They say that time can be your worst enemy or your best friend (I think they also say that about Slim Jims). The truth is we are usually our own worst enemy or best friend - not time. I'm finding myself simply coming up short every day, every week, every month with enough time to get it all done. When I say "all" I mean all the things I've committed to - God, my family, my job, soccer games, consulting gigs, some play time when I can, sleep...yeah, I may be over extended. Ever felt like this? I use to hear people say they needed 32 hours instead of 24 in the day -- but truth is if that were the case, we'd probably just fill up those additional hours too. Have we become a society that's "too busy?" I was talking with an older gentleman the other day and he was commenting on how it seemed like everyone was so busy anymore with little leisure time. Specifically he noted that Sunday afternoons, between church that morning and that evening, when he was a kid that rarely did they do much more than just go home, eat, maybe play outside - a simpler life for a simpler time. And maybe that's it...maybe we've created a complicated world, but for what? More stuff? Bigger houses? Nicer cars? More debt? Val and I dream often of a simpler life. I'd love to own a ranch or a house with a lot of land somewhere out west someday...yeah, that sounds nice. Perhaps we'll be blessed with our dream one day. But in the meantime, maybe it's time to start paring down our commitments...who knows, maybe I'll find a few extra minutes in the day to read a book!
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Monday, January 29, 2007
Mr. Lazy Procrastinator, Esq.
For those of you who've been wondering where I went (I'm sure it's just me and that other guy who collects Q-tips from around the world) I've been...away. Well, perhaps best put I've been pre-occupied with family, children's programs and school, holidays and gift giving and getting), reading, preaching (yes, I do that too), working, and the list could go on for a while I suppose. I'm afraid, and I'm sorry, that I've been too lax in posting to my blog here. I think part of my problem is that I struggle to find something to say some days. Which is odd because when you break it down, a lot of things happen in a given day or week that make life interesting. Unfortunately they are often interesting to me but no one else (well, maybe my 7 year old). Well, here's to 2007 and my ability to get off my hind-quarters and write more.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Nine Eleven
I would be completely remiss if I allowed this day to go by unnoticed by this blog. Five years ago the United States experienced the greatest tragedy ever to fall upon it's soil when we were attacked by terrorists. It's honestly a day that will never, ever leave my memory.
I was talking with a couple of people at work today and we were discussing the moments of our lives that occur on such a grand scale that we will always "remember where you were" when they occurred. For me, there are three:
1) President Ronald Reagan is shot (1981). I remember this not because I remember IT, but because I remember where I was when my dad hit the ceiling when we found out. I literally have never seen my dad (up to that point) mad at anything. He was jumping up and down and angry. I was only 5 or 6 years old and I still remember seeing the video replayed on TV over and over again. The President waved. Shots rang out. Chaos ensued as Secret Service attempted to push the President into the limo quickly and out of harms way. Other Agents tackled John Hinckley, Jr and wrestled the gun away from him. But it was too late...Reagan had been wounded, but not mortally. He recovered and so did the nation. It was my first taste that I remember of great national trauma...
2) The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster (1986). I was in the library with my class. We were checking out books as we normally did once a week. In fact, we would check out books as well as have some reading time. We were all quietly reading away as my teacher came down to get us saying that we needed to quickly follow her to one of the 5th grade classrooms where they had a television and were watching the shuttle launch. As we arrived at the classroom we crowded in and watched as the shuttle launched, shooting straight into the sky...I can still see the sky distored by the burn trails of the boosters. And then it happened...almost as if it were just a puff of smoke and then something shot off into the sky as the smoke trail split in two. When the shuttle didn't appear on the other side of the smoke, everyone knew. For teachers and students everywhere this hit a nerve because it was the first shuttle trip to include a civilian...more specifically a teacher -- Christa McAuliffe. Manned spaceflight did not resume for two years... As President Reagan spoke on TV that night, we were nationally brought to memorial of the seven men and women who died in the name of the U.S. and space exploration.
