100th Post!!

Wow, this is it…my 100th post!  I never imagined I would have that much to say.  I also never realized how much I would enjoy writing.  I have met some really neat people through blogging.  Since I started tracking the states and countries my visitors are coming from, I have been amazed at the variety.  I have had visitors from 47 of the 50 states.  To my knowledge, I haven’t had a visitor from Vermont, Wyoming, or Idaho.  I do have some that come through as “unknown,” so maybe I have had visitors from these states and don’t know it.  I have had visitors from at least 43 countries, representing all 6 of the inhabited continents.  Of course, roughly 45% of my visitors come from my home state of Kansas.

I appreciate all of you who stop by to read my posts.  As my regular readers have noticed, my blogsite hasn’t changed much since I started back in March.  I tend to find something I like and stick with it.  I don’t see my love for mountains changing anytime soon.   I’m also not too technologically advanced to add a lot of fancy stuff to my blog.  I tried to add a picture of the “kissin’ camels” yesterday and couldn’t make it work.   I just hope that what I write will be of value to my readers and that you will find encouragement along the way.  Thanks for letting me share part of my life with you through writing.  I’m no expert, just a guy who wants to pursue God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, and share what I learn along the way with anyone who will listen.

Well, I doubt you’ll hear from me much over the next week.  We’ll be in Texas enjoying time with family, and hopefully getting the front heater fixed in our van.  The mechanic here wanted $1200 to fix it.  I’ll jerry-rig some electric blankets for the front seat or something before I’ll pay that.  It looks like God is going to give us good traveling weather, so that will help.  The further south we go, the warmer it will get.  YEEHAW!!!   It also looks like the temperature is going to be about 70 on Friday – perfect for horse riding, 4-wheeling, and goat-chasing…or whatever else comes along.  Sorry, I’m not trying to rub it in…or maybe I am.

May God give you a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!

Gracious or Graceless?

My need for a mentor has never been more evident to me than it was yesterday as I talked to mine by phone.  He graciously, without beating it over my head, pointed out some things and made some connections to things to which I’ve been totally blinded.  These are things that could have some serious implications in the future if not corrected.  These are things that are affecting my relationship with God and with those around me.

God has been teaching me some things in my time with him, and then He used my mentor’s wisdom to really bring it together.  I have a critical spirit, and I know that about myself.  I just didn’t realize how bad it was and to what degree it was being manifested in my life.  My mentor told me yesterday that often he is critical of others in areas where he is weak in order to make himself look and feel better.  It’s a thing he does out of pride to cover his weakness, so others won’t see it and think more highly of him.  At first, I didn’t think it applied to me.  WRONG!!!  He hit the nail on the head.  In fact, I’m pretty sure he saw it in me, but was gracious not to come out and say it.  Instead, he said it in such a way that made me think on it for 24 hours.

I believe my critical spirit and attitude has hurt my relationship with my children and with some people in our church, particularly the other staff and leadership.  It mostly happens with those I have the highest expectations of.  It has caused me to be highly frustrated and I’ve allowed it to steal my joy in parenting and in ministry to a degree.  I’m sure it has actually come out in my blog posts, but I’ve been blinded to it.  While my intention was to make this blog a place where people can come for encouragement, I’m not sure that’s what my readers always find.

My mentor pointed out the fact that I ”might be” taking on responsibilities that aren’t mine to take on.  I have taken up battles that are not mine to fight, especially alone.  With this, I often feel the weight of the world on my shoulders.  I take on so much responsibility that I have no down time.  Then, I begin to get frustrated and tired, and then begin to get critical of others when they aren’t stepping up and taking responsibility the way I think they should.  I know this has been evident in my blog posts because I have been especially critical of fathers who aren’t stepping up.  I have taken on a crusade, of sorts, to single handedly end fatherlessness and defend the widow and the orphan.  I have even been applauded by others for my efforts, which feeds this insanity and encourages me to keep on fighting the battle.  While on the surface, all this may seem valiant, it is really arrogant and prideful.  I’m trying to be the savior.  Not only am I trying to play the role of God in convicting people of their actions or lack thereof in “my battle”, I am also being so arrogant as to think I can win this battle alone.   The result – fatigue, discouragement, finger pointing, lack of joy, etc…  Then, I come across as very graceless rather than loving.  The truth is, my negativity will never bring out the positive in others, so I’m really defeating my purpose and fighting against the tide. 

