Tag: kids

Posted on

You’ve Got Me Seeing Stars

I enjoyed showing various video clips to my kids when they were little. When she was a toddler, I showed my youngest daughter a computer-generated animation accompanied by “Twinkle, twinkle little star.” It was slow-paced, so it easily held the attention of young little eyes. This particular version, about two and a half minutes long, featured an owl who looked up at the night sky and decided to fly up high to get a better look at a star hovering above.

As he flew to a great height, the star came to greet him. The two new friends frolicked along the tops of clouds for a bit, to the owl’s great enjoyment. It was utter happiness for the two, sharing these magical moments. Alas, all things come to an end, and eventually the owl began to fall back to earth as the star watched, waving goodbye, ending this brief friendship.

My daughter watched, captivated, until this part. As she saw the look in the owl’s eyes, along with the star’s farewell wave, a profound sadness came over her and she began to cry. This was a completely unexpected reaction. Of course children want to be in the presence of their own mother from a very young age, but it turns out even a child too young to write her name understands the importance of togetherness and the pain of separation in others. Communion and fellowship are hardwired into us; we need others.

After we slip from this life into the next, there are only two possibilities for how we’ll spend eternity. The first is joyful bliss in the everlasting presence of the Lord. The second is the shock and pain of isolation from Him. When we picture Hell, we often think of fire. While eternal smoke from unbelievers is described in the Bible (Revelation 14:11), I think we usually miss the fact that folks in this category have no chance of ever getting right with, and spending time with the Almighty, other than standing before Him in judgment. While Christians can rest in the idea of Christ’s love, those who reject Him will themselves be rejected and cast into an existence of separation from Him (and likely everyone else).

Just a little reminder of what’s at stake here. You might very well be the only person to speak Christ to someone else. Don’t worry about messing it up. They’re already facing the worst-case scenario: eternity separated from the Lord. You can’t make it any worse, but you can help them gain the only thing that matters. Start a conversation today.

Posted on

A Vivid Reminder of His Goodness in my Life

Years back our family took its first plane trip. We visited family in Colorado, had a lot of fun, enjoyed our time quite a bit, and went to the Denver airport for our return trip as travel pros.

I have a gigantic book of Sudoku puzzles I brought with me on that trip. I’d dink around with it on and off during the flight. Trying to switch things up to reduce boredom for our kids, we moved them around to different seats part way through the flight. My youngest daughter, who was four years old at the time, would be sitting next to me for the landing.

During final approach when we started to really drop in altitude, she developed a nose bleed. It was the worst possible time to do it, too. The seatbelt signs were on, the flight attendants were all buckled in, and I didn’t have any tissues or napkins or anything. I called to my wife across the aisle, hoping she’d have some tissues. She did, but they were in her purse, stowed in the overhead bin.

It was such a helpless feeling, not being able to help my little girl when she needed me and couldn’t do anything to help herself. To my great relief, someone in the row behind me heard what was happening and gave us some of her tissues (thank you!).

Once we got home again, we unpacked our things, did all kinds of laundry and grocery shopping, and life began to return to normal. After things had returned to normal I sat down with my Sudoku book. I opened it up to the page where I’d last been working, and was almost startled to see blood on the page until I remembered where I’d been the last time I used the book. To this day I don’t think I remember anything else about that flight, but I remember the bloody nose adventure.

The Bible recounts multiple instances of the Israelites setting up markers, recounting stories to their children verbally, celebrating feasts, and using pneumonic devices to remember what the Lord had done for them. God set up these circumstances and commanded these reminders so that, in an age without notebooks, plaques, or screens, people would be able to easily remember the Lord’s actions on their behalf.

Although this little reminder of mine pales in comparison to being led out of captivity or being established in a land flowing with milk and honey, I’m nonetheless very grateful for the Lord’s provision for my daughter in a time of need. I wouldn’t even recognize the “tissue woman” if I bumped into her, but I’m glad our paths crossed for a few moments years ago.

