Looking Back

Bittersweet.

Ripping, rejoined.

Longing, satisfied.

Lacking, completed.

Tears and smiles

Fears and miles.

Joy and sorrow.

Paused.

Little Man's Point of View

I was getting the kids ready for Christmas Eve services tonight. Everyone was bathed and putting on the nice clothes I laid out. I put a wool sweater vest and shirt on my little 4 year old and combed his hair nicely. Only moments later I saw that his hair was a mess and the vest was gone. When I asked him about it he simple said, "I don't wanna wear that 'hair-suit'!" How could I argue with that...we left the wool vest behind.

Thought of the day...

Sometimes I'm on top of it,
but most of the time IT is on top of me.

Fit to Be Tied

I'm not sure why it bothered me so much, but I past by them every time I entered the convention center. It was a bargin..a steal at only $5; but it made me cringe as I stepped through the doors.

The sign read "Witnessing Ties", with sayings like; "Thou shalt not murder"..."Army of God"..."One Nation Under God"... and a host of pictures; praying hands, crosses, and even a pastor's bookshelf. Since when are ties for witnessing? Where do most peope wear ties? That's right, church. And are these really the messages of the Gospel?

THere are better uses for your 5 bucks. Why not bring the homeless guy a sandwich and look him in the eyes when you give it to him? Or buy your struggling coworker a coffee and ask if she's doing okay? Maybe send a sincere card for the family who is dealing with grief?

It's in our service to others and our sincere words that the message comes to life. I guess I'll pass on the ties.

Funny Kids

Some recent funny quotes from my kids:

I gave my 4 year old some tic-tac's on the way to pick up his sister at school. When she got in the car he informed her, "I got some tic-tac-toes and you didn't get any!".

On the ride home she told me all about the "pil-a-grims" and religious "purse and cute shun". Then she ask me, "What is that anyway?"

My big 7 year old informed me recently that he's just about as smart as I am....and that He almost knows everything. Hang on to that as long as you can buddy! Pretty soon you'll be feeling like the rest of us.

They make me laugh; they make me cry;

They fill me up and completely drain me.

The paradox of parenting...

My Little Clown

He turned 4 a couple weeks ago, unbelievable! He surprises me with his profound words. Here are a few recent ones:
- "I wish I was a man before I was a kid."
- "God is a big boy. He made the whole wide world."
- "Mommy, you're pretty like a crystal."
True to costume, he makes me smile and laugh. And, I'm still uncovering the unique layers of my little clown.

The Tale of a Turkey

The last few months have been a little lean, the longest we've ever gone without a pay check. God and I have been talking about this regularly and He has some creative ways of providing...

I was excited to hear how much company was coming... three weekends in a row! And then it occured to me, "How am I going to feed all these people?" (Sound familliar?)

Later that day I saw a sale advertised at local grocery store for $8 turkeys!! I'm no expert, but it seemed like a pretty good deal. I went to the store right away... on a mision to the meat dept. When I ask the worker where the $8 turkeys were, HE actually laughed at me. Then He replied, "That's just something we advertise to get people in here. The few that we had were gone in under an hour!" I was so disappointed.

What now God? I only walked a few steps more for my answer. Another meat dept. employee asked me if I was finding everything okay. I replied matter-of-factly, "Yeah, everything but the $8 turkeys." To my surprise the man said, "Just wait here." A moment later he came back with a turkey... not just any turkey...we are talking totally huge-fill up half my cart-monster bird!!!!!!!

I made roasted turkey, turkey sandwiches, turkey hot dish, turkey noodle soup, .... and all for 8$!!! The masses were fed and I still have some left in the freezer. It was like the loaves and fishes story told in a modern day Tale of a Turkey.