The thing that hurts the most is that I know I’ve been very critical toward my children.  I’ve been trying to convict their hearts so much that the encouragement and “truth in love” part hasn’t been so evident.  I’ve come across as very graceless.  I know I’ve touched on this before in a previous post about never being able to please my stepdad and how that hurt me.  And, I know I’ve said that I don’t want to hurt my children in that way.  However, I’m afraid I have been, with comments like: “you know better than that” and “what were you thinking” and “don’t you know there’s a billion starving children in this world”.  There’s not much room for mistakes and learning.  While it hurts to admit that, I believe it is the first step in God changing my heart.  He’s done it before in other areas where I’ve been blinded and weak, and I know He’ll do it again when I humbly seek Him.

Don’t get me wrong.  I do have a good relationship with my children and we have some good times together.  However, I can see where my critical spirit will have some incredible implications for the future and needs to be taken care of now, while they are still young.

I see now that God has been gently and methodically teaching me in recent months so that I was ready for my mentor to help put the pieces together yesterday.  I’m thankful God and Dean have been more gentle and full of grace toward me than I’ve been toward others.  God could not have taught me through a better person because He knows I’ll listen to him, even though it took  a little time for it to sink in.

I don’t know if all this makes sense to anyone else, but it has never been more clear to me.  Please pray that God will change my heart and that His grace will shine through me toward others.  Please pray that God will also continue to point out my blindspots as I grow.

May God’s grace be evident in us all.

Kissin’ Camels

A few weeks ago, our church was given the opportunity to provide “actors” for a live nativity.  One of our members was helping put it together and said they were having problems finding people to play the parts.  It was a warm day when she asked, and I really wasn’t even thinking about the fact that it could be cold when we did it.  I did say I didn’t want to wear sandals, but that was the only thought I gave to it.  Of course, I don’t even wear sandals in the summer.  I was just thinking about it being a fun and meaningful thing to do. 

<Fast Forward Two Weeks>

Yesterday was a drizzly, foggy kind of day, and there was still snow on the ground from earlier in the week.  We kept waiting on the word that our live nativity would be cancelled, but it never came.  Thankfully, the temperature was above freezing for the first time in about a week.  We were seeing single digit temps earlier in the week.  On Sunday during the minister’s open houses, it was a balmy 12F (I had hoped for weather that warranted a fire because it helps set the atmosphere, but that was a bit much).

Anyway, I have to admit, I was dreading standing out in the cold.  I know how to dress warm, but I don’t like being wet and cold.  In my days in the meat industry, I spent many hours in the cold.  I put several layers on under my kingly robe, which I was later glad to have.  When I got there, I found out we would be out in the open.  For some reason, I had in my mind that we would be under a shelter at the park, but that was reserved for something else going on.  Hmmm… no room in the inn… 

Like I said, it was drizzly and fairly cold as we took our positions, standing in the snow.  Several from our church had volunteered to do this and all showed up inspite of the weather.   We even had live animals (yak, donkey, 2 goats, 3 camels, and 4 sheep), which helped keep some of the kids’ minds off the cold.  Our group did wonderful, and the kids were little troopers. 

I was playing the part of one of the Magi, and they wanted to get our picture with the camels.  Then, the cool part for me happened.  They asked if we just wanted to stand with the camels and hold their leads.  Well, yeah!!  How cool is that?

These were very loving camels.  Their names were Polly, Rosalie, and Amber.  They kept giving kisses and showing affection.  Of course, they could get a little ornery, too, and try to steal my crown.  One of the younger ones kept getting a little restless, but Amber just stood there the whole time.  She was the oldest, at 10.  We were scheduled from 5:30 to 6:00.  The group who came next totally consisted of children.  We Three Kings volunteered to stay and hold the camels during their nativity, as well, which was to last until 6:45.  The next group was short a few people so a couple of us stayed again.  I was actually having way too much fun with the camels and letting people pet them, and I didn’t want to leave.  I was enjoying the giggles and laughs of children who were getting camel kisses.  I stayed until 7:45 when they decided to close things down.  I could have stayed awhile longer.  It was wonderful to be a part of something like that to help bring people back to the real Christmas story.  I can’t wait to do it again next year.