Do you have any reminders in your own life of the way God’s moved for your benefit? It could be a scar, a vivid memory, or perhaps some trinket, memento, or photo. The Lord still moves in peoples’ lives today, and it’s good to remember His involvement in your life. Keep that in mind as you face new challenges in your daily living.

Posted on

Despite all the Mentions of “Peace” in Christmas Carols…

I have a daughter that looks forward to Christmas all year round. Sometimes we catch her humming Christmas carols in the summer. Once Halloween passes, she starts to crank it up into full gear. You can imagine how full of the Christmas spirit she is right now.

In a lot of Christmas carols, as well as certain Bible verses that are more prominent in December, “Peace” gets a lot of attention this time of year. There are a lot of Christmas carols out there that mention the word “Peace” somehow (sleep in heavenly peace, Peace on earth and mercy mild, his law is love and his gospel is peace). A lot of Bible verses point to it, too (…and he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. Isaiah 9:6). It’s as though the very presence of Jesus is somehow synonymous with Peace.

Yet despite all this mention of Peace, there’s a verse in Matthew chapter 10 that seemingly contradicts this concept of Christ bringing peace to the earth:

Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. –Matt 10:34

Now what does that mean? This doesn’t sound the least bit peaceful.

It’s actually a warning from Christ himself that His arrival did not bring peace to the world. In fact, wars have been fought in the name of Jesus. People have been disowned by their families for converting to Christianity. Though it’s not directly related to Christ, the world is currently in the greatest state of unrest in recent memory. Where’s the peace?

In Old Testament times, the fall of man severely damaged the relationship between God and humanity. God’s wrath and pure holiness prevent the relationship from continuing in the same way it previously did. The chasm between the two could only be temporarily bridged by animal sacrifices and priestly intercessors. Now Christ has changed the game and permanently bridged the gap on our behalf. This wasn’t possible before His birth. Christ didn’t come to bring peace; He came to make peace. There’s now an enduring pathway back to a restored relationship with God that could only have come from someone that fulfilled all the requirements of the law.

May you enjoy the Christmas season, knowing that despite all the imperfection present in the world, there’s a way back to a relationship with the Prince of Peace.

Posted on

I Know They’re Trying Hard. It’s Just…(sigh)

Years ago my two oldest kids were on a tee-ball team together. For those that aren’t familiar, tee-ball is the version of baseball little kids play before they have the skills to play actual baseball. Instead of pitching the ball to a kid, the ball sits on something that looks like a big golf tee, so the kids get to swing at a ball that isn’t moving. In the unlikely event that the fielding team is competent enough to get three outs in an inning, the batting team keeps batting until everyone on the team has had a chance to hit. Everybody gets to field the ball, and everybody gets to run the bases.

I’ll be the first to admit that tee ball is a good way to teach young kids the mechanics and basics of baseball. I’ll also tell you that it’s extremely painful to watch. You normally have nine or 10 kids out in the field, and when a batter connects with the ball, at least half of them start running toward the ball, no matter what position they’re playing. You also have kids standing around looking up at the clouds, singing songs to themselves, picking their nose, or sitting down in the outfield playing with dandelions. Usually those kids are the ones the ball gets hit to.

I remember the coach for my kids’ team also had a kid on the team. He was funny to watch. He was fine for a while during each game, but there would come a time when he would just be done with it all. He’d take off his sunglasses, hold them straight out in front of him, and just drop them on the ground and walk away, as though it was a mic drop.

Well as enjoyable as the game was to watch, we also had a very young third child, and she would only stay content in the stroller for so long. Since my wife is a better fan and cheerleader than I am, she stayed and cheered for the team while I picked up our youngest when she got too antsy, and I’d take her for a walk around the area.

On one occasion I took her out to a nearby area that had a large storm drain. I held her little hands and helped her walk around on the grass, but then another kid came over and stood on top of the storm drain, looking down into it. He seemed very interested in it, kneeling down and peering as far into the tunnel as he could see. He knelt there for a moment, and a smile crossed my face when I heard him shout down into the drain “Ninja Turtles, are you down there?”

