just another teen sensation and would go the way of The Monkeys and Herman's Hermits. But, after taking the kids to see his movie, I am in awe of this talented young man.

Justin Bieber's quick rise to fame is nothing short of miraculous in the "never say never" kind of way. He comes to the world from a small town in Canada and was raised by his single mom. His grandparents were also great influencers in his life (I love that!). Incredibly gifted, he taught himself how to play the piano, drums, guitar and trumpet and at a very young age, played for money in his hometown. The great part of his family story is they appear to be from a strong faith-filled family. Prayer was a large part of the movie, which was great to see. I love that my grandkids witnessed this as well.

One thing, among many, that fascinates me about his success is that it had its roots from YouTube. His mom would post him singing to share with family members in other towns. One day, by accident, someone in the music industry spotted a YouTube performance and the rest is history, as they say. This phenomenon could have never occurred at any other time in history as YouTube did not exist. For the last few weeks I have been trying to hear a song on the country station that my grandkids introduced me to at Christmas. It's now been 43 days and I'm still waiting. My grand's are so laughing at me, but I've told them I refuse to YouTube it. I'm trying to prove a point. I want them to see how we used to live before internet, YouTube, twitter, facebook, iPods, IPhones, IPads, and anything else that gives us information faster than a speeding bullet, a skill once enjoyed by only Superman. In the "old" days, if we liked a song and wanted to hear it, we had to turn on our transistor radios and just wait. That's what I'm trying to do with this country song. Clearly, I'm working on my patient skills. Justin Bieber became famous because of the availability of social networking. Now, that is not to say he didn't deserve it or wasn't talented enough for it, because he certainly has the talent and the work ethic. I'm just saying this new media allows for overnight sensations to really happen overnight. Overnight sensations of the past more commonly had actually taken five or more years.

Well, what's the lesson here? Let's see. God gifts us. Yes, that's true. God wants us to be patient. Yes, that's true. God would love us to use social media or any other means to spread the gospel. Yes, definitely true. Dreams can come true. Yes, Disney said that before Justin Bieber was born, so that's true.

As I watched Justin Bieber's story unfold in his movie (can you believe he even has a movie about his life at sixteen years old??), I was taken back to the scenes from the Beatle days when fans were screaming and fainting at just the sight of the fab four from London. I looked down at my granddaughter's who sat on the edge of their seats and sang every word with this cutie from Canada. Seeing young girls fall head over heels over a cute boy can be alarming to a grandmother. But, I am comforted knowing my grandchildren have people in their lives that will teach them that names like John, Paul, George, Ringo and Elvis and Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber will never bring as much meaning to their life as the name of Jesus will. With proper balance, enjoying the "entertainment of the year" is fun to do, but real joy and real success come from knowing the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior. I pray that Justin Bieber will be able to enjoy his star rising in the entertainment world and continue to live his life in accordance with God's will. So, Justin Bieber keep up the good work. Bieber fever, for now, isn't such a bad thing.

Have a blessed day. Give your kids a hug and tell them you love them.

Hugs, Chrys