Thanksgiving day I turned on the TV at my in-laws. Immediately bored with the football game I began flipping through the channel. It has been almost a year since I flipped through channels and was shocked by many of the shows. The first one that caught my attention was “Divorce Court.” It saddened me. Divorce is a horrible and destructive event and people find entertainment in watching it play out in the courtroom. What have we become? As I flipped through the channels I realized that I would not watch or let my kids watch that vast majority of the of the shows on the 100 plus stations.
I made a comment to Dede about this and she mentioned an e-mail she got from a friend she grew up with. Here is the excerpt from the e-mail.
“November 14, 2008 at 7:30pm on Noggin channel, a channel for kids along with nick, cartoon network etc... A show that I never heard of before came on right after the kids and I watched ICarly. My daughters are 2,5,7 and the oldest two watched Icarly that night. Right when their favorite show ended a show I never heard of started at 7:30pm. It was called Degrassi I believe. I did not catch the introduction but even if there were a disclaimer it would not have mattered.
The first scene was 2 girls in the girls bathroom at their respective high school. The girls looked to be freshman at best. They find a purple dildo vibrator in the bathroom. They go into a stale to exam it and open a dialogue about the dildo, it's origins and use. The one girl is clueless, the other might know what it is used for. The older sister of one of the girls comes into the bathroom and proceeds to explain to them the use and application for a dildo vibrator citing," It is used for clean sex, you know everybody does it."
About the time I ran upstairs to tell Lori to watch this trash on our girls cartoon channel it had changed scenes to 2 boys about the same age. The 2 boys were playing boxing on Wii and one boy exclaims that he is not good and could the other boy who was much better show him how to punch. They stand up face to face and the one boy grabs the wrists of the other boy showing him how to position his fists. The boy holding the other boys wrists proceeds to pull the other boy to him and kiss him as I would kiss my wife.
The third scene goes back to the little girls where they have taken the dildo vibrator to the principal where he explains to them and other fellow students the benefits and uses of such sex toys.”
I looked up this show on the internet to see if I could get more details. The shows website had very little details about the episodes they were pretty benign. I was alarmed by the things I saw on Youtube not the shows website. There was promotion of homosexuality, masturbation, students cutting themselves and much more.
These things concern me greatly. If this were on TV in the seventies there would be public outcry. Today not much is said. Some people still speak up but no one listens. What is deemed acceptable by society in the form of entertainment is frightening. What is equally scary is how as “Christians” we accept the things on TV that were equally inappropriate 20, 10, 5 or even a year ago. We are initially offended then make it part of our lives. We allow pay to have these shows, their values and worldviews pumped into our homes daily hours on end. Our thinking, our life’s philosophy is being shaped by the people who control the media and the agendas behind them. Our thoughts, beliefs and actions are being controlled by the influences whose goals contradict what the Bible says.
Philippians 4:8 says “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. “
When as believers are we going to step up and pull the plug? We have every excuse in the world. We need to ask two questions who is raising your children? Who is raising your parents’ children? It all comes down to our heart. What do we love more.
I recieved this comment sometime back and have not had the chance to respond.
i think it's great that there is a television show teaching children about everyday life situations. some kids, like the girl claire in the show, was too shy to ask questions, so this can be their go to show for answers. this isnt the seventies anymore. questions need to be answered so children aren't making mistakes.
When I read this comment it supports my position on the need to pull the plug. As a society we are looking more and more to television for guidance. For many people it is their reality. As a parent is this where I want my son or daughter to go to get their "answers".
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Monday, November 17, 2008
What About You?
Have you ever been asked, "Where will you spend eternity?" I have! The answer to this question is so very important, I thought I'd blog on it. Many people say they'll spend eternity in heaven. Most hope they do. Some just don't know. This begs the question, "How in the world do you actually get to Heaven, anyway?"
I guess the better question is, "What is God's standard or requirement for getting into Heaven?" The Bible tells us that God's standard for going to Heaven is perfect obedience to God's law (which is the Ten Commandments). So, let me ask you, "Have you ever told a lie...even just a tiny white one?" One of the Ten Commandments is "Thou shalt not bear false witness (tell a lie)." Have you ever stolen something...no matter its value? This can include answers to homework, answers to a test, or even time from your employer. I know I have. Thou shalt not steal is the eighth commandment. Have you ever felt hatred toward another person? Jesus said that hatred is the same as murder, when you look at the heart's motives. If you're looking at one's heart, as God does, Jesus says that lust is the same as adultery. My outward actions might actually seem pretty good...so might yours. But, God looks at the heart. My heart is filthy. It is filled with sin. The Bible tells us that if we fail in just one point of the Law (the Ten Commandments)--even if it was a long time ago, then it's the same as being guilty of failing in all the Law. It only takes one sin to keep me from going to Heaven. Just one. I know I'm as guilty as the most vile person you can think of...because God looks at my heart, my motives and desires. This presents a pretty big problem! Based on God's standard, the Law, I should go to Hell. How can I go to heaven if I can never be perfect?! I'll answer that in a moment, but first let me give you an analogy that I find really helpful.
Let's say that you are going on a plane trip. As you board the plane the flight attendant hands you a parachute saying, "This parachute is to make your flight better! I hope you enjoy it!" So you take the parachute and sit down. As the flight takes off you decide to put on your parachute. It doesn't take you long to realize that the parachute is pretty uncomfortable; you can't lean back in your seat properly, and your back begins to hurt. But you decide to keep wearing it anyway. Before too long you notice that other passengers are beginning to stare at you and laugh. This isn't as good as you thought it would be! When the flight attendant brings you your drink, she spills it all over you. That's it! You've had it! This stupid parachute is doing NOTHING to make your flight better...in fact, it's making you quite uncomfortable; it's plain awful! So you take the thing off, throw it to the ground and say,"That's the last time I'll ever put that thing on my back! It's not done one thing to improve my flight!"
Now consider a different version of the story. As you board a plane for a trip, a flight attendant hands you a parachute saying, "Your ride might get bumpy and it could be unsafe for you. This parachute will save your life. Please wear it." You take the parachute, go to your seat and put it on. You notice right away that the parachute is quite uncomfortable to wear. The discomfort is of little concern, though, because you know the parachute is there to save your life. As you notice other passengers pointing at you, staring and laughing, you think little of it, and pull your parachute tighter to you, because this is the thing that will save you. When the flight attendant spills your drink all over you, you don't blame your parachute. That would be ridiculous! It's there to save you, not give you a pleasant ride. And when the ride gets bumpy and turbulence is bad, you are grateful for the parachute that will save you if the plane starts to go down.
Christianity is like the second story, but many believe the first one to be true. Some people will tell you that, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." While this is true, it is also misleading. What's a person who believes this supposed to think when bad things happen in his or her life? Bad things DO happen. Does that mean God doesn't actually love us or have a wonderful plan for each of our lives? Of course not! Unfortunately though, many have been misled into believing that if you become a Christian life is going to be all good. After all, God has a wonderful plan for your life, and He loves you. Yes! This is true, BUT when you consider all the Bible has to say about being a follower of Christ, it's plain to see, all is not wonderful and easy. Consider Job, who lost all he owned, and all of his family died. His friends accused him of some sin and, therefore, deserving of all the bad things that happened in his life. In reality, God allowed Satan to test Job to demonstrate Job's faithfulness to God...no matter what circumstances Job faced. Think of Daniel, who was thrown into a den of hungry lions or Daniel's friends who were tossed into a burning furnace because they wouldn't bow down to a false god. Happily, God preserved these men's lives. On the other hand, consider Jesus' own disciples. All but one of them were martyred (and he was exiled!). Some were crucified. Some were beheaded. Some were beaten and/or stoned. Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, was tortured many times. He was put in a vat of hot oil, beaten with a whip that had sharp objects attached to it (several times), stoned, shipwrecked and bitten by a deadly snake. I could go on... The point is, that just because God loves you and has a plan for your life, doesn't mean it's going to be easy or always seem good. The good is the end result, not the means of the journey. Sometimes the way does seem easy, good and pleasant. But we shouldn't take it for granted that that's how it's supposed to be.
So, in answer to the question I posed earlier, "How can I go to Heaven if I can never be perfect?": Jesus. He came to this earth and lived a perfect life. He died a horrible and painful death He didn't deserve. And He arose from the dead three days later, proving that even death couldn't conquer Him. Why? God requires perfection. We needed a substitute, because it's impossible to meet God's requirement on our own. Jesus died to take my punishment and to take your punishment for us--in our place. We each deserved to die on that cross, but Jesus made Himself a substitute for us...He took our place. When God looks at a Christian, He doesn't see the person, He sees Jesus and His perfection, because of that substitution. Think of it like this. Let's pretend that you committed a crime and are standing before a judge in a court of law. You are guilty. The punishment for your crime is death...and the punishment MUST be satisfied. Many people hearing the sentence were thinking, "That's unfair! Death?!!" But that doesn't change the judgement at all. The judgement is firm. Suddenly, a man stands up, walks to the bench and asks the judge if he can take your punishment for you. Because he had committed no crime, and was totally innocent before the court, the judge allowed him to take your place (the judge couldn't allow a guilty person to take your place because they would have their own punishment to satisfy). The punishment was satisfied, and so was the judge. You see, God provided a way for us to be able to spend all of eternity with Him through Jesus, the one who has saved us from eternal punishment! Isn't He good?! God draws people to Himself. Is He drawing you?