On my way home, an almost familiar kind of smell hit my nostrils…Reminded me of my college days, when I spent a fair amount of time around livestock.  When I got home, I examined things in the light of our garage.  Yep, I had camel hair on my gloves, camel slobber on the sleeves of my coat, and then the ultimate…I had stepped in camel poop.  YES!!!  Not many people can say that.  I know… I’m weird…  I hope the others had half as much fun as I had.

Makes me think of my role as a shepherd.  I need to lovingly lead, as our Good Shepherd does.

May God bring you the true wonder of Christmas in the most unusual ways!

Hold Me, Daddy

Well, last night was very interesting around our house.  I already explained yesterday that I was in a very solemn mood after my time at the hospital.  When I got home, my two youngest daughters were way out of sorts.  One had her palate expander removed and braces put on earlier in the day, so she wasn’t feeling too good.  The other just wasn’t feeling well, anyway, but got mad at me and exploded.  My wife and oldest daughter had basketball practice for awhile.  So… I was left at home with a wilting rose, a stick of dynamite and a two foot tornado.  Now that’s a combination.  Disclaimer:  I realize that my wife is often left in this situation, so I’m not looking for pity or sympathy.  I’m just stating the facts…

I knew right away that this wasn’t going to be a normal evening.  I told you yesterday that I was going to go home, start a fire, hold my children, thank God for them, and pray for the family in mourning.  Well, that’s pretty much all that got accomplished, and that’s okay.  My wife and 10 year old fixed a wonderful dinner of chicken and dumplings and took off for practice.  Somehow, during supper, everything began to fall apart… 

We have our ministers’ open houses on Sunday, so I really needed to help my wife get some things done around the house.  However, this task-oriented, to-do-list-kind-of-guy couldn’t pull it all together to get anything done.  I think I put a few dishes away and managed to get the leftovers put in the fridge between tending the fire, consoling, breaking up fights and getting my son out of stuff.  I’ll spare you anymore details…

Basically, I ended up holding my little wilted rose for awhile first.  She was crying and crying.  As I held her, I thanked God for her and prayed.  Eventually, she was much better.  Later, my little stick of dynamite had been diffused and just wanted to be held.  Though it was now past her bedtime, I held her for awhile, thanked God for her and again prayed.  By that point, my wife and oldest daughter had returned.

My oldest had lots of questions about the baby and what was wrong with him.  She asked questions about how the parents were doing and if I saw the baby when I was there.  She wanted to know where he was when I saw him.  When I told her that his parents were taking turns holding him, she got emotional.  I could tell this was tearing her up inside and she needed to talk about it.  She was clingy and just wouldn’t go to bed.  My wife held her and between the two of us we tried to answer her questions.  Somehow, this even lead into conversations about abortion and adoption.  Lastly, as I tucked her in, she asked where his body was now.  I told her it was at the funeral home, which opened up a whole new set of questions…  I couldn’t end the night there, so we talked about while his body is there, his spirit is in Heaven with Jesus.  He is in a place where there is no sin, no pain, no suffering.  She got to bed late, but it was a beautiful conversation.  She’s growing up on me and wants answers to many of life’s questions.  I am so glad we are there to answer those questions.  As I turned off her light, I thanked God for her, and prayed.

Oh, about my little tornado…  While my wife was holding our oldest and we were answering questions, our little tornado fell asleep on my shoulder.  I held him, thanked God for him, prayed, and laid him in his bed.  He woke up twice during the night, but you know…

When the last child was tucked in, I went downstairs.  The fire was beginning to burn down, and I held my wife.  We had a good talk about what is important and cherishing every moment we have.  There were some teary moments, but that’s just the kind of day it was.  I held her, thanked God for her, and prayed one last time for the baby’s family.