Kids are fun, man. They’ve got big imaginations, they haven’t yet been beaten down by life, and in their minds, anything is possible. The summer months can be a little challenging if you’ve got kids with lots of energy and no school to attend, but hang in there. Love on ‘em anyway, because they don’t stay little for long. Foster that imagination of theirs, and it’ll serve them well as they get older.

And if you’ve got somebody in tee-ball right now, it won’t always be so painful to watch.

Posted on

It Was Gone With the Wind

At a family get-together at my wife’s aunt and uncle’s house, my son ran into a problem.

This particular piece of property has a field that’s lined on two sides with acres of hardwood trees. My son brought an aerial drone to use in the field, but even a gentle breeze was too much for it to overcome and it got carried toward the trees. By the time he sent the command to kill power, it was out of range and it maintained a hover as the wind took it away.

He came and found me and relayed what had happened. Thankfully some of the other kids overheard the predicament and a small army of second cousins headed out into the treeline to search. (Walking behind them, it was one of those “my faith in humanity is restored” moments.)

The search dragged on for awhile though, and we didn’t develop any leads. My wife’s uncle had a number of tree stands set up in the area, so I decided to climb up a little higher for a better view.

Nearing the top of the ladder, I stopped and began having a look around. Was that… “I might see something over there!” I pointed off in a direction and someone took a walk over to check it out. I steered them toward whatever it was, and sure enough, they picked up the missing drone! It had automatically killed the power after losing contact with the remote long enough.

My son was very fortunate to have so many people willing to lend a hand. It was hard to find the drone walking around on the ground, even with so many of us searching. Getting a different vantage point made all the difference.

Now remember that you’ve got an advocate working on your behalf, who not only sees from an elevated vantage point, but from every possible vantage point. He knows what your mind is preoccupied with, He knows what you’re searching for, what He’ll let you find, when He’ll show it to you, and the surprise events that are just around the corner.

In the various crises we face with our short-term memories, it’s sometimes tough to remember that God plays the long game in our lives. The attitudes we take in facing today’s events not only are born out of the previous experiences God’s brought us through, but will also shape our future perspective. In God’s multi-dimensional perspective, He’s both having us arrive at a specific point in our lives and preparing us for some future purpose.

From our position on the ground it’s hard (or impossible) to see, but we’ve got someone in our corner with a way better view, guiding us where He wants us to go. We just need to follow those directions.

The Lord will give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, but your Teacher will no longer hide Himself—with your own eyes you will see Him. And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.” -Isaiah 30:20-21

Posted on

Lord of (More Than Just) the Rings

About this time of year, probably about five years ago, we had some family pictures taken. My wife had a friend with a photography business, and we set up a time at a picturesque area and met her there for an extended photo shoot.

The fall foliage was exploding with color, and we really did have a very nice backdrop. It was one of the first cold days of the season, but for the sake of the photos we tried to make it look like we weren’t cold. The kids were wrapped in blankets and coats while we set up shots, then they ditched them when it was time to take the pictures.

When I get cold, my fingers shrink a little as they try to avoid losing a lot of heat from my hands. The only way I really notice it is when my wedding ring starts sliding around on my finger more than normal. I have to check my ring more often and sometimes keep my knuckles bent so I don’t lose it.

We took lots of different shots that day, and as in any photo shoot, some of them didn’t work out. One of the later shots we took involved all of us throwing handfuls of fallen leaves up into the air. We tried it a couple of times to get all of our throws synched and a good effect for the leaves spreading out and falling, but it wasn’t working. By that time we were finished with that, we were all a little chilled and the novelty had worn off for at least one of the kiddos, so we weren’t super sad when it was a wrap.

I’m not sure when I realized it, but before we left, I noticed that I no longer had my wedding ring on. I checked my pants pockets and my jacket pockets, but there was nothing there. I told my wife and the photographer, and the only thing we could think of was that it slid off during the leaf-throwing scene. We went back and started looking around for it in the area where we had tossed the leaves.