I'm firmly convinced that there are large numbers of people who believe that they are a Christian because they prayed a prayer earlier in their life. They invited Jesus to come live in their hearts and "save them." (Save them from what?! The Bible tells us eternal judgement in a place called Hell, where there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Flames burn you up without actually consuming you. Worst of all, God is totally absent. No good thing is there.) These people have put their faith in a prayer they prayed. There was never any repentance in their lives. They never surrendered themselves fully to God and His will. But, they did pray "the prayer" and, after all, the person who told them to do so in the first place said that from that moment on they were "saved." How tragic! There is no such prayer in the Bible.
Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." So, absolutely nothing we can do will ever earn our way into Heaven. No good deed, sacrificial living or even special prayer, will ever help us get to Heaven. It is a free gift from God that we must simply receive.
We're often told, "Believe in Jesus and be saved." But we need to remember that the Bible tells us that even the demons believe in Jesus...and tremble! Belief is only part of God's rescue plan. Of course! You have to believe! But it's an active belief. Sure, I can believe that a chair will hold me up, but my belief doesn't actually work until I finally sit in the chair. That's faith. God enables those He draws to believe with an active faith, it's not something one can manufacture.
Also, Jesus told us to repent and be saved. Repent. What exactly does that mean? To repent means to turn around and go the opposite direction. So, in relation to God, to repent means to turn away from my sins (anything that is displeasing to God) and to turn toward God. Genuine sorrow for dishonoring God is part of true repentance. The Bible tells us that God grants repentance. Again, nothing any of us do will save us...it's only by God's grace.
It's also important to note that 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (A sin is anything that displeases God. It might be something you do, or it could be something you don't do. The Bible tells us clearly how God wants us to behave.) God is a forgiving God! Psalms tells us that He is compassionate, slow to anger, and His mercies are new every morning. This doesn't give us a license to sin, but it is a comfort to know He forgives when we do mess up. Regular confession of sins helps keeps our conscience clear before God. It reminds us to be grateful for all He has done for us. It also helps us become more aware of changes that need to be made in us, in order to become the person He created each of us to be.
Finally, we need to surrender. Think of men fighting in a war. When the white flag is waved in surrender, those surrendering are giving themselves over completely to the "other side." When we surrender our lives to God, we give ourselves to Him completely to do whatever it is He wants to with us. The Bible gives clear guidelines on what is pleasing and displeasing to God. It doesn't matter if we like those guidelines or agree with them or not. God's Word (the Bible) is our standard for right and wrong. That standard doesn't change. A Christian's duty is to obey God's Word. While it's impossible to keep that standard fully at all times (because we are human and by nature sinful), God will change us and mold us, as we get to know Him better (through Bible study and memorization, prayer, and fellowship with other Christians), into the person He wants us to be.
So, the short answer to "How do you get to Heaven?": By God's grace alone! He helps us believe with an active faith in Jesus as God's son to be our Savior (our parachute). He helps us to repent(turn away from your sin and toward God). Confess your sins to God(be specific...as you read the Bible you learn more and more what pleases and displeases God). By His grace, surrender your life to Him completely. Only God's grace makes all of this possible. I am so grateful to Him for making a way to be rescued!
Well, what about you? Where will you spend eternity?
I guess the better question is, "What is God's standard or requirement for getting into Heaven?" The Bible tells us that God's standard for going to Heaven is perfect obedience to God's law (which is the Ten Commandments). So, let me ask you, "Have you ever told a lie...even just a tiny white one?" One of the Ten Commandments is "Thou shalt not bear false witness (tell a lie)." Have you ever stolen something...no matter its value? This can include answers to homework, answers to a test, or even time from your employer. I know I have. Thou shalt not steal is the eighth commandment. Have you ever felt hatred toward another person? Jesus said that hatred is the same as murder, when you look at the heart's motives. If you're looking at one's heart, as God does, Jesus says that lust is the same as adultery. My outward actions might actually seem pretty good...so might yours. But, God looks at the heart. My heart is filthy. It is filled with sin. The Bible tells us that if we fail in just one point of the Law (the Ten Commandments)--even if it was a long time ago, then it's the same as being guilty of failing in all the Law. It only takes one sin to keep me from going to Heaven. Just one. I know I'm as guilty as the most vile person you can think of...because God looks at my heart, my motives and desires. This presents a pretty big problem! Based on God's standard, the Law, I should go to Hell. How can I go to heaven if I can never be perfect?! I'll answer that in a moment, but first let me give you an analogy that I find really helpful.
Let's say that you are going on a plane trip. As you board the plane the flight attendant hands you a parachute saying, "This parachute is to make your flight better! I hope you enjoy it!" So you take the parachute and sit down. As the flight takes off you decide to put on your parachute. It doesn't take you long to realize that the parachute is pretty uncomfortable; you can't lean back in your seat properly, and your back begins to hurt. But you decide to keep wearing it anyway. Before too long you notice that other passengers are beginning to stare at you and laugh. This isn't as good as you thought it would be! When the flight attendant brings you your drink, she spills it all over you. That's it! You've had it! This stupid parachute is doing NOTHING to make your flight better...in fact, it's making you quite uncomfortable; it's plain awful! So you take the thing off, throw it to the ground and say,"That's the last time I'll ever put that thing on my back! It's not done one thing to improve my flight!"
Now consider a different version of the story. As you board a plane for a trip, a flight attendant hands you a parachute saying, "Your ride might get bumpy and it could be unsafe for you. This parachute will save your life. Please wear it." You take the parachute, go to your seat and put it on. You notice right away that the parachute is quite uncomfortable to wear. The discomfort is of little concern, though, because you know the parachute is there to save your life. As you notice other passengers pointing at you, staring and laughing, you think little of it, and pull your parachute tighter to you, because this is the thing that will save you. When the flight attendant spills your drink all over you, you don't blame your parachute. That would be ridiculous! It's there to save you, not give you a pleasant ride. And when the ride gets bumpy and turbulence is bad, you are grateful for the parachute that will save you if the plane starts to go down.
Christianity is like the second story, but many believe the first one to be true. Some people will tell you that, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." While this is true, it is also misleading. What's a person who believes this supposed to think when bad things happen in his or her life? Bad things DO happen. Does that mean God doesn't actually love us or have a wonderful plan for each of our lives? Of course not! Unfortunately though, many have been misled into believing that if you become a Christian life is going to be all good. After all, God has a wonderful plan for your life, and He loves you. Yes! This is true, BUT when you consider all the Bible has to say about being a follower of Christ, it's plain to see, all is not wonderful and easy. Consider Job, who lost all he owned, and all of his family died. His friends accused him of some sin and, therefore, deserving of all the bad things that happened in his life. In reality, God allowed Satan to test Job to demonstrate Job's faithfulness to God...no matter what circumstances Job faced. Think of Daniel, who was thrown into a den of hungry lions or Daniel's friends who were tossed into a burning furnace because they wouldn't bow down to a false god. Happily, God preserved these men's lives. On the other hand, consider Jesus' own disciples. All but one of them were martyred (and he was exiled!). Some were crucified. Some were beheaded. Some were beaten and/or stoned. Paul, who wrote much of the New Testament, was tortured many times. He was put in a vat of hot oil, beaten with a whip that had sharp objects attached to it (several times), stoned, shipwrecked and bitten by a deadly snake. I could go on... The point is, that just because God loves you and has a plan for your life, doesn't mean it's going to be easy or always seem good. The good is the end result, not the means of the journey. Sometimes the way does seem easy, good and pleasant. But we shouldn't take it for granted that that's how it's supposed to be.
So, in answer to the question I posed earlier, "How can I go to Heaven if I can never be perfect?": Jesus. He came to this earth and lived a perfect life. He died a horrible and painful death He didn't deserve. And He arose from the dead three days later, proving that even death couldn't conquer Him. Why? God requires perfection. We needed a substitute, because it's impossible to meet God's requirement on our own. Jesus died to take my punishment and to take your punishment for us--in our place. We each deserved to die on that cross, but Jesus made Himself a substitute for us...He took our place. When God looks at a Christian, He doesn't see the person, He sees Jesus and His perfection, because of that substitution. Think of it like this. Let's pretend that you committed a crime and are standing before a judge in a court of law. You are guilty. The punishment for your crime is death...and the punishment MUST be satisfied. Many people hearing the sentence were thinking, "That's unfair! Death?!!" But that doesn't change the judgement at all. The judgement is firm. Suddenly, a man stands up, walks to the bench and asks the judge if he can take your punishment for you. Because he had committed no crime, and was totally innocent before the court, the judge allowed him to take your place (the judge couldn't allow a guilty person to take your place because they would have their own punishment to satisfy). The punishment was satisfied, and so was the judge. You see, God provided a way for us to be able to spend all of eternity with Him through Jesus, the one who has saved us from eternal punishment! Isn't He good?! God draws people to Himself. Is He drawing you?
