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The Calm Assurance
Yesterday, it happened again. It was the second time in the last month, and the–well, I’ve lost count–time since coming to Lebanon Road. I was at the hospital when a family welcomed a new baby into the world. Sometimes, I have been in the waiting room when the child was brought into the world. At other times, I got there just a few hours later and was one of the first to see and (sometimes) hold the child. As a preacher, it’s one of the best perks of the job! The couple yesterday was welcoming their first child. She is a big baby (8 pounds, 13 ounces), and is as…
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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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Friday Links Roundup: We Don't Quite Get the Concept Edition
Last night, we went Christmas shopping and out to eat (with cash, of course!). Part of the fun was that we took the kids to see Santa. It was the second time this year they sat on Santa’s lap, and both gave the same list (thankfully!). Turner, however, is having a problem. He loves seeing Santa and sitting on his lap. He loves telling the jolly one that he wants a “hericopter” (helicopter). However, when he gets down from Santa’s lap, he expects the toy to appear right then. We haven’t quite got the “you have to wait until Christmas day” concept yet. Here’s to not sitting on Santa’s lap…
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7 Things You Can Say to Harm a Child
Leah and I have been thinking lately about the words and the tone we use around our children. We know we need to do better about how we say certain things. We want to be firm with them, but we also don’t want to destroy their child-like spirit. Sadly, some parents never think about that, and just say anything to their children. What can we say that will harm a child? 1. “You’ll never be able to…”. That might be true in some cases, but a small child doesn’t need to hear it. Let a child experiment and try new things. If a child fails, he or she can learn…
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12 Things I've Learned about Myself from Parenting Small Children
Next week, our adopted treasure (Mary Carol) will turn four years old. Her smile still lights up our world and Turner’s laugh is a sound I love to hear every day. Parenting isn’t just an exercise in helping little ones learn, though. There are so many things we learn about ourselves–some good and some not-so-good–from parenting little ones. Here are just a few of the lessons I’ve learned in the past four years. 1. I need more patience. True confession time: I want my kids to be the age they are, but have the maturity and patience of an adult. I get totally frustrated far too easily. 2. Even small…
