Laugh a Little

As a dad, some of my greatest memories are seeing and hearing my kids laugh for the first time. It is so enjoyable to tickle them and get them laughing. Even as they get older to really see them laugh is a lot of fun for me. I am sure most all parents will agree.

If you are like me, there are also other instances which cause you to laugh. Sometimes just thinking about it causes you to laugh. It could have been a life experience or a movie line. As laughter is the subject for the day, that brings us to this week's quote...

A laugh is a smile that bursts. ~ Mary Waldrip

I challenge you to think about laughter today and find something that prompts it in you. If it is a movie, maybe look it up on YouTube and see if that scene is on there. If it is a life experience, recall that experience as you are having some time to yourself.

Whatever you do, just take some time to find a way to laugh. As the section in Reader's Digest is titled, "Laughter is the Best Medicine."

Make your smile burst today...laugh a little!

Now, it's your turn, what is it it that makes you laugh? or what "laughter" memory is one that stands out?

A Reason I Love Coming Home

"Daddy!" exclaimed by my 3-year old son as I drive up in the driveway or after walking in the door. It has been a short time since I started hearing that when I arrive, but it never, and I mean never, gets old. Just the other day my one-year old daughter showed her excitement when I came in the door and it was awesome! She cannot talk yet, but I look forward to the time when she can make that exclamation as I arrive.

Whether it is the exclamation of "Daddy" or an ear-to-ear smile when I come into view, there is just something special that every parent feels when their child shows excitement to see them.

We thought we were not going to be able to have children at one point in our life, so when my wife became pregnant the joy was overflowing. I couldn't wait to be a daddy. I couldn't wait to hold my expectant son in my arms and dream of what we'd do as father and son as he grew up.

I cannot say it enough how much I love being a father...this brings us to this week's quote...

A truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty. ~ Unknown

I may not ever have a lot of money, but I will have two kids for the rest of my life. Even if something drastic happens to them before I pass on, I will always have the memories that each day provides.

My kids are one (make that two) of the reasons I love coming home! I look forward to the next time I hear "DADDY!"

Are You Rusty?

Kids tend to like to play with dad's tools or older siblings toys, but they have a tendency to forget to put them up. I can remember getting into trouble by leaving either my father's or my brother's things outside. If a metal item, like a tool or BB gun, is left long enough, it can start to rust. Rusting is an oxidation of the metal, but it also gives a bad appearance to the item.

My son, a three-year old, is no exception. He also likes to play with my tools, but has a tendency to play with them a short time, put them down to go get something else or go to a neighbor's house. This causes him to forget about the item he was playing with and sometimes it is a "rustable" item. I have found screwdrivers and pliers outside my toolbox getting rusty. This summer he decided to put some toys and my tools in our "kiddie pool." I found a pair of pliers left in there after he had cleaned it all out.

Unprotected metal mixed with moisture creates rust. The longer the moisture stays "on" the metal, the more it will continue to rust. Rust will sit there and continue to oxidize, weakening the metal. This thought brings us to this week's quote...

It is not work that kills men, it is worry. Work is healthy; you can hardly put more on a man than he can bear. But worry is rust upon the blade. ~ Henry Ward Beecher

Are you worried about something? I know I am. There are all kinds of things to be concerned about. Our car recently had some issues - so each time I drive it, especially if long distance, I am concerned. There is not a local dealer for my make of car, so I don't know if someone really can look at it effectively. That is just one of the many things that concern me. And the thing is, it sits. I may get side tracked with daily tasks, but the concerns are essentially still there.

This weakens my potential. I know that if I could just have some concerns off my plate, I would be more free to be more effective - as a person, a husband, a father, a breadwinner, and as a minister. The good news is, there are times when things are taken off your list of concerns, it is like a grinder taking off some rust off the blade. That is always a good feeling.

There are times when I give it to God and feel a lot of relief. That is the real "rust remover." Philippians 4:6-7 keeps me on check to give things to God, and peace will come as a result.

I enjoy being able to have the rust removed! I would guess you do too. Maybe one of the answers would not be to leave our tasks of life outside of God. Keep putting them back where they belong - close to God, and they will stay rust free. Just a thought...

