Family
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12 Reasons I Love Leah
Today is Leah’s birthday. The card I bought her states is well in saying that she is a blessing from God. (Yes, she cried….grand slam!) This list could be really, really long, but I just want to share with you 10 reasons why I love Leah. ONE…. That’s the place where God is in her life. If you spend any time with Leah at all, you know that the Lord is first, and that her major desire is life is to please Him. TWO…. We are two different people, made one through marriage. When you know us, you learn that opposites attract. But, we are one and hold fast to…
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10 Minutes Late, but a Life Lesson Learned
This last Sunday was busy for us. We completed a Gospel Meeting with the Blackwater-Macedonia church of Christ near Jasper, Alabama with a 2PM service. I had preached at the 9:30 Bible class hour, the 10:30 worship hour, and then there was a fellowship meal. I preached at the 2PM service, and we were ready to leave for home. About 3:10, we pulled away, after saying “goodbye” to some special folks. We thought about just driving home, but we did a little “mental math” a figured out that we might make it back to Lebanon Road, but might be late for the 6PM service. We had to stop once on…
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Why Leah and I Have Devotionals
For several years, Leah and I were “hit and miss” (at best) at having devotional time together. Sure, we prayed at meals and other times, and we talked about things. We were not good, however, at having a “set time” for the two of us to think about our relationship with God and with each other. That all changed about 2 years ago. We decided that we both like to read, so why not read together? (Novel concept, I know!) We chose to focus on marriage and parenting for the most part. Each Wednesday night, after the kids are in bed, we sit together and read and discuss a book…
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10 Beautiful Words
On Wednesdays we do lists. All sorts of lists. Usually, we take the time to explain our lists. Today’s list needs no explanation. These are 10 words that are beautiful. It’s hard to hear these words and not smile. Enjoy! 1. Jesus 2. Grace 3. Mercy 4. Love 5. Heaven 6. Family 7. Community 8. Joy 9. Peace 10. Home ———————— What would you add?
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6 Things I See on My Morning Walk
To say I like routines would be an understatement. As a preacher, much of my schedule is difficult to “set,” but I always try to schedule as much of my time as I can in routine. Part of that routine is my morning walk. I leave at the exact same time every morning and walk the exact same route. That route is throughout the neighborhood in which we live. Our neighborhood has about 215 houses, and my walk takes me by a vast majority of them. As I walk on the sidewalks and look out early in the morning, I notice a few things. Here are some things that come…
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7 Lessons You Can Teach Your Kids Every Day for Free
God has blessed us with two wonderful children. Many of you have children as well, and each reader has an influence on children, either for good or for bad. Some lessons cost a lot of money and time, but most lessons are free and are taught just by how we live our lives. However, we need to watch ourselves to make sure we are teaching what God would have us to teach! Here are 7 lessons you can teach every day, just by living for God. 1. God comes first. When there is a “big” ball game on TV on a Sunday night, or when your child has a ball…
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Some Random Thoughts
A vast majority of the posts on this blog are about one concentrated thought. However, sometimes my mind is working (or, maybe, misfiring) a million things at once. That’s the case this morning. Here are some random thoughts I’ve had this morning (so far) on all sorts of topics. 1. I love my family. Yes, I have this thought often (daily!), but it has just been so much in my mind today. I worked yesterday morning, then went home and spent some time in the late afternoon with the kids playing in the snow. God is too good to me to give me such a wonderful family. 2. I have…
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6 Difficult Things about Being a Father to a Son
I love Turner! He is, truly, a “strong willed child,” (read: stubborn), but he is a joy. That strong will make him frustrating to deal with at times, but he is still “my boy,” and I’m thankful to God for him. Even though he is still little (he’ll turn 4 years old in March), I already have certain fears when it comes to being his daddy. Here are a few. 1. I know my faults, and I want him to be better than me. This is true in nearly every aspect of life. I know not only my sins, but also just my weaknesses. But it is so hard to…
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4 Things We Put Before Our Families…And Shouldn’t
If you were to poll the readers (all 17 of you) of this blog, you would find that they could list their priorities in a way that would be God-honoring. I think every “regular” reader would state that God and His Kingdom come first, and that family comes next. Then, you might see some diversity, as some might list work, while others might list friends, while other might say their health, and so on. Families are so important, and we have them 2nd on our list. Sadly, we too often treat them like they are 4th or 5th (or far worse). What amazes me is how common the list is…
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When “Reality” Sets In
I love being a dad! There are days when it is difficult, but, as we look at the “big picture,” it is a very rewarding work. As children age, though, there are certain things that are harder to explain. Recently, my family got in our car and headed toward the church building for our evening worship assembly. We left at about our usual time, backed down our driveway, and started down the street. My two children usually sing or just enjoy the regular sights. On this trip, however, we got a teachable moment that I wish we didn’t have to have. My daughter, age 4, spoke up and said, “Daddy,…