I'm firmly convinced that there are large numbers of people who believe that they are a Christian because they prayed a prayer earlier in their life. They invited Jesus to come live in their hearts and "save them." (Save them from what?! The Bible tells us eternal judgement in a place called Hell, where there is much wailing and gnashing of teeth. Flames burn you up without actually consuming you. Worst of all, God is totally absent. No good thing is there.) These people have put their faith in a prayer they prayed. There was never any repentance in their lives. They never surrendered themselves fully to God and His will. But, they did pray "the prayer" and, after all, the person who told them to do so in the first place said that from that moment on they were "saved." How tragic! There is no such prayer in the Bible.
Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." So, absolutely nothing we can do will ever earn our way into Heaven. No good deed, sacrificial living or even special prayer, will ever help us get to Heaven. It is a free gift from God that we must simply receive.
We're often told, "Believe in Jesus and be saved." But we need to remember that the Bible tells us that even the demons believe in Jesus...and tremble! Belief is only part of God's rescue plan. Of course! You have to believe! But it's an active belief. Sure, I can believe that a chair will hold me up, but my belief doesn't actually work until I finally sit in the chair. That's faith. God enables those He draws to believe with an active faith, it's not something one can manufacture.
Also, Jesus told us to repent and be saved. Repent. What exactly does that mean? To repent means to turn around and go the opposite direction. So, in relation to God, to repent means to turn away from my sins (anything that is displeasing to God) and to turn toward God. Genuine sorrow for dishonoring God is part of true repentance. The Bible tells us that God grants repentance. Again, nothing any of us do will save us...it's only by God's grace.
It's also important to note that 1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (A sin is anything that displeases God. It might be something you do, or it could be something you don't do. The Bible tells us clearly how God wants us to behave.) God is a forgiving God! Psalms tells us that He is compassionate, slow to anger, and His mercies are new every morning. This doesn't give us a license to sin, but it is a comfort to know He forgives when we do mess up. Regular confession of sins helps keeps our conscience clear before God. It reminds us to be grateful for all He has done for us. It also helps us become more aware of changes that need to be made in us, in order to become the person He created each of us to be.
Finally, we need to surrender. Think of men fighting in a war. When the white flag is waved in surrender, those surrendering are giving themselves over completely to the "other side." When we surrender our lives to God, we give ourselves to Him completely to do whatever it is He wants to with us. The Bible gives clear guidelines on what is pleasing and displeasing to God. It doesn't matter if we like those guidelines or agree with them or not. God's Word (the Bible) is our standard for right and wrong. That standard doesn't change. A Christian's duty is to obey God's Word. While it's impossible to keep that standard fully at all times (because we are human and by nature sinful), God will change us and mold us, as we get to know Him better (through Bible study and memorization, prayer, and fellowship with other Christians), into the person He wants us to be.
So, the short answer to "How do you get to Heaven?": By God's grace alone! He helps us believe with an active faith in Jesus as God's son to be our Savior (our parachute). He helps us to repent(turn away from your sin and toward God). Confess your sins to God(be specific...as you read the Bible you learn more and more what pleases and displeases God). By His grace, surrender your life to Him completely. Only God's grace makes all of this possible. I am so grateful to Him for making a way to be rescued!
Well, what about you? Where will you spend eternity?
Friday, November 14, 2008
Perspective
I recently reconnected with a friend from high school via facebook. We weren't close friends in the sense that we did stuff together, but we were friendly with each other at school. It turns out that this is the most tragic time of his life. His 8 year old daughter died on Mother's Day earlier this year. Her bowels twisted and turned septic and she died. Her death came as quite a shock to his family, and it is a heartbreaking story. To lose a child like that...I just can't even imagine that kind of loss. I mean, I can try, and it's really upsetting when I do...but, really, I have no idea of the magnitude of his pain and heartache. And, honestly, I hope I never do.
As I've kept up with this friend and his walk through "the valley of the shadow of death," I've been given the gift of perspective. It's easy for me to lose sight of the bigger picture of my life and the role God has for me in it. I sometimes grumble or complain because the kids aren't getting along like I would like for them to. I get bent out of shape because this child or that talks disrepectfully to me or a sibling. The kids get too noisy, or messy, or lazy, or...whatever. But when I think of these things in light of my friend's loss, heartache and pain, I realize how very blessed I really am. I have awesome children! Each one of them is sweet. They are hard workers. They are usually very respectful. They play together...even though not always nicely...but they do play together! They want to be around Jay and me. They are innocent. They are precious. And they are heaven sent...gifts from my Heavenly Father. I don't want to waste my time resenting them. I don't want to miss out on getting to truly know each of them. I don't want to waste opportunities to train them, to guide them and to cheer them on. I don't want for (God forbid!!) tragedy to strike and then wish I had done it differenly...been a better mom by being more loving, patient, kind, gentle, self controlled, intentional, or fun. I want to make the most of my time with them.
It's so easy to get caught up in the busyness of my days and miss the moments God gives me with them. Sometimes it's easy to just give those moments away to convenience and ease. There are times the kids are being hateful with each other and I just want to go and hide. God, please help me be an intentional parent. Give me Your perspective and help me see the bigger picture for my role in their lives. Help me to teach them about You and Your ways. Help me to instill in them a deep and abiding love for You, each other, Jay and me, and others too. Help me always be grateful for these precious, precious gifts named Hannah, Claire, Timothy, Lucy and Eli that You, in Your wisdom and grace, have given me. Thank You, Lord, for the gift of perspective. Please help me not to lose it.
My kids are all in bed asleep, but I suddenly feel the need to go kiss each one of them and whisper in their ears how very much I love them. And so I will.
As I've kept up with this friend and his walk through "the valley of the shadow of death," I've been given the gift of perspective. It's easy for me to lose sight of the bigger picture of my life and the role God has for me in it. I sometimes grumble or complain because the kids aren't getting along like I would like for them to. I get bent out of shape because this child or that talks disrepectfully to me or a sibling. The kids get too noisy, or messy, or lazy, or...whatever. But when I think of these things in light of my friend's loss, heartache and pain, I realize how very blessed I really am. I have awesome children! Each one of them is sweet. They are hard workers. They are usually very respectful. They play together...even though not always nicely...but they do play together! They want to be around Jay and me. They are innocent. They are precious. And they are heaven sent...gifts from my Heavenly Father. I don't want to waste my time resenting them. I don't want to miss out on getting to truly know each of them. I don't want to waste opportunities to train them, to guide them and to cheer them on. I don't want for (God forbid!!) tragedy to strike and then wish I had done it differenly...been a better mom by being more loving, patient, kind, gentle, self controlled, intentional, or fun. I want to make the most of my time with them.
It's so easy to get caught up in the busyness of my days and miss the moments God gives me with them. Sometimes it's easy to just give those moments away to convenience and ease. There are times the kids are being hateful with each other and I just want to go and hide. God, please help me be an intentional parent. Give me Your perspective and help me see the bigger picture for my role in their lives. Help me to teach them about You and Your ways. Help me to instill in them a deep and abiding love for You, each other, Jay and me, and others too. Help me always be grateful for these precious, precious gifts named Hannah, Claire, Timothy, Lucy and Eli that You, in Your wisdom and grace, have given me. Thank You, Lord, for the gift of perspective. Please help me not to lose it.
My kids are all in bed asleep, but I suddenly feel the need to go kiss each one of them and whisper in their ears how very much I love them. And so I will.
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Lessons in Obedience
Over the last couple of weeks I've been thinking quite a bit about the experience I had when I was pregnant with our fourth child, Lucy. I talked about it in a previous blog entitled "Thankfulness." You can get a fuller story there, but the very short version is that I did not want to have any more children, and I had a pathetic attitude. God then dealt with my heart by way of a rebuke and remembering a Bible verse. At that same time I learned another great lesson that is still a part of my everyday life. Here it is: If I will simply obey God's word, whether I feel like it or not, whether it makes sense to me or not (keeping in mind that I have a very limited picture of things), eventually, my emotions will follow. I started putting this idea to the test immediately. I've been testing it ever since that Sunday God rebuked me. And do you know what? It's true! When I obey God's word, my emotions do eventually follow. While it's not always immediate, sometimes it is. Like when I choose to sing praise and thanks songs when I'd rather throw a fit or be otherwise ugly. Almost always my emotions follow when I choose to truly thank and praise God from my heart. I think this is because my focus is changed. Instead of focusing on whatever is bothering me, I'm focusing on God, His goodness, His gifts, His character, etc. Emotions follow obedience pretty quickly in times such as this.
Other times, though, my emotions take a while to change. But I've found that it's important to keep obeying whether or not my emotions agree. My emotions are very tied up in my attitudes. (It seems this is true of most people I talk to.) I have to be very careful of the attitudes I embrace, because they affect my whole world. I personally find it more difficult to obey God's word when someone I love has been ugly to me. Maybe s/he's been short tempered with me, or perhaps even down right hateful. What do I do? I know what I want to do! I want to be hateful back and let her/him see how it feels to be treated that way. BUT...the Bible is my standard and what does it tell me to do? Forgive. Love my neighbor as myself. Forgive. Crucify my flesh. Forgive. Give thanks. Forgive again! These, among others, are the attitudes I should have. But this is so hard to do!!! God help me as I try to live this out. I am nowhere near perfect in this. Yet, when I do obey, God proves Himself so faithful...over and over again. My emotions don't always agree at that moment, but when they do, it reminds me of how important obedience is. And I'm not the only one changed by my obedience. It touches those who see it lived out in me. My husband, children, family and friends are all influenced by my obedience to God's word, especially in the face of difficulty. These are the people who are up close and personal. They see it all. They know. They really know.