I tried retracing my steps and simulating the motions I had done earlier, trying to narrow down where the ring may have gone. We still couldn’t find it, and we couldn’t drag the kids around much longer in the cold. From a practical standpoint, the ring wasn’t super valuable. It was even scratched up from doing all kinds of activities while wearing it. Obviously, we still wanted to find it. Sure, we could replace it, but that was an original ring from our wedding day. Eventually, we had to call off the search. Before we left, the photographer, who lived nearby, pledged to contact her neighbor, who had a metal detector.

We brought the kids home and got them fed and warmed up, and my wife received a text from her photographer friend saying she had acquired her neighbor’s metal detector. It was sitting on her front porch and I was free to come and use it to look for the ring. After lunch I headed back, grabbed the detector, and headed back to resume the search.

I had never used a metal detector before, but I followed the directions on it and started sweeping around the area. I still couldn’t find the ring, but I found some other weird metal stuff. At least I knew it was working. I covered the immediate area a few times over, trying different settings to try to pick up some kind of reading, but still nothing. Growing disheartened, I decided to widen the search area just a little bit more before giving up. Wouldn’t you know it, a faint reading showed up in an area farther away than where we’d been looking. Bending down for a closer look, there it was, lying on the ground among the leaves! I texted my wife right away to share the good news with her. God was gracious that day.

It reminds me of a series of parables Jesus tells in Luke chapter 15. The most famous of the three is the prodigal son, but there are two other parables earlier in the chapter. The first is about a man with 100 sheep that leaves 99 of them to go after the one that’s lost. Then the one that my lost ring reminded me of is in verses 8 to 10.

“Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?  And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!’

Then verse 10 is my favorite part:  Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

All three of these parables describe the joy in Heaven that explodes when a single sinner repents of their ways and turns to God. The last verse of the parable of the 100 sheep says I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.

Let’s not forget what we’re supposed to be focused on while we’re here on Earth. Eternity hangs in the balance, and it’s for good reason that angels rejoice over the conversions of sinners. Not only has that soul been spared an eternity of suffering, but it’s also an eternity of fellowship between God and a believer that’s been gained. While it’s the Holy Spirit that enables it to happen, He frequently invites Christians to be blessed by being a part of that momentous occasion. Be on the lookout for opportunities to help angels rejoice!

Posted on

Of Course THAT’S When She Walked Through the Door!

Years ago I found myself bringing my toddler son out in our backyard to give him a change of scenery. He was a curious little guy, and sometimes even just bringing him to a different room or out in the backyard kept him busy for a little while.

Our yard at the time was very small, but it had plenty of stuff for my little guy to explore. It was fenced in, had an HVAC condenser unit, a shed, and a little sandbox. There was always something to clean up back there, so I busied myself doing that while my son set about exploring his environment.

I think I noticed a strange look on his face right around the same time my wife came outside to join us. Having “Mom Radar,” she spotted his expression right away and hurried over to him and opened up his mouth. To her disgust, my son had picked up a little Roly-Poly (a pillbug) and put it in his mouth. She fished it out while half laughing and half scolding her husband. If only she were married to someone responsible, he could be trusted to care for the well being of this little boy out in the backyard!

Man, I blew it. Daddy fail. There are other fails, but this is probably one of the more mild ones. I still have the teenage years ahead of me, so I’m probably going to blow it on multiple occasions when the stakes are higher.

This Sunday is Father’s Day. Everyone out there has a father. Maybe you have a fabulous relationship with your dad. You may have had a terrible father. You may not have ever met your dad. Whatever the case may be, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that if he hasn’t already, your dad is probably going to let you down at least once (I’m certainly no exception). Even if he loves you, he’s human, and humans make lots of mistakes. (It’s not a dig at you, Dad!)

I can also guarantee you, though, that not only does your Heavenly Father love you, but He does NOT make mistakes. He loves you enough to rebuke you, to discipline you, and to steer you in the direction He wants you to go in, even if it’s not the direction you’re trying to go. Whereas I try to let my kids be kids and encourage them in some of their interests without knowing what they’ll someday become, the Lord controls different aspects of your life to get you to arrive exactly where He wants you to be, right when He wants you to be there, with the right experience already under your belt.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. –Proverbs 19:21

“And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty. -2 Corinthians 6:18

Happy Father’s Day to the dads out there!