May our loving Heavenly Father hold you in His arms today.

Solemn Day

It has been a very cold, windy, and snowy day today.  When I finished teaching chapel this morning, I received a phone call that I needed to go to the hospital.  I believe I mentioned before that we prayed one Sunday with a couple in our church who would be having a baby soon, and he wasn’t expected to live long after birth.  Well, he arrived this morning and lived about an hour and a half.  I prayed with the family and comforted them the best I could, but felt so helpless.  I’m a doer and a fixer, but I couldn’t do or fix anything (the closest I came was going to ask the nurse to turn off this annoying beeping sound that the IV machine was making…).  My heart breaks for them.  At the same time, they know this little guy is with Jesus, where there is no pain and suffering, and that brings great peace and comfort.

I have spent the rest of the day in somewhat of a solemn reflection.  It’s been hard to focus on my work.  It’s times like these that really force me to stop and think about my priorities and what is important.  All four of my children were born in that same hospital in a room just like they were in.  Being in that room brought back a flood of memories, all of them good.  I think I’ll go home, build a fire, and hold each of my children.  I’ll thank God for each of them, and pray for God’s peace, love, and mercy on the family who mourns today.

May God bless you and keep you.

What a Boy Needs to Hear From His Dad

This post stems from an email conversation I had with a friend this morning in regards to the post I wrote a few days ago about manhood lessons.  I may have written this same stuff another time, but that’s okay, it’s worth repeating.

Robert Lewis teaches in Men’s Fraternity that boys need to hear three things from their dads:  1)  I love you.  2)  I’m proud of you.  3)  You’re good at ________________.  Let me add here that these things need to come from the dad’s heart and must be lived out in his life.  I’ve shared before that my parents divorced when I was about 5.  My dad would sometimes come and get us on Sundays.  He was and still is a very social person (liked to be the center of attention), so he knew a lot of people around town.  We would go to the bowling alley, and he would say stuff like, “Here’s my pride and joy” or “meet the boss,” etc…  While that should have made me feel good, it had the opposite effect because it wasn’t lived out.  He didn’t do things that told me that I was his pride and joy.  If I was his pride and joy,  why did I always play second fiddle to softball, golf, bowling, and dog shows?  Why did he not attend my graduation from high school or either graduation from college (though in the same town where he lived)?  Empty words don’t fill an empty heart.  Again, we have reconciled and there has been forgiveness.  I only use this as an example from my life experience.

At least twice in the book of Matthew, God gives us an example of what Robert Lewis is saying.  Matthew 3:17 says, “And a voice from heaven said, ‘This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased’.”  Matthew 17:5 says, “While He was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is My Son, who I love; with Him I am well pleased.  Listen to Him!’”

Can you imagine having affirmation from your dad like this?  Can you imagine your dad telling your closest friends:  “This is my son, and I love him.  Listen to him because he knows what he’s talking about.  He’s really good at what he does.”  I would just settle for my dad telling me that from his heart, without telling my friends… 

I won’t hold my breath on that one.  However, I have learned to find my significance from my Heavenly Father.  I don’t have to work to impress Him.  He loves me just the way I am.  Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t want me to stay this way.  He wants me to grow, but He meets me where I am and gently guides me along.  He has even given me His Holy Spirit to counsel me and to affirm me when I have pleased Him or convict me when I’ve sinned.  Shouldn’t we take a lesson in how to love our sons according to how God loves us.  Won’t this help our sons to have a healthy view of who God is? 

Ouch, I think I may have just hit a nerve.  Many of us don’t have a healthy view of God because of how our fathers treated us, so we pass this along to our children.  Men, let me encourage you to draw near to God and He will draw near to you.  He will heal the hurts of the past, and make us whole.

Men, we have a choice to make.  We can perpetuate the cycle or we can shut it down.  Our sons can grow up confused like we have or we can teach them a different way that is found in an abiding relationship with Christ.  Let’s affirm our sons and those other boys in our lives who don’t have fathers around.  Let’s let them know that we love them, are proud of them, and that they are good at something.  Let’s bring honor back to the title of “Father.”  Let’s honor God by teaching our sons and other boys, by example, to be men after God’s own heart.   We can change the course of history.