I don't have to "feel like it" to obey God's word. I just need to do what it tells me to do. Period. Please don't sit there and think, "She is being legalistic..." No! I want to obey God! He has done so much in my life, it is truly amazing to me. I know what He has done inside of me...in my heart. The outflow of my love for Him is a desire to please Him. Well, the Bible tells me that I can please God by obeying Him. "If you love me, keep my commands," "Obedience is better than sacrifice," etc., so that's what I want to do! I don't want to ever knowingly walk in sin. Of course, I'm human, so sin happens in my life, but I don't want to embrace it.
I wish I could say that I had this area of my life conquered, but I can't. However, as I grow in it, I'm amazed at the changes I see in myself and my family. As my children see it practiced, they learn to practice it. As my husband experiences grace from me, he extends it back at later times. What do you know?! I feel motivated all over again! I should note, however: This is NOT easy to do. Reliance on God is absolutely necessary. In the flesh, this is impossible. But God's grace is abundant, and I can guarantee that He will give it to you as you rely on Him to help you obey. Yes...even in those difficult situations when your flesh doesn't even want to (but your spirit does)!
Other times, though, my emotions take a while to change. But I've found that it's important to keep obeying whether or not my emotions agree. My emotions are very tied up in my attitudes. (It seems this is true of most people I talk to.) I have to be very careful of the attitudes I embrace, because they affect my whole world. I personally find it more difficult to obey God's word when someone I love has been ugly to me. Maybe s/he's been short tempered with me, or perhaps even down right hateful. What do I do? I know what I want to do! I want to be hateful back and let her/him see how it feels to be treated that way. BUT...the Bible is my standard and what does it tell me to do? Forgive. Love my neighbor as myself. Forgive. Crucify my flesh. Forgive. Give thanks. Forgive again! These, among others, are the attitudes I should have. But this is so hard to do!!! God help me as I try to live this out. I am nowhere near perfect in this. Yet, when I do obey, God proves Himself so faithful...over and over again. My emotions don't always agree at that moment, but when they do, it reminds me of how important obedience is. And I'm not the only one changed by my obedience. It touches those who see it lived out in me. My husband, children, family and friends are all influenced by my obedience to God's word, especially in the face of difficulty. These are the people who are up close and personal. They see it all. They know. They really know.
I don't have to "feel like it" to obey God's word. I just need to do what it tells me to do. Period. Please don't sit there and think, "She is being legalistic..." No! I want to obey God! He has done so much in my life, it is truly amazing to me. I know what He has done inside of me...in my heart. The outflow of my love for Him is a desire to please Him. Well, the Bible tells me that I can please God by obeying Him. "If you love me, keep my commands," "Obedience is better than sacrifice," etc., so that's what I want to do! I don't want to ever knowingly walk in sin. Of course, I'm human, so sin happens in my life, but I don't want to embrace it.
I wish I could say that I had this area of my life conquered, but I can't. However, as I grow in it, I'm amazed at the changes I see in myself and my family. As my children see it practiced, they learn to practice it. As my husband experiences grace from me, he extends it back at later times. What do you know?! I feel motivated all over again! I should note, however: This is NOT easy to do. Reliance on God is absolutely necessary. In the flesh, this is impossible. But God's grace is abundant, and I can guarantee that He will give it to you as you rely on Him to help you obey. Yes...even in those difficult situations when your flesh doesn't even want to (but your spirit does)!
Sunday, August 17, 2008
alligator hunt #1 2008
Timothy and I drove to Sanford Florida Friday night and met up with our gator hunting partner and good friend from my chaplain days at UCF. This is our third year hunting alligators together. We have come a long ways since our first trip. Thank God! We needed all our flexibility and patience for this hunt. We decide to try the boat ramp in Sanford instead of driving to the St. Johns River/Lake Jessup boat ramp on Hwy 46. Well we had trouble finding it, spent probably an extra 45 minutes looking. They had it well hidden. It was funny none of us were in a rush. We new what to expect, we new we had all night if needed (and it was). 
We launched the boat and headed toward the north west end of the lake. The strategy on Jessup was going to be significantly different then Orange. Orange Lake has a lot of mud, hydrilla, dead trees and other cover, Jessup barely has any cover. In Orange you can chase the gator into the debris and catch it before he can get under, Jessup they go under when you are a hundred yards away. We were going to use a large treble hook on a fishing pole and cast it over the gator and snatch hook him. We have never been successful with this technique mainly because there is so much to hang up on in Orange Lake. As we went out we decided to start with our normal strategy of chasing and harpooning mainly because it is a lot of fun. We ran the one end of the lake and were now heading across the lake under the bridge. We began hunting the little bit of cover on the north shore east of the bridge when I notice this airboat getting way to close. I flashed him with my Q-beam and he flashed me with his blue light. I stopped and they came over for a visit. Needless to say my stearn light wasn't working, they were nice enough they gave me a green glow stick and a $50 ticket. They could have ticketed us for much more so we were appreciative. To my surprise I had my boat registration, however I didn't have my air horne (after a little thought I remember I threw it out a month ago because it didn't work). We had a nice chat and then moved on. They had told me that there were over 16,000 gators in the lake. For that many gators we sure didn't see a lot. We went around a little island and came into an area with a number of sets of eyes. You could actually smell the alligators (much more like Orange Lake). While chasing some along the edge we ran into some type of grass the got on the shaft and prop. We worked around the island to an area with less grass and cleaned off the shaft by shaking the motor up and down. Usually after I do that the grass on the prop comes off as we run the motor. We went around the corner and Skelly harpooned a gator. When we were done messing with it I went to crank the motor. Couldn't get it to turn over. Sounded like a dead battery. We had just bought a new one because the handle from the motor hit both terminals of the old battery while the boat was being stored and melted them off. We tried our deep cell battery and I tried tapping the cables to what was left of the terminals on the first one with no success.
We new we needed to get the grass off the motor. The shaft of my motor sticks out six feet beyond the back of the boat so we used the bang stick to try to get it off.
We got a lot off but the motor still wouldn't turn over. When we hunt Orange Lake I have no problem jumping into the water, mud, grass etc. to get us going again. I did not want to get out into this water. I am not sure why. I was concerned by the fact that the water was 3-4 ft deep, and the mud was 2-3 ft deep. This is a deadly combination. You can get stuck in the mud over your head. However, looking back I think I was just scared of the unknown. This was a different lake and I didn't want to get out in chest deep water. We worked for a while trying to get things going and finally at about 1:00 AM we started trying to think of who had a boat. Skelly called his friends Amanda and Joe. Joe got his dad's boat. However, the motor wasn't working so the used the trolling motor to get out to us. He got to us about 5:30 that morning. In the mean time I laid down on the floor with Timothy and took a little nap. When he got to us Skelly climbed in his boat and Joe and Skelly cut the grass off the prop. It took close to 30 minutes to get it off. Once the prop was clear I could start the motor. A little humbling, because I could have just jumped in the water and cleared it off and we could of been up and going in less than an hour. This is the only time I have ever had someone come get me. I have been stuck a lot worse but have always managed to get out. We tied off on Joes boat and pulled him in since all he had was a trolling motor. Before we got to the bridge we untied Joe so he could manuver under the bridge with the trolling motor. By the time he got to the dock his battery was about dead. I really apprciate what Joe and Amanda did to come out in the middle of the night with only a trolling motor to help us in. I have had a lot of people call me friend, but it is in moments like this that you find out who your friends are.
What a night. The first night Skelly and I went gator hunting we slept on the lake as well. Our attitudes were totally different. This time it really wasn't a big deal. It was a beautiful night and we knew what to expect. I think we both felt bad for involving other people who could have been sleeping. As far as Timothy goes he woke up when we were just about done cleaning off the prop so he never knew about the events of the night. I told him I was tired and when we get to Skelly's we could sleep. His response was "Not me, I am not tired."
What a night. The first night Skelly and I went gator hunting we slept on the lake as well. Our attitudes were totally different. This time it really wasn't a big deal. It was a beautiful night and we knew what to expect. I think we both felt bad for involving other people who could have been sleeping. As far as Timothy goes he woke up when we were just about done cleaning off the prop so he never knew about the events of the night. I told him I was tired and when we get to Skelly's we could sleep. His response was "Not me, I am not tired."
(Pictures are of previous years, we didn't take a carmera on this hunt.)
