Family
-
The Silent (or Overlooked) Sufferers
I am typing these words just a couple of days after a big “kiss cam story” broke. By the time you read this post, that story may be forgotten by most people. There is a good chance that something else may have captured the short attention span of most people by then. There are some things about all of that which bother me. The first of those things is the reaction of some people to this story. You may remember that two married people were shown on the “crowd camera” at a concert. They really seemed to be enjoying themselves. That is, they were enjoying themselves until they saw themselves…
-
My Communion with a Momma Deer
Two of my children and I are enjoying some time away for a few days as a gift from a Christian brother and sister. What a gift! Time together away from the responsibilities that lurk over your shoulder when you try to relax at home. I could have ended that with just time together. As my children get older, I treasure the time I get with them, especially together. As you noticed, this trip we were missing one, but since he is busy helping young people love God more, I guess he gets a pass. Today when we returned from a swim and I was waiting my turn for a…
-
Live Every Day As If It Were Your Last
Wow, do we ever get caught up in this world in which we live. Days rush by and we seem to stay so busy that we feel as though we are caught up in a whirlwind. Even at my age (which is much older than many of our readers), I sometimes have to just stop and catch my breath. Retirement isn’t all it’s cracked up to be!! However, I was reminded recently that each day we live is a gift from God, and no one knows when it will be your last day here on earth. The son-in-law of some of our dear friends passed from this life suddenly while…
-
Doing Well
When you get to be my age and you happen to be with somebody you haven’t seen for quite a while, the conversation is often fairly predictable. After exchanging “medical reports” and the “what are you doing now” information, the conversation often turns to children and grandchildren. It is interesting to me that, at that point in the conversation, it is often said that these family members are “doing well.” It is both fascinating and disappointing to me how “doing well” is sometimes defined. More often than not, “doing well” means that those children and/or grandchildren have good jobs, live in nice houses in good neighborhoods and communities, have (or…
-
My Way (Really?)
I would like for you to try to create a mental image as you begin reading this post. This might be more easily done by “those of a certain age” who are reading this post, but maybe even those who are younger can identify somewhat with what I am proposing. I would like for you to try to imagine yourself sitting in a large concert hall or some other type of musical venue. As the lights dim a single spotlight illuminates one small portion of the stage. As a familiar musical arrangement begins, you begin to hear a familiar voice. You also see a very familiar face singing one of…
-
Is It a Story or Reality? Is It a Character or a Person?
It’s that time of year again. Time for Bible Camps, Summer Youth Series, and Vacation Bible Schools. We look forward to this time when we can have extra events for our young people – from little ones all the way up to teens. It’s that time when we try really hard to peak the interest of all of those young people who attend various programs we have for them at our various congregations. It seems like it grows and grows every year to be bigger and better than the year before. I love seeing the enthusiasm while these events are going on – especially VBS. I certainly am not trying…
-
The Most Difficult Thing about Being a Father
If you ask a number of dads what the most difficult thing about their role is, you’d like get several different answers. Some might say that being consistent in discipline is the hardest part. Maybe the most common answer–especially among dads with kids in high school or college–would be “letting go.” I don’t want to say my answer is “the” right answer, but I want to share what I have found to be the hardest part about being a dad for, now, almost 20 years. The most difficult thing for me has been knowing how woefully inadequate a picture of my kids’ heavenly Father I have been. When a child…
-
A Short Reminder for Father’s Day
I remember hearing or reading on one occasion that Father’s Day is just Like Mother’s Day except for the fact that fathers don’t get nearly as many presents as mothers. If that is true, maybe the title of this post should be “A Reminder that Sunday is Father’s Day.” Maybe that would have reminded/encouraged some people to buy something before next Sunday (if you are reading this when it is scheduled to be posted). Fathers come in various shapes, sizes, and colors. They speak different languages and dialects, live in a variety of places, and have varying backgrounds. Each has his own unique interests, talents, etc. They don’t all like…
-
The Lasts
By the time you read this, Donna and I will have watched our two youngest grandchildren receive a high school diploma. It doesn’t seem all that long ago when we were excited about first steps, first words, and a lot of other “firsts.” Now, for the past few months, we’ve been experiencing a lot of “lasts.” We have had to deal with all of the emotions that go along with the fact that we’ve seen our last two grandchildren participate in various things for the last time. As I thought about all of this, my mind went back to some years ago when I experienced what I have referred to…
-
The First Letter of Immodesty
Well, it’s immodesty season. As the weather warms and schools let out, all you have to do is scroll social media if you want to see immodesty. People are taking off shirts, putting on thigh-high shorts, going out in bikinis, and not ashamed to spread it to the world. (And many parents don’t mind sharing these pictures of their own children with the entire internet, either.) It’s sad. But there is another layer that is even more tragic. If someone says something–maybe in a Bible class or small group setting–the comments are so telling: Do you see a trend in those? Is it not fitting that the first letter of…