3) 9/11/2001. That morning I woke up a little later than normal because I had a client appointment first thing that morning 15 minutes from my house. I got up and for some reason didn't turn on a TV or radio as I normally would. I ate a bite of breakfast and headed for work. As I drove along I listened to the radio as I always did, but I turned it on late into my 15 minute drive so all I heard were mostly "something terrible is going on in New York..." It wasn't until I arrived at my appointment that things began to unfold. I was sitting quietly working on their network casually talking with the ladies in the office periodically when a plant foreman came in and turned on the TVs they had there in the office. "Have you all seen what's going on???" We hadn't...but as soon as he turned on the TV, there it was in living color...the replay of United Airlines flight 175 crashing into the second tower. As reports flooded in about the airplanes in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon, we all sat in devastation wondering if it was all a dream. Surely no one would be so bold as to dare come to our home and try and destroy it. But they did. As the following days and weeks unfolded things fell into a media and politcal nightmare...but for a short time, we rallied as we hadn't in a long time. A nation normally divided against itself on so many fronts suddenly prayed together, sang together, saluted together and vowed to show the enemy that they couldn't come in a push us around and get away with it. After 5 years of fighting and ups and downs, we are possibly faced with greater tragedy and an inevitable world war against those same people who still want our way of life destroyed if we do not assimilate. But in the end, come what may, God will prevail against the forces of evil as he always does. And likely, America will overcome and win the day
So what have we learned from our history...and what will we learn yet? America is resiliant -- but we cannot do it alone. I pray we learn that if nothing else we must always lean upon the God of the universe to find strength, comfort, and the light to guide our way. And if the need arises to endure tragedy once again upon our soil or wherever it occurs, I pray we once again as a nation come together to defend our home and freedom.
"Where were you when the world stopped turning...that September day?" -- Alan Jackson
Until next time...God bless you and may God bless America...
I was talking with a couple of people at work today and we were discussing the moments of our lives that occur on such a grand scale that we will always "remember where you were" when they occurred. For me, there are three:
1) President Ronald Reagan is shot (1981). I remember this not because I remember IT, but because I remember where I was when my dad hit the ceiling when we found out. I literally have never seen my dad (up to that point) mad at anything. He was jumping up and down and angry. I was only 5 or 6 years old and I still remember seeing the video replayed on TV over and over again. The President waved. Shots rang out. Chaos ensued as Secret Service attempted to push the President into the limo quickly and out of harms way. Other Agents tackled John Hinckley, Jr and wrestled the gun away from him. But it was too late...Reagan had been wounded, but not mortally. He recovered and so did the nation. It was my first taste that I remember of great national trauma...
2) The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster (1986). I was in the library with my class. We were checking out books as we normally did once a week. In fact, we would check out books as well as have some reading time. We were all quietly reading away as my teacher came down to get us saying that we needed to quickly follow her to one of the 5th grade classrooms where they had a television and were watching the shuttle launch. As we arrived at the classroom we crowded in and watched as the shuttle launched, shooting straight into the sky...I can still see the sky distored by the burn trails of the boosters. And then it happened...almost as if it were just a puff of smoke and then something shot off into the sky as the smoke trail split in two. When the shuttle didn't appear on the other side of the smoke, everyone knew. For teachers and students everywhere this hit a nerve because it was the first shuttle trip to include a civilian...more specifically a teacher -- Christa McAuliffe. Manned spaceflight did not resume for two years... As President Reagan spoke on TV that night, we were nationally brought to memorial of the seven men and women who died in the name of the U.S. and space exploration.
3) 9/11/2001. That morning I woke up a little later than normal because I had a client appointment first thing that morning 15 minutes from my house. I got up and for some reason didn't turn on a TV or radio as I normally would. I ate a bite of breakfast and headed for work. As I drove along I listened to the radio as I always did, but I turned it on late into my 15 minute drive so all I heard were mostly "something terrible is going on in New York..." It wasn't until I arrived at my appointment that things began to unfold. I was sitting quietly working on their network casually talking with the ladies in the office periodically when a plant foreman came in and turned on the TVs they had there in the office. "Have you all seen what's going on???" We hadn't...but as soon as he turned on the TV, there it was in living color...the replay of United Airlines flight 175 crashing into the second tower. As reports flooded in about the airplanes in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon, we all sat in devastation wondering if it was all a dream. Surely no one would be so bold as to dare come to our home and try and destroy it. But they did. As the following days and weeks unfolded things fell into a media and politcal nightmare...but for a short time, we rallied as we hadn't in a long time. A nation normally divided against itself on so many fronts suddenly prayed together, sang together, saluted together and vowed to show the enemy that they couldn't come in a push us around and get away with it. After 5 years of fighting and ups and downs, we are possibly faced with greater tragedy and an inevitable world war against those same people who still want our way of life destroyed if we do not assimilate. But in the end, come what may, God will prevail against the forces of evil as he always does. And likely, America will overcome and win the day
So what have we learned from our history...and what will we learn yet? America is resiliant -- but we cannot do it alone. I pray we learn that if nothing else we must always lean upon the God of the universe to find strength, comfort, and the light to guide our way. And if the need arises to endure tragedy once again upon our soil or wherever it occurs, I pray we once again as a nation come together to defend our home and freedom.