Friday, August 15, 2008
Friday, August 8, 2008
A Father's Love
We left our 2nd daughter, Claire, in the nursery at church one Sunday when she was one year old. We were pretty nervous about it because she didn't respond well the 1st time we left her (she stayed in the service with us in the church we had come from). This was now our 2nd attempt to leave her in the nursery. We made it through the service without anyone paging us, so we went to pick her up after the service was over. We were delighted to see her happily playing! On her little head was a precious crown made from a bulletin board border. She looked like the little princess she was (and still is!). Her back was to us so she didn't see us when we arrived... but then she heard our voices. She quickly spun around to find us. When she saw us her face lit up with pure joy, she threw her hands into the air and ran full speed toward us (hands still raised in abandonment), squealing with delight the whole way. It was one of the most precious moments of my life. While driving home I was reflecting on (reveling in!) Claire's response to us and it occurred to me: That is how we should approach God! Pure joy. Total abandon. Complete adoration and delight in Him. What a perfect picture to help me remember to do just that.
As I've reflected on that experience over the last couple of days I've had some further thoughts.
As a child I adored my own father in the same way. He was my hero. I knew He loved me without condition, and I loved him that way in return. As a teen and beyond I continued to feel the same way about my Dad. But as I grew, the expression of my love changed. I was better able to comprehend my Dad's precious love for me and so rather than just feeling adoration for him, I chose it. I knew that I didn't have to earn his love; he loved me simply because I was his daughter. And because of his great love for me I was compelled to choose it. It's hard to resist a love like that. I knew how very blessed I was (am) to have the father that I did. Of all the millions of choices, God picked ME to be my father's daughter. He picked me. What a huge blessing...one that I still marvel at! I wanted to do everything I could to please my dad--not because I had to, but because I loved him so much and wanted to bring honor to him. When I disappointed him I felt so ashamed--not because he shamed me, but simply because I disappointed him, and I so wanted to show my love for him by pleasing him. Isn't this how our relationship with our Heavenly Father is? Doesn't He draw us to him? And when we realize the depths of His love for us, aren't we compelled to love Him back? Isn't an expression of that love obedience to His Word...not because we have to, but because we love Him so much we want to honor and please Him?
My heart hurts for people who don't have the blessing of a relationship with their own father like I have with mine, in large part because it provides such a clear picture and understanding of God's love for us, as well as our response to that love. Maybe through seeing my father's love for me and mine for him, those observing will more clearly understand God's unfathomable love for them. It is truly amazing.
As I've reflected on that experience over the last couple of days I've had some further thoughts.
As a child I adored my own father in the same way. He was my hero. I knew He loved me without condition, and I loved him that way in return. As a teen and beyond I continued to feel the same way about my Dad. But as I grew, the expression of my love changed. I was better able to comprehend my Dad's precious love for me and so rather than just feeling adoration for him, I chose it. I knew that I didn't have to earn his love; he loved me simply because I was his daughter. And because of his great love for me I was compelled to choose it. It's hard to resist a love like that. I knew how very blessed I was (am) to have the father that I did. Of all the millions of choices, God picked ME to be my father's daughter. He picked me. What a huge blessing...one that I still marvel at! I wanted to do everything I could to please my dad--not because I had to, but because I loved him so much and wanted to bring honor to him. When I disappointed him I felt so ashamed--not because he shamed me, but simply because I disappointed him, and I so wanted to show my love for him by pleasing him. Isn't this how our relationship with our Heavenly Father is? Doesn't He draw us to him? And when we realize the depths of His love for us, aren't we compelled to love Him back? Isn't an expression of that love obedience to His Word...not because we have to, but because we love Him so much we want to honor and please Him?
My heart hurts for people who don't have the blessing of a relationship with their own father like I have with mine, in large part because it provides such a clear picture and understanding of God's love for us, as well as our response to that love. Maybe through seeing my father's love for me and mine for him, those observing will more clearly understand God's unfathomable love for them. It is truly amazing.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Thoughts on Forgiveness
I've been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately. In a family our size it is a necessary part of our daily existence! As I've been trying to teach my children about this skill, I started consciously paying attention to this area in my life. I use the word "skill," because it is just that..a skill. It is not something that comes naturally to us, yet it is something God commands us to practice. The more we practice it, the more proficient we become at it. When we don't practice forgiveness, we learn resentment and bitterness instead.
I thank God regularly that my parents practiced having forgiving attitudes and spirits in front of me. I saw it lived out on a daily basis. Sometimes it was easier to practice than other times, but forgiveness always prevailed. Both of my parents come from a background that would be labeled as unforgivable by some. And yet, through God's grace, my parents learned the value of forgiveness over anger, resentment and bitterness (even though the anger, resentment and bitterness would all have been justifiable). I watch and listen to people who get angry over unimportant things, like being cut off in traffic or skipped in front of in a line. Or what about the wife who is upset that her husband didn't take out the trash, or put things away properly or lift the toilet seat or... They go on and on about their "rights" being trampled upon. Why bother getting so upset over such mundane things? The only people affected by that kind of sour, unforgiving attitude are the offended and those who have to be around them! They don't realize that the venom they spew poisons them and their loved ones far more than it ever will the offender. Then there are other offenses more personal in nature. Hurtful words, attitudes, and/or actions from our loved ones, subtle betrayals of friends or family, outright attacks to our person or character, the loss of a friendship, etc.-- are all harder to forgive (esecially due to their more personal nature), but we are still commanded to forgive just the same. And then, of course, there are those offenses that seem unforgivable by any standard. This is an area I can't personally identify with. And yet I know...we are still commanded to forgive. Why? And how? To me, forgiveness is not excusing someone else's behaviors and sins. It is choosing to let God handle the situation in whatever way He thinks is best (without my intervention!); and it is releasing my spirit from the prison of bitterness and resentment. Forgiveness is freedom.
I firmly believe that when we practice forgiving the small things it becomes easier to forgive the larger things. Forgiveness is as much attitude as it is action. The biggest casualty of unforgiveness isn't the unforgiven...it's the one withholding forgiveness. Unforgiveness is like poison to the spirit of the one who harbors it. I believe one of the reasons God commands us to forgive is for our own personal benefit. Bitterness is bad for your health--mental, physical and spiritual. It is also bad for those around you. If those around you are little ones, then they suffer additionally. They bear the brunt of the unforgiveness, not only by having to endure an ugly spirit, but also by learning the the trait of bitterness (which they will then practice and teach to their children). Jesus told Peter in Matthew 18:21-35 that we are to forgive repeatedly and from the heart! This isn't just a nice thing to do; it is a command straight from Jesus' mouth. I'm reminded of verse 6 earlier in the same chapter that says anyone who causes one of these little ones to stumble, it is better for a millstone to be hung around his neck and for him to be tossed into the depth of the ocean (my paraphrase). As parents, we have a huge responsibility to know how God wants us to behave because our children WILL emulate us. An attitude of forgiveness is a characteristic that will positively affect our children's walk with God and those He puts in their paths. It will help them more readily receive God's forgiveness as well as extend their own. I want my children to know how to forgive. I want them to see it lived out daily in my life, as I did in my parents'. Forgiveness is an act of obedience that God Himself demonstrates. Can we do any less if we are to be holy as He is holy?
One way I've learned to practice forgiveness is really simple. This is really effective with family members, but it extends to anyone. When someone hurts or offends me I ask myself the question, "Can I forgive him/her for that?" Usually, simply as an act of the will, I can; it isn't worth the effort to be upset about. (Unforgiveness takes a lot of energy to maintain!) On the occasions when I am unable to forgive them, I pray something like, "God, please help me forgive _____. Help me to have a forgiving attitude. Thank you for forgiving me..." And as I remember all that God has forgiven me for, forgiving someone else their wrongs toward me becomes much easier. In the light of God's forgiveness of my sins, somehow someone else's offense(s) toward me become overshadowed by God's truly amazing grace. I have found that the more I practice forgiveness, the easier it gets to forgive. It seems to work a bit like a muscle. As I think about it...bitterness works the same way.
What kind of muscles do you want to have?
I thank God regularly that my parents practiced having forgiving attitudes and spirits in front of me. I saw it lived out on a daily basis. Sometimes it was easier to practice than other times, but forgiveness always prevailed. Both of my parents come from a background that would be labeled as unforgivable by some. And yet, through God's grace, my parents learned the value of forgiveness over anger, resentment and bitterness (even though the anger, resentment and bitterness would all have been justifiable). I watch and listen to people who get angry over unimportant things, like being cut off in traffic or skipped in front of in a line. Or what about the wife who is upset that her husband didn't take out the trash, or put things away properly or lift the toilet seat or... They go on and on about their "rights" being trampled upon. Why bother getting so upset over such mundane things? The only people affected by that kind of sour, unforgiving attitude are the offended and those who have to be around them! They don't realize that the venom they spew poisons them and their loved ones far more than it ever will the offender. Then there are other offenses more personal in nature. Hurtful words, attitudes, and/or actions from our loved ones, subtle betrayals of friends or family, outright attacks to our person or character, the loss of a friendship, etc.-- are all harder to forgive (esecially due to their more personal nature), but we are still commanded to forgive just the same. And then, of course, there are those offenses that seem unforgivable by any standard. This is an area I can't personally identify with. And yet I know...we are still commanded to forgive. Why? And how? To me, forgiveness is not excusing someone else's behaviors and sins. It is choosing to let God handle the situation in whatever way He thinks is best (without my intervention!); and it is releasing my spirit from the prison of bitterness and resentment. Forgiveness is freedom.