A few years ago a group of men came together at our church to call a boy from a single parent home into manhood.  We gave him gifts and told of their significance.  We each wrote him a letter.  We prayed for him, and each of us touched his shoulders with a sword.  We told him that we loved him, that we were proud of him, and affirmed him in what he is good at.  He knows that even to this day he call on any one of us.  This is one young man who didn’t leave the church after high school.  He still attends and serves faithfully.  The growth has been phenomenal.

Once again, I’ve said more than I intended when I started out.  Please, let me reiterate that I’m no expert.  I’m just a dad trying to navigate the rough waters of fathering in a fallen world.  I’ve had my share of failures when it comes to fathering, and I mess up daily.  I’m just sharing what I’ve learned from others and from life experience.  I have a little guy at home who is trying to be like me.  I just want to try to be like my Father, so I can be a good example to him.  Fortunately, my girls want to be like their mom, so there is still hope!!

On that note, you may be thinking, “you’ve talked a lot about sons – what about daughters?”  Well, I’ve learned that little girls need something different from their dads, and I’ll have to get to that another day.  We still have to set the example of being a loving father, but we speak to them in a different language.  It’s called shopping….  Just kidding. 

By the way, I’m guessing the majority of my readers are women, so please feel free to pass this along to men you know.  However, please do so in love, not with a ”here’s what you need to fix your problem” attitude.

All praise and glory to our Heavenly Father, who loves us just the way we are!  May He bless you and keep you today.

Christmas Light Woes and Wows

It is not particularly fun to get on the house, especially the two story section of our tri-level, to put up Christmas lights.  However, I always do it because my family enjoys them and because we will be having an open house next Sunday where the whole church is invited.  This year, we did it early on a warmer day, so that made it much better.

I have learned in years past to test the strands before putting them up, so we did that.  By the time we got them up, we found that there were two circuits out and one that was blinking.  ARGHHHHHHHH!!!  I went out Friday, thinking, “Okay, I will find a couple of broken or missing bulbs and that will fix the dark circuits.  Then, I’ll find the red tipped bulb and the blinking will stop.  Easy enough, right?   WRONG!  There were no broken or missing bulbs and no red tipped ones, either.

Fortunately, I did an internet search and found some very helpful information written by a man named Terry Ritter.  Here is the website:  http://www.ciphersbyritter.com/RADELECT/LITES/LITESHOT.HTM.  I will now call him the man who saved Christmas.  Okay, maybe that’s taking it too far…

I learned that there is something called a shunt that is supposed to keep the circuit going even when a bulb burns out, but it often malfunctions.  I also learned that blinkers are not always red-tipped.  They can be distinguished by a thin strip of metal on the inside of the bulb.  It’s kind of like a brown recluse spider – once you know what it looks like, you can’t miss it.   So, that was the first and easiest problem to fix.

Next, I learned about a tool called the Lightkeeper Pro.   I don’t normally endorse products, but this one actually works!!  You take an empty light socket from the dark circuit and plug it into the Lightkeeper Pro (looks like a pistol and makes a man feel like John Wayne for a minute).  Then, you pull the trigger and it sends a current of electricity into the circuit.  The current then repairs the shunts that aren’t working, kind of like unclogging a pipe and the electricity can then flow through properly again (Here I am talking like some expert, but really I don’t have a clue – I just read this stuff).  It took only one pull of the trigger and both dark circuits came on at the same time.  Of course one of them started blinking after it came on, so I fixed that problem real quick.  I then replaced about six burned out bulbs.  I was amazed -  Finally, a gadget that does what it says it will!!  It saved me gobs of time and frustration, and it will even work on pre-lit Christmas trees.  There’s more to it, but you can read more about it online. 

I came in and blew the end of my Lightkeeper Pro like it was a pistol.  I probably even had a swagger like the Duke himself.  I had a feeling of victory that guys who aren’t so handy like me have when we are finally able to fix something.  My kids were even chanting, “My dad is so awesome, my dad is so awesome…”  Okay, don’t worry, I’m not having a moment of pride here.  We were just having fun, and I wanted to share that.