"Where were you when the world stopped turning...that September day?" -- Alan Jackson
Until next time...God bless you and may God bless America...
Sunday, August 20, 2006
And That's Why They Call It Vacation!
Sorry it's been so long since my last post. The past few weeks have been...well...hectic, which is probably a vast understatement.
A few weeks back the family and I went on vacation. Not just any vacation...our first family vacation in 4 years! My IT Directorship at my previous job simply kept me too busy to really take time out for a week-long, stress-free, worry-less vacation. It was absolutely amazing! We traveled almost 800 miles to the Outer Banks of North Carolina! If you've never had a chance to go, just find some time and go. Believe me, a good, solid week there will hardly be enough, but it will whet your appetite for a trip back.
Val, the kids and I really had a phenomenal time. We began our trip by traveling from here to Knoxville to meet up with Val's folks. From there we journeyed to Fayetteville, NC where my mother-in-law's cousin -- and the great planner of our grand week -- lives. From there we make the last leg of the trip to Southern Shores, NC. The day of our arrival we checked into our rental houses and got settled. That evening we took the opportunity to stroll down to the beach and soak up the great Atlantic Ocean. Keep in mind I absolutely love the water. I've not been around it much in the course of my life so when I get the chance to go to a nice lake or visit the ocean I'm like a kid. My boys thought it was just the neatest thing to see this vast body of water that seemed to have no end. We stood on the beach at the edge of the water and just let the waves crash in over our feet and legs. For 20 or 30 minutes we listened to the sound of the ocean coming in and going back out. We stood amazed at God's handiwork and were thankful to be there. The house we stayed at had a pool so all the kids (and a few of us adults) went back and spent an hour or so in the pool. The evening ended fairly early as we had a big day planned the next day and we were all genuinely tired from the trip itself.
Monday brought our first outing of the week -- Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and the Wright Brothers National Memorial. I'm fascinated with flight and my boys are crazy about airplanes. I suppose there is something quite mystical about man's journey to soar like the birds. We saw replicas of the Wright Brother's gliders and first plane. We watched and read about the process that Orville and Wilbur Wright followed to build the first real motorized airplane...and fly it successfully. Amazing! And in just 66 years following the 1903 historical flight, man walked on the moon!
After a couple to three solid hours there, we stopped off at a Western Sizzlin to eat a late lunch and then headed back to the house to relax. The worst part of the trip was that it was miserable hot, with the heat index pushing the temps into the 3-digit range everyday. As a result, staying indoors and drinking lots of water was high on the list of priorities. We spent the evening kicking back, visiting, eating a late dinner and...you guessed it...more swimming. When the time came to sleep, we had no problems taking advantage of every minute we had to do so.
Tuesday I suggested that we take a day apart from everyone else and just spend some time with our family. A trip up and down the coast there to see the Lighthouses had been planned, but I didn't jump at it for two reasons: 1) we hadn't really spent time with just our family and since it was a "family" vacation, I thought maybe we should just spend the day together and do what -- in particular -- the boys wanted to do; and 2) it was bloody hot and the thought of traveling in a van up and down the coast with three kids (one of which is 18 months old) was not exactly my idea of a "day well spent." Don't get me wrong, I love lighthouses and I would have loved to have made the trip -- but some other time perhaps. Val agreed and we called everyone and wished them well on the trip. We asked the boys what they wanted to do. Josh wanted to go to the beach and look for seashells and play in the ocean. Caleb wanted to swim in the pool. We divided and conquered and I stayed with Caleb and Hannah in the pool while Mama took Josh to the beach. I'd love to tell you that we did more than just soak in the pool most of the day, but I'd be lying. Val and Josh returned after about an hour and a half at the beach well roasted and ready for a plunge in the pool. We all swam together for an hour or so and then went to get some lunch. We ate at Five Guys Famous Burgers. It was greasy; it was sloppy; it was goooooood! After that we headed back to the house for some more R and R. The rest of the group didn't get back from their trip until nearly 9. We had pizza for dinner and then the day was done. Oh! One more thing...Val and Josh got to see a dolphin while at the beach. Pretty cool, huh?