I firmly believe that when we practice forgiving the small things it becomes easier to forgive the larger things. Forgiveness is as much attitude as it is action. The biggest casualty of unforgiveness isn't the unforgiven...it's the one withholding forgiveness. Unforgiveness is like poison to the spirit of the one who harbors it. I believe one of the reasons God commands us to forgive is for our own personal benefit. Bitterness is bad for your health--mental, physical and spiritual. It is also bad for those around you. If those around you are little ones, then they suffer additionally. They bear the brunt of the unforgiveness, not only by having to endure an ugly spirit, but also by learning the the trait of bitterness (which they will then practice and teach to their children). Jesus told Peter in Matthew 18:21-35 that we are to forgive repeatedly and from the heart! This isn't just a nice thing to do; it is a command straight from Jesus' mouth. I'm reminded of verse 6 earlier in the same chapter that says anyone who causes one of these little ones to stumble, it is better for a millstone to be hung around his neck and for him to be tossed into the depth of the ocean (my paraphrase). As parents, we have a huge responsibility to know how God wants us to behave because our children WILL emulate us. An attitude of forgiveness is a characteristic that will positively affect our children's walk with God and those He puts in their paths. It will help them more readily receive God's forgiveness as well as extend their own. I want my children to know how to forgive. I want them to see it lived out daily in my life, as I did in my parents'. Forgiveness is an act of obedience that God Himself demonstrates. Can we do any less if we are to be holy as He is holy?
One way I've learned to practice forgiveness is really simple. This is really effective with family members, but it extends to anyone. When someone hurts or offends me I ask myself the question, "Can I forgive him/her for that?" Usually, simply as an act of the will, I can; it isn't worth the effort to be upset about. (Unforgiveness takes a lot of energy to maintain!) On the occasions when I am unable to forgive them, I pray something like, "God, please help me forgive _____. Help me to have a forgiving attitude. Thank you for forgiving me..." And as I remember all that God has forgiven me for, forgiving someone else their wrongs toward me becomes much easier. In the light of God's forgiveness of my sins, somehow someone else's offense(s) toward me become overshadowed by God's truly amazing grace. I have found that the more I practice forgiveness, the easier it gets to forgive. It seems to work a bit like a muscle. As I think about it...bitterness works the same way.
What kind of muscles do you want to have?
Saturday, August 2, 2008
A Picture of God's Grace
Earlier this summer I had an experience with one of my daughters that was priceless. However, I thought anyone who knew about it would think I'm a lunatic, so I couldn't bring myself to tell even Jay about it. I finally told him a couple of nights ago and he encouraged me to share it on the blog (maybe we're both lunatics!). So here goes...
Several weeks ago one of my daughters was having problems with a sibling. I sent this daughter to her room to wait for me while I dealt with the other child. When I got to my daughter, she was so upset that she was behaving disrespectfully toward me. I reminded her that the consequence for deliberate disrespect is a spanking and she needed to change her attitude. Her disrespect continued in spite of the warning. So I told her that I was going to have to spank her. My standard spanking is 2-3 swats depending on the age of the child and the offense. If they behave disobediently or disrespectfully during or just after the spanking then they get one additional swat per offense. This is usually very effective, but on this day it wasn't so much. Due to both disrespect and disobedience, my daughter ended up earning six swats. After the third swat I reminded her that we would be done if she hadn't been disobedient and disrespectful, but that she had earned those extra swats. She begged and pleaded, "Mommy, please, don't give me any more swats. I'll be nice. Please stop..." It about broke my heart. It really was awful. But she had earned the swats and I needed to remain true to what I had said. So I gave her the fourth swat. She continued to beg. This was the most heart wrenching spanking I'd ever given. An idea popped into my head but I thought to myself, "That's the most ludicrous thing I've thought in quite some time!" and took a deep breath and administered the fifth swat. By now I felt like crying too. My precious daughter continued to beg me to please stop. The thought in my head was quite loud by now and so I finally surrendered to the idea. I held out the spanking utensil and said, "Okay. I want you to give me the last swat." She looked at me and said, "No, Mommy...no. I can't do that." (She wasn't being disrespectful; she just had no clue where I was coming from!) I said, "Well then I'll give it to myself." I proceeded to give myself a swat hard enough that she knew really hurt. And then she looked at me and said, "Mommy, why did you do that?!" I said, "Darlin', did you deserve to have that swat?" "Yes," she replied. "Well, that is what Jesus did for you." She started sobbing. I said, "You deserved that swat. It had to be given. That is what the punishment was. I couldn't just not give it, because then what I say would be untrustworthy. And so, because I love you so much I took the punishment for you. I wanted to give you a picture of God's love for you. He loves you so much that He sent His Son to be punished in your place so that when He draws you to Himself and you turn toward Him and believe in Jesus you can know God and be with Him forever." My precious, tenderhearted daughter cried and cried. She cried for two days whenever she thought about that experience. So did I. It was a beautiful picture for both of us of God's amazing, abundant grace.
I know this is a simplified look at what Christ has done for us, but it painted a precious picture for my daughter that has helped her to further understand her relationship with God and what He's done for us. It also demonstrated to her the depths of my love for her. I am so grateful for the thought to do so in the first place. I know surely that it did not come from within me! God is so good!!!
Several weeks ago one of my daughters was having problems with a sibling. I sent this daughter to her room to wait for me while I dealt with the other child. When I got to my daughter, she was so upset that she was behaving disrespectfully toward me. I reminded her that the consequence for deliberate disrespect is a spanking and she needed to change her attitude. Her disrespect continued in spite of the warning. So I told her that I was going to have to spank her. My standard spanking is 2-3 swats depending on the age of the child and the offense. If they behave disobediently or disrespectfully during or just after the spanking then they get one additional swat per offense. This is usually very effective, but on this day it wasn't so much. Due to both disrespect and disobedience, my daughter ended up earning six swats. After the third swat I reminded her that we would be done if she hadn't been disobedient and disrespectful, but that she had earned those extra swats. She begged and pleaded, "Mommy, please, don't give me any more swats. I'll be nice. Please stop..." It about broke my heart. It really was awful. But she had earned the swats and I needed to remain true to what I had said. So I gave her the fourth swat. She continued to beg. This was the most heart wrenching spanking I'd ever given. An idea popped into my head but I thought to myself, "That's the most ludicrous thing I've thought in quite some time!" and took a deep breath and administered the fifth swat. By now I felt like crying too. My precious daughter continued to beg me to please stop. The thought in my head was quite loud by now and so I finally surrendered to the idea. I held out the spanking utensil and said, "Okay. I want you to give me the last swat." She looked at me and said, "No, Mommy...no. I can't do that." (She wasn't being disrespectful; she just had no clue where I was coming from!) I said, "Well then I'll give it to myself." I proceeded to give myself a swat hard enough that she knew really hurt. And then she looked at me and said, "Mommy, why did you do that?!" I said, "Darlin', did you deserve to have that swat?" "Yes," she replied. "Well, that is what Jesus did for you." She started sobbing. I said, "You deserved that swat. It had to be given. That is what the punishment was. I couldn't just not give it, because then what I say would be untrustworthy. And so, because I love you so much I took the punishment for you. I wanted to give you a picture of God's love for you. He loves you so much that He sent His Son to be punished in your place so that when He draws you to Himself and you turn toward Him and believe in Jesus you can know God and be with Him forever." My precious, tenderhearted daughter cried and cried. She cried for two days whenever she thought about that experience. So did I. It was a beautiful picture for both of us of God's amazing, abundant grace.
I know this is a simplified look at what Christ has done for us, but it painted a precious picture for my daughter that has helped her to further understand her relationship with God and what He's done for us. It also demonstrated to her the depths of my love for her. I am so grateful for the thought to do so in the first place. I know surely that it did not come from within me! God is so good!!!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Thankfulness
A couple of months after our third child, Timothy, was born I had one of those crazy days that made me decide, "Yep. I don't want any more children. That's it. I'm done!" And so I told Jay that I was okay with it if he still wanted to go ahead with a previously discussed "permanent solution" to that issue. We went through all the preliminary stuff and before we knew it we were scheduled to "get fixed," as we laughingly called it. At bedtime the night before the surgery, as we sat on the couch, I tearfully told Jay that I felt like we were making a mistake, like we were "playing God." What if God intended for us to have more children? What if we wanted more kids in the future? What if...? So Jay, in his love for me, said, "If you're not 100% sure about this, then we don't need to do it." The next morning we cancelled the appointment (which, by the way, isn't uncommon!).