Posted on

What can Christians Learn From Pee Wee Basketball?

Ever see a youth basketball game? If you’re a competitive parent (or even just a parent that enjoys watching a team play as a well-oiled machine), it can be excruciating to watch.

Two of my kids played in a local league this spring. It was their first year playing, and they only practiced once a week. In a case like this it’s important to temper expectations, because they’re not gonna become professional-caliber players over the course of a single season, especially if they’re only practicing once a week.

The games early in the season were somewhere between comical and horrendous. For kids that haven’t played before, or who don’t have much experience, the first few games are for becoming familiar with the rules and the mechanics of the game. “This is how you start a game,” “put your hands up when defending,” “this is what you do during foul shots,” “this is how you set up your defense.” They all get better over time, of course, but early in the season, things are just ugly.

One girl on the team got so excited when she got the ball, she just started running down the court with it rugby style, forgetting to dribble. I saw one boy so focused on getting to his defensive zone that he didn’t pay any attention to the fact that he was clearing the way to the basket for someone on the opposite team, who was dribbling down the court right behind him. One kid can dribble like a fiend with his right hand; he dribbles circles around the opposition, but it’s because he can’t dribble back the other direction. Then there’s the kid that’s super fast. He gets the ball and sprints down the court on a fast break, but he doesn’t look up. By the time he realizes he should slow down to take a shot, it’s already too late and the ball gets away from him, flying out of bounds and thus into the hands of the other team.

It’s been interesting to observe how the officiating has changed over the course of the season. Early on when things were just dog-ugly, the referees were pretty lenient. There were lots of “teachable moments” that occurred, but you’d have to do something pretty egregious to get the whistle blown. Double dribbles, travels, over-the-back fouls…the refs let them get away with stuff in the beginning because the kids were still learning a lot about how this whole thing worked. As the weeks went on, the officiating got a little tighter because the kids got enough experience to be able to know better. “Oh that’s right, I can’t do that. I’ll have to play cleaner next time.” Over the course of a season, there’s a vast improvement from the first week to the final week. Even a small amount of consistent practice and playing according to instruction helps the players become much more proficient.

Superimpose this metaphor on the Christian life. Early in our walk with God, there are probably times He feels just like a coach of a youth basketball team as one of his players dribbles the ball in the wrong direction and takes a shot at the wrong basket. Even if that player is terrible at what they’re doing, they can improve by leaps and bounds if they’re willing to be shaped and molded and to follow the coach’s instructions. Same thing with Christians. In the long run, a kid with mediocre talent and a willingness to be shaped will be more valuable than a kid with a lot of talent and a stubborn resistance to the coach’s instructions or strategy. With dedication and time the kid will mature and have a greater awareness of what’s happening on the court, and as they develop more skills they’ll have more opportunities to make a positive impact for their team. Same deal for those that follow Jesus.

Wherever you are in this metaphor’s spectrum, don’t rob yourself of the opportunity to be shaped and get better. Our coach is willing to work with you one on one to get you thinking more like Him, to work on your weak spots, and to get you doing drills that will prepare you for the next challenge. Spend time with Him, preferably way more than once a week, and you’ll probably notice yourself developing more awareness of how events are unfolding around you and a greater capacity to help your team out. You’ve got some talent in raw form; let’s see what happens when Coach guides you to where He wants you to be.

Posted on

The Time Will Soon be Past

Every year in early November, our church does a harvest/fall festival. Kids are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes and there are a lot of games and opportunities for kids that are elementary age and younger to win candy. It’s a community outreach that brings a lot of families onto the church grounds, and it’s usually a lot of fun for the kiddos.

One of the recurring attractions is a giant inflatable obstacle course. It’s set up so that two people can go head-to-head through tunnels, barriers, walls, and some other weird stuff. All three of my kids have done this, and I think I accompanied each of them on their first time through.