Wednesday was our final day in the Outer Banks. We didn't have much planned except a trip to one of the area's aquariums. All of us drove to Roanoke Island to one of North Carolina's Aquariums in Manteo. Although it wasn't the best aquarium I'd ever seen, it was a very nice one...especially considering the size. They had a good smattering of aquatic life and some history about the area...including an exhibit on the history of hurricane activity in the area over the years. You sort of forget you're traveling to hurricane territory until you get there and notice how many houses and buildings are built on stilts and don't sit right on the ground. It some ways, you never really get used to it. We spent an hour or so at the aquarium, capping off the visit with a quick shopping stop in the gift shop to buy a few souvenirs. After that we headed back to the house for a bite to eat (read: leftover pizza and breadsticks from the night before). Val, the kids and I went back to the house for a little nap and afterward made one final "family" stop out at Jockey's Ridge State Park. Jockey's Ridge is the famous natural sand dunes of the Eastern United States -- the only of it's kind on this side of The States. While the scenery alone is enough reason to go there, one of the big things to do that people love to do there is fly kites and hang glide. Well, we didn't partake of gliding on hangs but we did fly kites with the kids and they loved it. In fact, Josh attempted to simply roll down a dune. It was quite humorous to watch as he thrust himself down on his side and commenced a-rollin'. After an hour of kites and pictures...not to mention the sand that got everywhere -- we headed back to the house to each dinner with everyone.
That being our last night, we sadly said goodbye to everyone and left with blessings and well-wishes. We had thought about coming back for breakfast in the morning, but knew if we did we wouldn't get away until much later than we would like -- especially in light of the fact that we had a long drive ahead of us on Thursday.
Thursday we awoke, finished packing, loaded the van, and headed out for that day's goal of Asheville, NC. We made one last stop at Wings...an Outer Banks super store for souvenirs, swim gear, hats, shirts, etc. We picked up some gifts for the fam back home and then headed out of the Outer Banks back toward the mainland and westward toward home. After a quick stop and rest for the evening in Asheville, we made it home Friday afternoon.
It was an amazing time! The kids enjoyed it immensely, and Val and I both relaxed in a way neither of us had in quite sometime. We hope to make a trip back there one day again. Next time we hope to see and do more and even stay a little longer. There's a lot to do and we really only touched the hem of the garment. And that's our trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was a great blessing from God to enjoy His creation; enjoy our family and each other; and simply sit back and soak it all in and enjoy the life we have...which far too often we miss out on because we're simply "too busy." And if you've made it through this written journey of the trip, thanks for making the trip with us.
Until next time...may you be lifted up!
A few weeks back the family and I went on vacation. Not just any vacation...our first family vacation in 4 years! My IT Directorship at my previous job simply kept me too busy to really take time out for a week-long, stress-free, worry-less vacation. It was absolutely amazing! We traveled almost 800 miles to the Outer Banks of North Carolina! If you've never had a chance to go, just find some time and go. Believe me, a good, solid week there will hardly be enough, but it will whet your appetite for a trip back.
Val, the kids and I really had a phenomenal time. We began our trip by traveling from here to Knoxville to meet up with Val's folks. From there we journeyed to Fayetteville, NC where my mother-in-law's cousin -- and the great planner of our grand week -- lives. From there we make the last leg of the trip to Southern Shores, NC. The day of our arrival we checked into our rental houses and got settled. That evening we took the opportunity to stroll down to the beach and soak up the great Atlantic Ocean. Keep in mind I absolutely love the water. I've not been around it much in the course of my life so when I get the chance to go to a nice lake or visit the ocean I'm like a kid. My boys thought it was just the neatest thing to see this vast body of water that seemed to have no end. We stood on the beach at the edge of the water and just let the waves crash in over our feet and legs. For 20 or 30 minutes we listened to the sound of the ocean coming in and going back out. We stood amazed at God's handiwork and were thankful to be there. The house we stayed at had a pool so all the kids (and a few of us adults) went back and spent an hour or so in the pool. The evening ended fairly early as we had a big day planned the next day and we were all genuinely tired from the trip itself.