 I just felt like I needed to post on this for other guys who have ever been discouraged and frustrated by Christmas lights.  You won’t see too many posts like this from me.  I could probably turn this into a devotional, but my brain is too tired today.  :-)

May God bless you as you celebrate His precious Gift to us!

Manhood Lessons from Rudolph???

Last night my wife and oldest daughter came to the church building to help with the “Hanging of the Greens.”  My contribution was to help bring some of the decorations out of storage before leaving the office.  Then, I went home to care for the other three while they came here.  We have found it to be counterproductive to have all of them here for things like this.

Anyway, before leaving the house my wife told me that Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer would be coming on if I wanted the kids to watch it.  Call me weird, but that was one of my favorite shows when I was growing up.  So, I built a fire, served dinner (that my wife had already prepared), and we settled in to watch this timeless classic.  Yes, there were a thousand things I could have been doing around the house, but I didn’t.

Last night I saw some things in the movie that I had never thought about before.  John Eldredge, in his book Wild at Heart, talks about the father wound.  Every man has a father wound, no matter how good his dad is / was.  The message that Rudolph got from his dad (Donner), because of his shiny nose, was that he wasn’t good enough, and that he didn’t have what it takes to be a “man”.  He wasn’t “normal.”  Too many times dads give their sons the message that they aren’t good enough.  Sometimes, this is done by leaving the family and never having anymore to do with them.  It can also happen with a father who doesn’t leave but is too busy to spend time with his son.  Then, there are those dads who just don’t know how to train up their sons because it wasn’t done for them, so they withdraw and disengage.  There are those words we say that cut them to the heart.  In all cases, if left as is, the boy grows up not knowing how to be a man and not having the question answered, “Do I have what it takes?”.  He will be full of questions and insecurity.  In this case, Donner later went out like a man to find his son to make things right.  He even apologized, which is huge.  We, as dads, aren’t going to get it right all the time.  However, we need to be ready to admit when we are wrong and willing to continue to grow.  Our children do not expect perfection, but they expect us to be real, honest, and available.

In this movie, Donner was doing the right thing by trying to teach Rudolph how to be a “buck.”  He was even warning him of the dangers to watch out for (Abominable Snow Man).  Later in the movie, Sam (the narrating snow man) said that there are a lot of dangers in the world to watch out for.  Wow!  There is a lot to be learned there.  Dad’s need to be teaching their sons how to be men, more importantly men of God.  They need to be warning their sons of the dangers of the world (the list is huge).  My stepdad did a good job of warning me about alcohol and drugs, but no one warned me about those things that men struggle with the most, like pornography and lust.  So much grief would be spared on the hearts of young ladies if dads would take a firm stance in this battle that the enemy wages against their sons’ hearts. 

The drive for success and wealth is another danger.  In this movie, I think Yukon Cornelius was just as dangerous as the Abominable Snowman because he was trying to tell Rudolph and Hermie that the answers were found in riches.  Many men work themselves into the ground, at the expense of their families, in search of the illusive, tantalizing dollar. 

I learned last week from a wise man that it is no longer good enough to tell our children “Because I said so.”  They are getting mixed messages from home, the church, the world, and the government / school.  In my parents’ time, these four institutions were more in sync.  Not anymore.  Our children are searching for answers, and we need to be available to give them the answers in truth and love.  If we dads don’t give our children the answers they need, based on the Truth, the world is happy to give them the answers.  Most of the time the answer is, “Do what feels good because you only live once.”  When dad is silent, the world speaks up loud and clear, and the boy listens to the one who will give him answers, even if they are wrong.  Then, he begins his tailspin toward destruction.  Dads and mentors need to step in and stop the tailspin before it’s too late!!

