Taking a Break

What a great weekend - so much to blog. By golly, I'm going to blog it too! We took the weekend off and went to Coleman to see Cheryl's family this weekend and celebrate Julia's Birthday a little early with them since they couldn't make it down next weekend (Julia is 2 this week!). It was a great break and we made some fun memories. I haven't put up a blog post in a while so this one is just to prime the pump. Stay tuned!

Mini Golf - Mega Fun

We had a date night last night! We were joined by some friends, Will and Pat, and headed to Chipotle (or Chick-pootle as Isaac would say). We had thought about a movie after dinner, but decided against that. We wanted to be able to talk and hang-out so we found a mini-golf place. FUN!

Immediately we decided to keep no score which was good! Then off to the links. Hole one set the pace for the night - I shot an 8, just over the par of 3 for the hole but I really needed a pitching wedge for the flower bed! Will and I managed to retrieve extra balls from the water traps and played two the rest of the night. The girls joined Will and I for several "speed holes" - everyone putts at the same time and continues to putt as fast as they can in a race to the hole! Loads of Fun. That digressed a bit near the end into something that resembled hockey more than putt-putt. I was pleasantly surprised at how hard it is to sink the putt but how easy it is to have a blast while doing it!

Birds of a Mini-Van....

Parents do tend to wind up with other parents a lot. Maybe it is all that we have in common. Maybe the single friends just don't want to hear the kids anymore. One thing I've noticed now that we are (proud) mini-van owners is that they are EVERYWHERE ... that parents are!

Cheryl and I have a new game even based on this new discovery - "Silver Mini-Van". The rules are taken from the games "Slug-bug" and "Red Truck". If you see a slug-bug you get to scream it out, "Slug-Bug!" and whoop the other players ... unless they see it first; then you need to duck and run! I don't actually whap Cheryl, of course, don't want to teach that to the kiddos!

Becoming a Missionary

I have had this thought developing in my head over the last few days. How would their life change if someone were called to be a missionary. What if when they got there, their missions organization required them to support themselves by taking a job. As this scenario rolls around my head I can think of a few things that would change in my own thinking.

I'd get up in the morning and prepare for a day of ministry the way I've done when on a mission trip or at a retreat or camp. That extra measure of focused prep. I'd be a lot less concerned about my 'career' because it no longer defined me in the same way. I'd be a diligent worker, no doubt, but it would not be quite so the center of my life.

This weekend I've unexpectedly been called on to lead worship for a men's retreat - something that I haven't done in any real leadership capacity for a while. I go up this AM and prayed with focus on the weekend - for my heart and those of the men who'll be there. I prayed this way because my experience as a worship leader in the past has taught me it is vital. It strikes me that this new sense of mission was what the Lord has called us to every day.

As a child of God, I am the missionary from my hypothetical question at the beginning. I am called to the field right here where I am living ... at the ends of the earth. My prayer today is that I would be a faithful missionary.

Instant Replay for Parents

The other day, Cheryl and I were driving along and got to talking about our sweet kiddos who have of late learned how to blame things on the other. I suggested that it would be great if we could just get one of those video monitors - Ya' know the kind they make for infants. Hook that thing up to a DVR and you've got INSTANT REPLAY!

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SCENE: Momma walks into room where an argument has broken out.)
Momma: What is going on here?
Isaac: She bit me!
Momma: Julia!
(Julia cries - ENTER NFL Referee...)
Ref: Just a second ma'am; let's check the instant replay.
(a moment later ... Ref steps to center of room and looks up to camera)
Ref: (with echo from the PA...) The initial call ...all ...ll
was intentional biting ...ing ...ng
on number two ...oo ...oo Defense ...ss ...s
Upon review ...ew ...ew
the call was found to be incorrect ...ect ...ect
the call instead will be ...ee ...e
Unnecessary Instigation on number one ...un ...un
Offense ...ss ...s

(The crowd goes wild!)