“What I’m about to tell you is true. You need to change and become like little children. If you don’t, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Anyone who takes the humble position of this child is the most important in the kingdom of heaven. Anyone who welcomes a little child like this one in my name welcomes me” (Matthew 18:3-5, NIRV).
What started as an argument over greatness ended in one brief demonstration.
The greatest, Jesus said, was the one who humbled himself as a little child.
What’s the difference between that and typical adulthood? [click to continue…]
Wanna get away? Want some great in-flight entertainment? Just take a trip with your favorite three-year-old. And try making a list of all the questions you hear. Here, hot off the press, is a partial sampler from a flight we took this past Friday.
What’s amazing is how many of the questions are the same when we’re 33 or 55. We just develop questions behind the questions as we get older. The rest of this is written by Mr. Cohen Thomas (he just doesn’t know it yet)…
Why are we not going?
Are we going down?
[After passing through the clouds] Where is God?
Are we almost to Disney Wouwd? (World)
What’s that button for?
Why are we not going to Grandma and Granddaddy’s house?
Are we almost to Disney Wouwd?
Why are we going to be there tonight?
Why? [click to continue…]
The room was completely remodeled.
New drywall, carpet and wallpaper with clowns and balloons.
New furniture filled the space.
New little outfits filled the drawers.
And diapers!
Oh my, the diapers. [click to continue…]
It was one of the early flashes of her wicked-strong sense of humor. I was taking the twins to school during their sixth grade year. We passed by the big-chain hotel on South Loop 289 when all of a sudden I heard Carrie bust out laughing from the back.
What was so funny?
The welcome sign at the hotel read, “Welcome Pest Control.” Obviously it was some kind of meeting of some organization in that industry. But I’m not sure that’s what you want to trumpet to the rest of the potential guests.
“I’ve heard of roach motels before,” she said, “but they must be desperate.”
+++++++
Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago. [click to continue…]
As you probably could tell from the last post, we got to spend a week with three of our grandsons last week here at our house. You may or may not know that I also spend 95% of my working time at home.
Do you see a potential conflict there?
The week was predictably (and wonderfully) less-than-productive.
Routinely as I would try to “escape” to the bedroom or office to get some work done, one of them would find me. The sweetheart crawler, the scary-smart walker, and the funny, nonstop talker. One wanted me to hold him, one wanted me to see and notice him, and one wanted me to engage in conversation – endless, looped conversation. [click to continue…]
Your home is a sanctuary… your last defense against this crazy world.
That’s why you should be prepared to recognize the often-subtle signs that accompany a breach of your outer perimeter. Here are five things to watch for:
1. Your instincts tell you that something just doesn’t seem right.
Leading people is like pulling a wagon.
It can be complicated and frustrating to over-analyze or steer from the rear. [click to continue…]
Heh heh heh… You’re gonna know I’m not smart enough to make this up…
They’re trailblazers, I tell ya’. They’re not about to let a coupla’ Johnny-Come-Lately’s (or Shepherd or Cason or Fischer-Come-Lately’s either) get the drop on them. No sir. They’re the first-born, by George, and they’re assuming their rightful place on the family frontier.
Um… except that maybe that family frontier may have a few unexpected twists and turns. [click to continue…]
(Sort-of-random thoughts after two road trips and some new journeys to come…)
For all the delight I have in seeing family, especially grandbabies, the comfort found in my own bed is irreplaceable.
I’ve been blessed by delighted voices that call me “Papa” and wordless raised hands that see in me the solution to the primal angst of not being able to reach a Ritz cracker without help. With that kind of adoration, what else in this life could be a more precious investment of time?
There was never a time I could remember when I didn’t want to be a father. But being a grandfather is like showing up at McAlister’s Deli on Free Tea Day having forgotten it was free tea day but there you are and the tea is free!
Some of life’s delights are limited to the moment – then they leave an emptiness that’s sort of like the crash you get after eating a lot of sugar. On the other hand, some of life’s delights feel as if God has poured permanent joy in me, even when I’m tired and know the “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” and “Elmo’s Greatest Hits” lyrics by heart. [click to continue…]
Well… THAT was an adventure! Apparently when the doctor said, “Let’s go,” you decided you would prefer to stay, and that sure got everybody moving!
But we are so glad that today, July 23, 2012, we were able to welcome you into this world… healthy and with a strong pair of lungs, even if you weren’t happy about having to use them yet. Your Mama, Daddy, and big sister and big brother have been waiting with excitement for a long time for you to arrive, and you didn’t disappoint. And though I have only held you once, you have already established yourself as a one-of-a-kind. [click to continue…]