Monday brought our first outing of the week -- Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills and the Wright Brothers National Memorial. I'm fascinated with flight and my boys are crazy about airplanes. I suppose there is something quite mystical about man's journey to soar like the birds. We saw replicas of the Wright Brother's gliders and first plane. We watched and read about the process that Orville and Wilbur Wright followed to build the first real motorized airplane...and fly it successfully. Amazing! And in just 66 years following the 1903 historical flight, man walked on the moon!
After a couple to three solid hours there, we stopped off at a Western Sizzlin to eat a late lunch and then headed back to the house to relax. The worst part of the trip was that it was miserable hot, with the heat index pushing the temps into the 3-digit range everyday. As a result, staying indoors and drinking lots of water was high on the list of priorities. We spent the evening kicking back, visiting, eating a late dinner and...you guessed it...more swimming. When the time came to sleep, we had no problems taking advantage of every minute we had to do so.
Tuesday I suggested that we take a day apart from everyone else and just spend some time with our family. A trip up and down the coast there to see the Lighthouses had been planned, but I didn't jump at it for two reasons: 1) we hadn't really spent time with just our family and since it was a "family" vacation, I thought maybe we should just spend the day together and do what -- in particular -- the boys wanted to do; and 2) it was bloody hot and the thought of traveling in a van up and down the coast with three kids (one of which is 18 months old) was not exactly my idea of a "day well spent." Don't get me wrong, I love lighthouses and I would have loved to have made the trip -- but some other time perhaps. Val agreed and we called everyone and wished them well on the trip. We asked the boys what they wanted to do. Josh wanted to go to the beach and look for seashells and play in the ocean. Caleb wanted to swim in the pool. We divided and conquered and I stayed with Caleb and Hannah in the pool while Mama took Josh to the beach. I'd love to tell you that we did more than just soak in the pool most of the day, but I'd be lying. Val and Josh returned after about an hour and a half at the beach well roasted and ready for a plunge in the pool. We all swam together for an hour or so and then went to get some lunch. We ate at Five Guys Famous Burgers. It was greasy; it was sloppy; it was goooooood! After that we headed back to the house for some more R and R. The rest of the group didn't get back from their trip until nearly 9. We had pizza for dinner and then the day was done. Oh! One more thing...Val and Josh got to see a dolphin while at the beach. Pretty cool, huh?
Wednesday was our final day in the Outer Banks. We didn't have much planned except a trip to one of the area's aquariums. All of us drove to Roanoke Island to one of North Carolina's Aquariums in Manteo. Although it wasn't the best aquarium I'd ever seen, it was a very nice one...especially considering the size. They had a good smattering of aquatic life and some history about the area...including an exhibit on the history of hurricane activity in the area over the years. You sort of forget you're traveling to hurricane territory until you get there and notice how many houses and buildings are built on stilts and don't sit right on the ground. It some ways, you never really get used to it. We spent an hour or so at the aquarium, capping off the visit with a quick shopping stop in the gift shop to buy a few souvenirs. After that we headed back to the house for a bite to eat (read: leftover pizza and breadsticks from the night before). Val, the kids and I went back to the house for a little nap and afterward made one final "family" stop out at Jockey's Ridge State Park. Jockey's Ridge is the famous natural sand dunes of the Eastern United States -- the only of it's kind on this side of The States. While the scenery alone is enough reason to go there, one of the big things to do that people love to do there is fly kites and hang glide. Well, we didn't partake of gliding on hangs but we did fly kites with the kids and they loved it. In fact, Josh attempted to simply roll down a dune. It was quite humorous to watch as he thrust himself down on his side and commenced a-rollin'. After an hour of kites and pictures...not to mention the sand that got everywhere -- we headed back to the house to each dinner with everyone.
That being our last night, we sadly said goodbye to everyone and left with blessings and well-wishes. We had thought about coming back for breakfast in the morning, but knew if we did we wouldn't get away until much later than we would like -- especially in light of the fact that we had a long drive ahead of us on Thursday.