I was also struck by Hermie (the elf) and his dilemma.  He wasn’t satisfied making toys.  It did not fit his gifts and interests.  He wanted to be a dentist.  For that, he was mocked and laughed at.  This can be a lesson to all of us to help our children find their gifts and use them to the glory of God.  My four children are each very different.  I am trying to be a student of them so I can help guide them.  Sure, some of it comes with trying things to see if they like it or not, and sometimes we just have to do things we don’t enjoy.  I need to be available to help them process why they did or didn’t enjoy a particular activity.  I have a fear of failure, so I don’t try a lot of new things, and I don’t want my children to deal with that.

Lastly, the Island of Misfit Toys made me think.  We are all misfits on this earth.  We weren’t made for the earth.  We were made for eternity.  We mustn’t keep our mind on the things of the world, but those above.  We have to be eternally minded.  That doesn’t mean we sit and wait.  We need to be focused on going about our Father’s work until our Savior comes back to rescue us.  

There were other lessons, but that’s all for now.  I never knew I could learn so much from a claymation.

May God give you wisdom as you raise your sons and daughters in Truth!

Family Tradition

We returned safely home Sunday night from a trip to Texas to see family for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  This year was much different than years past.  Usually, I watch the Cowboys with my Grandpa, uncle, and cousin.  It did not work out to do that this year, and I really did miss it.  However, I found out that my wife’s family also has a pretty fun tradition.  They eat pumpkin pie at midnight on Thanksgiving Day.  Now, that’s what I call a great way to start the Holiday!  We actually arrived at my wife’s aunt and uncle’s house about 12:07 a.m., visited for a few minutes, and then went straight to the pumpkin pie.  Our oldest two girls stayed up for it, but the other two kids were too tired.  We all enjoyed doing that.  We enjoyed our time spent there.  My son especially enjoyed riding on the lawn tractor with his great aunt (their own little tradition).

After visiting with my wife’s family for a few days, we went to see mine.  We are a close family and we enjoy our time together.  It is tradition for my aunt and uncle to bring smoked beef brisket, homemade pumpkin pie, and my aunt’s famous “Georgia Jean Cake.”  For me, it just doesn’t get better than smoked brisket, a pot of beans, potato salad, and the works topped off with a “larger than I should have had” piece of Georgia Jean cake.  Of course, we will go to my wife’s parents right after Christmas and their traditional family meal is stacked enchiladas, which is also hard to beat…  Now, that I think about it, the traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, dressing, etc.. that we had with my wife’s family was great, too…  I guess I just like food.

This year, I actually got to spend more time with my cousin’s children, both who are autistic.  It gave me a greater appreciation for she and my aunt’s struggles in trying to care for them.  I was also amazed by the progress they are making because they have someone who cares enough to love and work with them.  On Saturday, my mom and aunt spoiled played with all of the children, “no adults allowed.”  In other words, they wanted to spend time with the children without parental interuption, and they wanted to give all of us a little break.  What a blessing!  I spent time with Grandpa and my aunt and uncle while my wife went shopping with my sister and cousin.  Dementia is having more and more effect on Grandpa, which breaks my heart, so I cherish every moment that I have with him.

Last night was very special.  Our children were being extra cordial to one another (especially the middle two).  It was one of those rare nights where we didn’t have anything going on away from home.  I started a fire, we had my wife’s wonderful stew for supper, and we kept everything low key.  I even ended the evening reading a book next to the fire. 

It was a perfect night for our yearly tradition.  In 2002, we decided to make our own Christmas tree skirt of red velvet.  At that time, we only had our two oldest girls.  We each put our hand prints on the tree skirt with gold paint along with the verse reference, Joshua 24:15 (as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord).  We chose this verse because Christ is the foundation of Christmas and He is the foundation of our family.  We put this at the base of our Christmas tree to symbolize this.  Since we began the tradition, we have added another daughter and a son.  Each year, we have the children get paint on their hands (yes, I have to get past my fear of messes) and then place their handprints on the skirt.  Then, we put their names and the year.  It is getting more difficult to tell whose is whose!  It is fun to see how they are growing.  Better than that, though, is to watch each of them grow in the Lord.

I think traditions help bring families closer together.  They create memories that will last a lifetime. 

May your Christmas Season be full of meaningful traditions that bring your family closer to each other and closer to our Savior.