Well, we moved to Oviedo, FL when Timothy was 8 months old. And as time went by I once again became certain, that I was done. I didn't want any more children. (By this time, though, we felt that a a "permanent solution" was no longer an option.) Shortly after I came to this realization, God threw us a huge curve ball. Quite unexpectedly, I got pregnant. Jay was away on a staff retreat when I bought the pregnancy test. I stayed up late, and after all the children were asleep I gathered up my nerve and took it. When it showed up positive I just started sobbing. For 15 minutes I cried so hard that I could hardly breathe. I prayed awful prayers like, "Please, God, take this baby back! I don't want it! Please. I can't do this again. Please...Just let me miscarry. Please..." (I am so very ashamed of this, but I want you to understand just how upset I was---I later sought God's forgiveness for praying such selfish, hateful and ungrateful prayers). I knew that this would be difficult news for Jay, too. I prayed with desperation that he would be with Ron (a good friend who worked with Jay and is very godly and brings good balance and perspective, and was also at the retreat with Jay). When I spoke with Jay the next day, he was riding back from the retreat with Ron and another co-worker. I said to him, "Guess what?!" He could tell by my tone of voice that something was up so he replied, "Sparkles (our cat) is pregnant again?!" to which I said, "Not Sparkles..." He dropped the phone. After picking it up he quickly told me he'd call me back. It was ordained by God that he was with Ron when I told him. Jay's response was tempered greatly, and I needed it to be. I spent the next 3 months in a pretty big depression and was mean and ugly to everyone. It was awful for all those around me. I was so angry at God. My poor family suffered in my presence during that period.
About 3 1/2 months into the pregnancy we were at church. It was praise and worship time and I was doing my best to worship God. You know, it's really hard to worship God when you are bitter and angry inside. But then something happened. It wasn't quite audible, but I did look next to me to be sure nobody actually spoke to me. It was that real. God spoke to my heart and said, "Dede, who do you think you are to be ungrateful for this gift I've given to you??? Remember in I Thess. 5:18 it says, 'In EVERYTHING give thanks, for this is the WILL of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.'" I was mortified. In my heart I repented right then and there. I realized it was direct disobedience to be ungrateful. Period. In everything give thanks...it's God's will. This marked a huge turning point in not only that pregnancy, but in my life in general. Lucy came and I remembered to be thankful for her, even though she did manage to come during hurricane Frances!
God has been so good to us. One night several months later I was washing the dishes by myself as the rest of the family relaxed. I was kind of grumbling to myself about that fact when I was reminded in my spirit, "Remember, in everything give thanks..." I started thanking God for anything I could think of... a family to cook for, dishes to eat off of, the food we just ate, my wonderful husband and precious children. I began to reflect on that time when God spoke to my heart that Sunday morning and how grateful I was to Him for caring enough about me to whisper to me and change me little by little into the person He wants me to be. And then it dawned on me. "Am I pregnant? Where's my calendar? Oh my goodness! I'm late!" I mentioned this to Jay, as he was sitting across the room. He said, "Go get a test now!" I did. Once again, it was positive. Five kids! But God, in His wonderful grace, had already prepared my heart as I was standing there washing those dishes all by myself. His grace is sufficient! I was able to thank and praise God with true gratitude when I found out. I didn't miss a beat... Not because of anything in me, but simply because of God's precious, wondrous grace.
Since I Thess. 5:18 (In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you) has become so real in my life, I have noticed something amazing. Giving thanks in all circumstances produces joy, peace and contentment. Who knew?! Yes! God did! If we will just obey His word, even when it's difficult or doesn't make sense, or we simply don't feel like it, He will pour out His blessings on us. Not necessarily in a physical, tangible sense, (although that can happen too) but in an internal, spiritual sense while He makes us more into the person He created us to be. As this happens, the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control) begins to manifest itself more and more in our lives. As I type this I can't help thinking of that old hymn called "Trust and Obey." It says, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." I know this to be true because I've experienced it first hand. I've also seen it happen in many others' lives. God's grace truly is amazing!
There's so much more to this story, but I'll save that for another time...It's late and I'm tired!
Well, we moved to Oviedo, FL when Timothy was 8 months old. And as time went by I once again became certain, that I was done. I didn't want any more children. (By this time, though, we felt that a a "permanent solution" was no longer an option.) Shortly after I came to this realization, God threw us a huge curve ball. Quite unexpectedly, I got pregnant. Jay was away on a staff retreat when I bought the pregnancy test. I stayed up late, and after all the children were asleep I gathered up my nerve and took it. When it showed up positive I just started sobbing. For 15 minutes I cried so hard that I could hardly breathe. I prayed awful prayers like, "Please, God, take this baby back! I don't want it! Please. I can't do this again. Please...Just let me miscarry. Please..." (I am so very ashamed of this, but I want you to understand just how upset I was---I later sought God's forgiveness for praying such selfish, hateful and ungrateful prayers). I knew that this would be difficult news for Jay, too. I prayed with desperation that he would be with Ron (a good friend who worked with Jay and is very godly and brings good balance and perspective, and was also at the retreat with Jay). When I spoke with Jay the next day, he was riding back from the retreat with Ron and another co-worker. I said to him, "Guess what?!" He could tell by my tone of voice that something was up so he replied, "Sparkles (our cat) is pregnant again?!" to which I said, "Not Sparkles..." He dropped the phone. After picking it up he quickly told me he'd call me back. It was ordained by God that he was with Ron when I told him. Jay's response was tempered greatly, and I needed it to be. I spent the next 3 months in a pretty big depression and was mean and ugly to everyone. It was awful for all those around me. I was so angry at God. My poor family suffered in my presence during that period.
About 3 1/2 months into the pregnancy we were at church. It was praise and worship time and I was doing my best to worship God. You know, it's really hard to worship God when you are bitter and angry inside. But then something happened. It wasn't quite audible, but I did look next to me to be sure nobody actually spoke to me. It was that real. God spoke to my heart and said, "Dede, who do you think you are to be ungrateful for this gift I've given to you??? Remember in I Thess. 5:18 it says, 'In EVERYTHING give thanks, for this is the WILL of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.'" I was mortified. In my heart I repented right then and there. I realized it was direct disobedience to be ungrateful. Period. In everything give thanks...it's God's will. This marked a huge turning point in not only that pregnancy, but in my life in general. Lucy came and I remembered to be thankful for her, even though she did manage to come during hurricane Frances!
God has been so good to us. One night several months later I was washing the dishes by myself as the rest of the family relaxed. I was kind of grumbling to myself about that fact when I was reminded in my spirit, "Remember, in everything give thanks..." I started thanking God for anything I could think of... a family to cook for, dishes to eat off of, the food we just ate, my wonderful husband and precious children. I began to reflect on that time when God spoke to my heart that Sunday morning and how grateful I was to Him for caring enough about me to whisper to me and change me little by little into the person He wants me to be. And then it dawned on me. "Am I pregnant? Where's my calendar? Oh my goodness! I'm late!" I mentioned this to Jay, as he was sitting across the room. He said, "Go get a test now!" I did. Once again, it was positive. Five kids! But God, in His wonderful grace, had already prepared my heart as I was standing there washing those dishes all by myself. His grace is sufficient! I was able to thank and praise God with true gratitude when I found out. I didn't miss a beat... Not because of anything in me, but simply because of God's precious, wondrous grace.
Since I Thess. 5:18 (In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you) has become so real in my life, I have noticed something amazing. Giving thanks in all circumstances produces joy, peace and contentment. Who knew?! Yes! God did! If we will just obey His word, even when it's difficult or doesn't make sense, or we simply don't feel like it, He will pour out His blessings on us. Not necessarily in a physical, tangible sense, (although that can happen too) but in an internal, spiritual sense while He makes us more into the person He created us to be. As this happens, the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control) begins to manifest itself more and more in our lives. As I type this I can't help thinking of that old hymn called "Trust and Obey." It says, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey." I know this to be true because I've experienced it first hand. I've also seen it happen in many others' lives. God's grace truly is amazing!
There's so much more to this story, but I'll save that for another time...It's late and I'm tired!
Don't Be Deceived
We all need to look into the mirror and see if we bear the fruit of a believer
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Hard to Believe
When I was working with UCF after practice one day I brought a linebacker home and we had a great talk about God and went through the Gospel. He recognized that he was a sinner. When I told him "how to become a Christian" (pray this prayer, tell God you are a sinner and ask him to be your savior.) He looked at me and said "Jay that doesn't make sense. You are telling me that I can pray this prayer and now I am a Christian." He made such a strong statement that made me dig deeper into scripture. See I was told from the time I was little you pray this prayer and you become a Christian. Well as I read the Bible I began to see a different picture. Jesus said in John 6:44-45 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they shall all be taught by God.’Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me." He tells us God draws us to him, and as you look through scripture you see that God gives us the ability to repent. It doesn't come from us. We are dead in our sins, a dead man can do nothing. When we become believers God changes us it is called sanctification. I was introduced to a series of sermonds by John MaCarthur called "Hard to Believe" that was a great help to me. I hope you benefit as much as I have.
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Tuesday, July 29, 2008
In Christ Alone
When I first became a ChristianI learned a lot through the Christian Music I listened to. It was packed full of scripture, and sound doctrine. The music I was drawn to glorified God and challenged me in my daily walk. Back then there were very few people singing Christian music, today the Christian music world is full of more genres than there were groups when I was introduced to it. In this post I want to highlight music that is rich in text that brings glory to God.
Everytime I listen to In Christ Alone I can't help but think of the scripture that supports the lyrics. I included the lyrics below for your benefit.