Thursday we awoke, finished packing, loaded the van, and headed out for that day's goal of Asheville, NC. We made one last stop at Wings...an Outer Banks super store for souvenirs, swim gear, hats, shirts, etc. We picked up some gifts for the fam back home and then headed out of the Outer Banks back toward the mainland and westward toward home. After a quick stop and rest for the evening in Asheville, we made it home Friday afternoon.
It was an amazing time! The kids enjoyed it immensely, and Val and I both relaxed in a way neither of us had in quite sometime. We hope to make a trip back there one day again. Next time we hope to see and do more and even stay a little longer. There's a lot to do and we really only touched the hem of the garment. And that's our trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was a great blessing from God to enjoy His creation; enjoy our family and each other; and simply sit back and soak it all in and enjoy the life we have...which far too often we miss out on because we're simply "too busy." And if you've made it through this written journey of the trip, thanks for making the trip with us.
Until next time...may you be lifted up!
Thursday, August 03, 2006
The Sign on the Door Says "Gone Fishin'..."
For the last 6 wonderful days the family and I have traveled to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and back again. I plan to document in detail our trip as soon as I can get all the information compiled -- with pictures hopefully. It's the first real vacation we've had as a family in 4 years and we were excited about this trip! From car rides to sand dunes to some serious pool time to the Atlantic Ocean, it was about the best time we've had in quite sometime. God gives us great gifts in our families and the times we have to spend with them...hopefully, we glorified Him in our time together this week and in celebrating and basking in His creation. See you back here soon...
Until then...may you be lifted up!
Until then...may you be lifted up!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
And I Quote...
I love a good thought, don't you? A little "Pontification For the Soul" if you know what I mean...
Any-hoo, I collect quotes when I see a good one (I have it set on my Google Homepage to get a daily one -- yeah, I know, I'm real exciting) and wanted to share a few here in the hopes that they will make your day a little better -- life a little brighter -- and burdens a little lighter...enjoy!
If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. -- Mark Twain
Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons. -- R. Buckminster Fuller
The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory. -- Paul Fix
No man remains quite what he was when he recognizes himself. -- Thomas Mann
What's another word for Thesaurus? -- Steven Wright
If you shoot at mimes, should you use a silencer? -- Steven Wright
You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. -- Abraham Lincoln
The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear. -- Herbert Agar
If you want to do a little quote diving yourself, you can check out the great archive of quotes and sayings at The Quotations Page!
Until next time...may you be lifted up!
Any-hoo, I collect quotes when I see a good one (I have it set on my Google Homepage to get a daily one -- yeah, I know, I'm real exciting) and wanted to share a few here in the hopes that they will make your day a little better -- life a little brighter -- and burdens a little lighter...enjoy!
If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything. -- Mark Twain
Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons. -- R. Buckminster Fuller
The only reason some people get lost in thought is because it's unfamiliar territory. -- Paul Fix
No man remains quite what he was when he recognizes himself. -- Thomas Mann
What's another word for Thesaurus? -- Steven Wright
If you shoot at mimes, should you use a silencer? -- Steven Wright
You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today. -- Abraham Lincoln
The truth that makes men free is for the most part the truth which men prefer not to hear. -- Herbert Agar
If you want to do a little quote diving yourself, you can check out the great archive of quotes and sayings at The Quotations Page!
Until next time...may you be lifted up!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Objects of My Affection
We are given some precious things in this life to watch over and protect. We often think it's our possessions. In reality, it's mostly the things you can't see or touch -- truth, love, faith, honor, character. But it spills over into some of the physical things of life such as family, friends, church and community. We have been placed as stewards over the things of this life. We have been given the responsibility to love enough to praise someone for doing well and gently and lovingly correct them when they've done wrong. This is especially true with our children. It's a shame that there are too many people in this world who view children as either a necessary evil (usually in the context of being able to mooch off the rest of us) or as an annoying burden. It's a shame because children are really a blessing. We can teach them as well as learn from them. We find in them the purity and innocence we, as adults, often long to have back and wish we'd never lost. We discover that with them love comes to us without strings and unconditionally. I'm always amazed that even though I can be hard on my children for their bad behavior or actions, that in the end, they still know that I would go to the ends of the earth to protect them...even if it meant giving my own life for them. Val and I both feel blessed by our children...we pray more do and will. These three are the objects of my affection. I thank God daily for giving them to us to raise and watch over. And I pray that in the end we will be found by God to have been worthy of the calling to be parents.
Until next time...may you be lifted up!
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