The Road Less Traveled

Baby Erik Sees and Feels Snow for First Time

You should have seen the look on his face this morning. He just sat there in my arms staring into space watching and wondering. If I only knew what his little brain was thinking at almost 10 months now as the snow fell around him and on his face, "What in the world are these white things that are cold? The sky is falling!!" If we could all have that wonder, and fear, of God's creation again. I love watching life through the eyes of my children; 10 months and 10 years.

  Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
Psalm 105:2

Summer TV: Discovery Channel - Dirty Jobs

Finding myself watching a little more TV during the summer than usual, my daughter and I love to watch Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. This guy is funny!  It is also rather educational as we watch him do jobs that we would never dream of doing, but you always wondered who does them. It is great that some of these guys and girls get recognition for the dirty jobs they do. MORE POWER TO YOU. I take my hat off to these hard workers.

MIKE ROWE IS MY HERO! This guy does all the stuff that we would never ever do or dream of doing.

In a world where the dirtiest thing I do as a pastor isn't dig out scum in the sewers, but maybe try to clean out the dirt from peoples hearts and minds. (O.K. not quiet the same, but it can get ugly!)

Oh yeah, Man vs. Wild and Mythbusters are also great shows. Kirsten and I love to sit and watch these shows and talk about what is going on. True, TV isn't all we do together, but she likes see something else on TV other than the Chicago Cubs on WGN. Take a break from some of the dirty TV that's out there and try a different kind of dirty TV on the Discovery Channel. There is a whole interesting and educational world out there waiting. And you don't even have to get dirty to do it.

A Women's Love and A Mother's Touch

Two of the greatest gifts known to mankind. The power of a women's love has shaped mankind's history and has changed the lives of individuals. It's power brings unimaginable strength to a home and peace to a child. A mother's touch has the strength to work her job, raise her children, clean her house, take care of her husband and also a delicate touch to plant a single flower with utmost care. Mothers are the most under appreciated gift in our country. One day, one little day, is all we give to say thank you to the hardest working force that we have, and there is no union to support them.

The rewards that await a Godly mother we be made evident on the last day. Until then, let us join together and at least give a try to that which we, men, husbands, dads, and sons are far to poor to stand before. There is that old saying, "Behind every great man is a greater women." Certainly true, but behind not only a great man, but behind the true meaning of sacrifice and of strength is the word women and the beautiful name mother.

While we are excited at OSL to have our confirmation on May13th, I find it unfortunate that Mother's Day is overshadowed by this event, when there is only one day to honor and to cherish our wives, mothers, and grandmothers. Please accept my humble apology and know that I am very thankful for each and every one of your contributions to raising your children, the future of our country. Your daily sacrifices are not going unthanked. May God continue to bless our families, our churches and certainly our country with this great gift called women and motherhood.

I know I would not be where I am now if it were not for the three most important ladies in my life. First is the guiding hand and the faith of my mother, who still continues to support and pray for me. I would not be where I am now, if not for my incredibly patient and caring wife, who daily puts up with my lack of patience and my bad jokes, and still manages a smile. And I would not have the joy in my life as I watch the littlest lady in my family grow up and display her love for the Lord and her family.

If she has been given one day, this same gift that my wife has, that my mother has, and her mother, than I know there is hope for this world. May God grant us as fathers, the will and duty to help raise our daughters and help them to see and maybe become that which we cannot, but that inwhich each of us fathers should aspire to, a women's love and a mother's touch.

Keep Your Mind Wide Open

This is the title song to the movie Bridge to Teribithia. A few weeks ago I took my daughter to see this movie. It has been one of my favorite books to teach because of the topics that it tackles, so obviously I was curious.  There is some debate whether it was good or not, certainly there was some "Hollywood" inserted into the movie that wasn't in the book, but sometimes I think you may need to do this to capture what you can't from the narrative in the book itself.

Above anything though, it reminded me as an adult, as a parent, the power and necessity of imagination. When I taught in the classroom, this was one of my most powerful tools to use. The imagination is not only a wonderful gift of God, but I believe that it is essential to our children. In an age where they are being exposed to so many "grown up" things, imagination becomes even more important than ever.

I think as parents and adults, we should not be immune to the effects of imagination. Somewhere along the line we have taken a vaccination, maybe it's life, maybe it was a certain situation, but to foster growth, or even to resurrect our imaginations, would be exciting and wonderful. In the song mentioned above, the opening line goes like this, "Have you ever seen the sky so, beautiful, colorful, wide and wonderful..."

Last night we got out of the car and Kirsten looked up in the sky and was excited, not an exaggeration, and said, "Look in the sky daddy. I see stars. I really see stars. Isn't that cool?" And for a moment I was transported back into the wonder of my child's eyes, just looking up into the sky, marveling the stars in the heavens, even though we could only see a handful. May you be blessed with a moment such as this. These moments are there for you, just keep your mind wide open. 

Stay Away from Goblet of Fire

I just took my daughter to see the new movie, Dreamer, which is an excellent family film about dreams, hope and family unity. During the movie previews, Dreamer is PG by the way, a trailer was shown for the fourth movie in the Harry Potter series, Goblet of Fire.  My daughter was quite frightened by the trailer. It is very dark, hence the PG-13 rating! Granted she is already shy and timid, but at 7 years old, she was definately scared, with good reason. I first would like to object to the fact that the theatre shows previews for a PG-13 movie in a PG film. The broad difference in movies between a girl and her horse and dragons, withcraft and dark lords is quite extreme.

I know there are those parents out there who have taken there kids to see the first two or three movies. I have seen the five and six year olds and younger coming out of these theatres. DO NOT TAKE YOUR YOUNG CHILD TO THIS MOVIE! It is PG-13 for a good reason. If anything, please be responsible enough and view the movie first before you bring your child to this one. Personally and professionally I am not a fan of the series at all, but if you came to know Harry is a bright boy, down on his luck, with a good bit of humor and wonder in the first movie, let me tell you that in his fourth year at sorcery school, Harry grew up, BIG TIME.

Please be careful. I send this out to try to warn all who are thinking about taking their children. In the end it is your decision, but remember with children what goes in doesn't come out. Once they have been exposed to something, there is no going back, the innocence is lost.

Parents Keep Gaurd Over Your Children

Our most valuable resource for the future of our country, the next generation, and the future of the world is in our children. These are the most precious commodities that we can be given. We have been given a great responsibility in raising children. Not for one minute should we take lightly this job, this blessing given to us by God. The experiences that our children have in especially the younger formative years when they are dealing with what is right and wrong, what is good and evil what, and what gives glory to God or doesn't leads us as parents to pay close attention to the things around us that are molding our children.