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt of life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
Everytime I listen to In Christ Alone I can't help but think of the scripture that supports the lyrics. I included the lyrics below for your benefit.
In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand
In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt of life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
‘til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Contentment
A few years back God gave me a huge lesson in contentment and it has stayed with me through these years. We were building a house and while the house was being built, the one we were living in sold. We ended up having to live in a very tiny single wide trailer that was absolutely filthy. We had just had our 2nd child about 3 weeks prior to moving in to this tiny trailer. I determined before we ever moved in that I would NOT complain about living there and would instead appreciate that God had provided a place for us to stay. We ended up living in that trailer for about 6 months. God in his graciousness taught me about contentment during that period. Contentment has very little, if anything at all, to do with our circumstances--the place where we are or the things that we do or don't have. It has a great deal to do with the attitudes of our heart and mind and their focus. When I focus on my circumstances, that's what I see. They might be good or bad, but my happiness will be determined by those circumstances. But if I choose to look past my circumstances and instead focus on God's precious blessings and appreciate those things, (whether I can touch or see them is irrelevant) then contentment is the natural byproduct. Not only contentment...but joy as well!
This lesson applies to so many areas of life, including the adventures we encounter during our family adventures! It would be easy to gripe and complain about camping in the heat with the bugs and a boat that doesn't want to start so we can go home. But where is the good in that? I would rather appreciate the time we get to spend together as a family building memories that will teach my children invaluable lessons about God and life. If I focus on the negative, then so will they. Yet, if I appoach difficulties with an attitude of contentment (and yes, JOY!), then that is the approach they will emulate. We want to build memories with our children that they will carry with them throughout their lives as times that we had fun together (this acts like glue among family members) and that will teach them how to live. I told a friend recently that camping in the summer heat with the bugs might not necessarily be fun, but it will be memorable! My attitude and focus will determine whether or not it's fun. And I've discovered...as my attitude goes, so does theirs. ~Dede
This lesson applies to so many areas of life, including the adventures we encounter during our family adventures! It would be easy to gripe and complain about camping in the heat with the bugs and a boat that doesn't want to start so we can go home. But where is the good in that? I would rather appreciate the time we get to spend together as a family building memories that will teach my children invaluable lessons about God and life. If I focus on the negative, then so will they. Yet, if I appoach difficulties with an attitude of contentment (and yes, JOY!), then that is the approach they will emulate. We want to build memories with our children that they will carry with them throughout their lives as times that we had fun together (this acts like glue among family members) and that will teach them how to live. I told a friend recently that camping in the summer heat with the bugs might not necessarily be fun, but it will be memorable! My attitude and focus will determine whether or not it's fun. And I've discovered...as my attitude goes, so does theirs. ~Dede
Keep an Eye on the Business End
While I was at UCF I made a lot of great friends who are very dear to me and have had an impact on my life. There was a walk-on O-lineman that has encouraged me, challenged me spiritually and became one of my best friends. One day we were talking, as men do, about this and that and one of us came up with the idea of hunting alligators. We did our research and bought our tags. He drove up to Gainesville and we set out for our first hunt. Neither one of us had any idea what we were doing. We got to the boat ramp and spent a half an hour draining my boat. It had filled with water when it rained because I had left the plug in. The motor wasn’t running right so we could only go about 3 miles an hour, I forgot my GPS and couldn’t find the boat ramp so we spent the entire night in the boat only to discover we were a short distance in front of the ramp. In spite of all that, we did catch a gator. Then we had no idea what to do with it. It is amazing we went back! 
We have been out many times since then and caught numerous alligators. We have had nights where everything goes great and other nights where nothing goes as planned. We have been waist deep in the muck pulling the boat, we have had to stand on floating grass and drag the boat back to the water, we have had gators we thought were dead that walk across the bottom of the boat, and Skelly has even been thrown out of a boat into the lake!
About half way through the first season Dede relented and allowed me to take the kids gator hunting. One of the first nights we caught a nice 8’3” gator and they were right in the middle of it. I made sure they knew that the most import thing is to keep and eye on the "business end." Once they understood that, the fear was gone. They know that grabbing a gator by the tail or leg is OK; just watch the mouth. One night we had an 8 footer who got all tangled up. We were unable to get the boat back in the trees to him. My buddy Cary finally got a snare around his leg and cut the rope so we could pull him out. We hit him with a .38 cal bang stick which didn’t kill him; it just slowed him down. Since we had cut the rope I had him by his legs. He was angled where we could not safely hit him with the bang stick again. I was ready to be done. It was late and this
was our last night for the season. The gator was opening and closing his mouth and I had the timing down, so I told Hannah, my 10yr old at the time, to grab his leg. Without hesitation she grabbed his leg and I grabbed his mouth when he closed it. We taped him up and threw him in the boat to end another successful season.Alligator hunting has been one of the best things we do as a family. My children have courage, they are resourceful, they are tough, they are imaginative and most of all, they have great stories to tell kids on the play ground! We were at the UCF vs UF softball game for the Regional tournament. A man sat down in front of us wearing his gator costume (blue and orange t-shirt, shorts hat etc.). My son Timothy said, "a good gator is a dead gator!" The man turned around and asked, “Do you know how to kill a gator?” With a proud look on his face Timothy said yes and began giving a lesson. The man asked, “Have you ever killed a gator?” Timothy responded with a giant smile, “Yes, 6 foot 1!” Come to find out the man’s wife works for a gator processor in Christmas Florida. Imagine that. ~Jay
Camping in July
We decided to go camping July 4th weekend. We heard comments from people like “Camping in July?! It's way to hot!” or “The bugs are going to be horrible.” etc. Against their counsel we decided to go camping anyway. We loaded up our boat with our gear and headed to Shired Island just south of Horseshoe beach on the Gulf Coast of Florida. We put in at the boat ramp and headed out to Little Pine Island where we camp. Even that can be full of adventure.
I have yet to figure the best route out of the little river where the boat ramp is. I got hung up on multiple sandbars and oyster beds. Dede and I had to get out and push to get us unstuck. I was very thankful this time because I did not cut my feet on the oysters. Last time I put a big gash that was an irritant for the weekend. When we arrived at the island the tide was going out so we anchored the boat off the beach. We all (including Eli and Lucy-the little ones) carried our gear in from the boat. 
We were in a bit of a rush because it appeared that we were going to get hit by an afternoon thunder buster. We got our camp set up and the storm went around us. We had a nice breeze all weekend that made it cool and kept the bugs away. The heat was only bad a couple hours each day. We were on an island so we went swimming.The motor on my boat had some choke issues, and a split in the fuel line, which caused me to run the battery down. When we got ready to leave the battery didn’t have enough juice to get the motor started.
So Dede jumped in the water and began pulling while I tried our second battery, it was weak as well. I then jumped in and helped her pull. We pulled for about three hours and got pretty close to the little river the boat ramp was on but the current was now in our face and we were pulling hard with little to no movement. Hannah, our oldest daughter, waved the paddle at a passing boat and they pulled us the rest of the way in. This was a reminder to us all that life isn’t always what you have planned. Sometimes we must jump in and do what it takes to get things done. Sometimes we must humble ourselves and take a helping hand.We had a great time; we fished, Timothy got really good at catching blue crabs, we watched the fireworks at Horseshoe Beach from our camp. The best parts, though, are the lessons we learned.~Jay
What is the Gospel?
I grew up with the Gospel or Good News being: If we pray a prayer telling God we are a sinner, and ask him to come into our heart we are a Christian. When I was 8 years old I did just that. I went forward in Children's Church with a bunch of other children, prayed this magic prayer and was pronounced a Christian. I was sincere, I told my parents and was baptised, but was I a believer? Later in high school I went to a Christian meeting at the High School. One of my childhood friends shared his testimony. That night I went into the bathroom and broke down. I was convicted of my sin, I hated my sin. I recognized how wicked I was and knew I needed God's help. I asked him to change me and he did.
I am concerned that many of us are putting our faith in a prayer we prayed instead of the life changing power of Jesus Christ. I hope this video encourages you. ~Jay
I am concerned that many of us are putting our faith in a prayer we prayed instead of the life changing power of Jesus Christ. I hope this video encourages you. ~Jay
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Life is an Adventure
Years ago I was awkened by the reality that so often our lives are consumed with watching others live. We spend our time and money going to movies, watching tv 
and reading books about someone else's great adventure while we sit there doing nothing. I have decided that I will not watch others live. I will experience life and my children also will experience life. This doesn't mean that everyday is an adventure. Instead it means everything is an adventure. Adventure can be found going to the store, helping a friend, or chasing alligators in a swamp! We have decided that our adventure will not come from someone else's imagination, but instead it will come from what we experience each day of our lives.~Jay
and reading books about someone else's great adventure while we sit there doing nothing. I have decided that I will not watch others live. I will experience life and my children also will experience life. This doesn't mean that everyday is an adventure. Instead it means everything is an adventure. Adventure can be found going to the store, helping a friend, or chasing alligators in a swamp! We have decided that our adventure will not come from someone else's imagination, but instead it will come from what we experience each day of our lives.~Jay"It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly...who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at best, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
Theodore Roosevelt, 1910
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