The girls each thought it was okay, and they still go on it most years, but my son is the one that wants to take on his old man each year. He’ll wait in line for a long time to make sure he gets a shot. When he was little, I’d hang back as we were going through the course and make sure he got past a certain set of obstacles before clearing it myself. As the years went by, I’d have to hang back a little less each time. Now I’m not hanging back at all. Once we start, it’s an all-out dash to the end. I’m vaulting over stuff, bouncing off the walls, and leaping up as high as I can on walls to keep up with him.

The final challenge on the course is always climbing up a steep hill and then sliding down the other side. The last time we raced on the obstacle course, we arrived at the last challenge at the same time and started scrambling up the wall. We got to the top at the same time, but when he hesitated to swing his feet around in front of him for the slide down, I plunged right on through, going down the slide head first. I hit the finish line having given my best.

I’m pretty sure this was my last year taking the crown. As he gets bigger and faster, I’m getting slower and less flexible. If I win next time (a big “if”), it will likely be because I’m able to have a cleaner run than he does. It’s a fun tradition, but I know my time as obstacle course champion will soon be over.

The Bible compares the Christian life to running a race. First Corinthians 9:24-25 says Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

For all of us, the race we’re running will one day end. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you’re no longer in the race simply because you’re no longer able to physically do the things you used to be able to. If you’re still breathing, God’s not done with you and there’s more work for you to do. I encourage, and even plead with you, finish your race strong! When you get to the top of that final obstacle, don’t stop to admire the view or get your legs in front of you; dive headlong with abandon over the peak of the challenge God commissioned you to face.

Posted on

When We’re Groggy but Settled

One of the things that are most fun about family get-togethers is seeing little kids. If you only see certain friends or family infrequently, you sometimes don’t realize how long it’s been until you see how big those kiddos got since the last time you saw them.

A little over a year ago we got together with some family that had a newborn. This year she was, well, a year older. The younger you are, the bigger difference a year makes.

There were a sizable number of people at this particular get-together. As the house started filling up with arriving family members, a mom with young kids disappeared into one of the back rooms. When she returned, she was carrying a toddler that had just woken up from a nap. This poor kiddo, who had been napping in a nice dark room, was brought out into a bright, loud room that had a bunch of people who weren’t here the last time around. She was still groggy, was still squinting, and had flushed cheeks. She looked confused, but she was with Mommy, so she didn’t seem upset or worried.

The following day was Sunday, and in church someone brought up the fact that once we trust Christ and are saved, we don’t just instantly disappear and show up in Heaven. He said something like “we’re left behind on Earth for awhile.” He went on to say that the reason for that is because we have work to do here on Earth; God calls each of us to live lives that honor Him and somehow contribute to His kingdom.

I’m not really sure what made me think of that little toddler, but for some reason she came to mind. Here we are, Christians…in the world but not of it. Our Heavenly Father has us in His arms, but we have no clue where He’s taking us while we’re here. We’re often disoriented, confused, and looking around at our surroundings without any understanding at all of what’s going on or what’s about to take place.

As we grow in our relationship with Christ, however, our trust in Him deepens. A newborn wails at the slightest hunger, but as they grow and learn to trust those caring for them, they learn that it’s not necessary to make such a fuss. It’s the same with us learning to trust our Savior. He’s going to do things we don’t understand, and will deny us things we desperately want, but as long as we can get past our self-centeredness, we can learn to trust Him. That trust deepens over time if we continue walking with Him. We’re going to be placed in situations where we’re uncomfortable or disoriented, but ultimately we know that we’ll be okay because we know Who’s holding us.

Honorable mention; saw this and had to include it

Here at the beginning of a new year, I hope you’ll take steps to walk closer with God, deepen your trust in Him (even when things are painful or uncertain), and be willing to let Him use you for His purposes.

Lord, as a new year begins, please help me to be open to whatever you have in store for me. We’ve had a couple rough years in a row now, and I don’t know what lies ahead, but help me to be confident in the hope that comes with living for You. Give me the strength and the resolve to follow wherever You lead me this year. In Your Holy name, Amen.