Don’t Pass Up Opportunities

I enjoy going to auctions. I have learned to like auctions and garage sales from my father. He enjoyed going to garage sales and looking through the miscellaneous to try to find the hidden treasure. He would go to consignment auctions when I was a teen and sit there and watch the crates of miscellaneous pass by. Bidding on some…letting others pass.

He disappointed me many times in the sense that I didn’t get what I wanted. It wasn’t something I think negatively about, but at the time I wanted things and disappointed by not getting them. However, I really enjoyed looking at the boxes and crates of stuff he would buy. I would look through them in search of a treasure.

One thing that common about an auction is if you don’t bid or bid high enough, someone will be there to take it from you.  That is the way it is with opportunities, which brings us to this week’s quote…

Opportunities are never lost, someone always takes the ones you miss.  ~ Unknown

Life is like an auction. You go through life seeing crates and boxes of opportunities pass before you. Will you bid on them? Will you keep bidding to buy them? Or will you let them slip pass you. If you let it slip past, someone will take it from you.

You didn’t lose the opportunity, based on this quote, you just let someone else take it.
Look at the opportunities as potential for someone…make sure that someone is you!

Hunter or the Hunted

The outdoors is a great place to connect with our Creator. Those who enjoy hunting/fishing feel a sense of relaxation through being outdoors - sometimes for long periods of time. There are times when one will get up earlier than ever, sit in the cold for hours, come home with nothing, and think it was one of the greatest days they've had in a while.

The thrill in the suspense of waiting for that 10-pointer to come around keeps people going out again and again. If that "perfect one" doesn't come around after a long while, then they may settle for a smaller one. However, the fact that they killed a deer (in this case) revs them up! Shooting fowl has similar feelings. Coming home with many-a-bird lets them show off their hunt.

As we go through our life, we must be able to comprehend if we are the hunter or the hunted. Saul was a hunter of God's people, literally. He hunted them down and wanted them destroyed. However, as he was going to Damascus (with the intent to hunt more Christians down), he became the hunted, by God. This event changed him to be a hunter for God. He wanted people to be a part of what he is now a part of, which he was just persecuting people for, days earlier. Here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. You make the choice, with each choice, of whether you are going to be the hunter or the hunted - pursuing God vs. pursued by self/Satan/sin. Make the right choice!
2. Leaders are needed in households. Leaders represent the direction of the family. Be a leader in your family that directs the family toward hunting for God.
3. Too much is at risk to not let your family be hunted, instead of hunting. Don't let your family be at risk! Maybe even, take time to pray, read scripture, etc. of an evening, sometime before everyone goes to bed.
4. The next time you go hunting - for game, clothes, a part for machinery, etc. - notice how much effort you put into it, then take a chance to put that much effort into pursuing God.
5. Part of going hunting/fishing/camping is being prepared. Don't let yourself be caught off guard, on a daily basis, for that sudden Satan approach!

It is enjoyable to go hunting, but not enjoyable to be hunted. It raises your blood pressure as your heart beats faster. Overall, not the most healthy for you if you were going through this day after day. One of the best things we can do is to make sure that we are as prepared as possible and to take the offensive side, to hunt for God.

Again, you have to make the choice/commitment of which you are going to be - hunter or hunted. As you go through life, I hope that you will choose to be a hunter, pursuing God with everything He has given you!

Have a great week hunting for God!

Putting the camo on...

Influencing Youth

About every 10 years it seems that the styles of dress change dramatically, to one degree or another. I just received an e-mail from "All Pro Dad" which examined how a father's influence can affect how his daughter dresses. This impacted me even if I don't have a daughter.

The other day when I was subbing a teenage girl was displaying a complacent attitude about being called an inappropriate name which depicts her morality. Within the same period she told me she was going to play football next year. She is not even close to any type of size that would be able to hold her own on the football field. She is excited, at this time, about playing. In reality, and having played a little organized football in my younger years, I doubt she will make it to the first game, but that isn't the point here.

Discussing football led to discussing what locker room she would use. She communicated a lack of care regarding dressing in front of the rest of the (male) team. I couldn't let this moment go by without suggesting that she need to "have more respect for herself" than to "not care" about where she changes. I don't know if this teenage girl has a good father-figure in her life or not. But statistics show that fathers have a very high influence on their daughters' self-esteem and other areas. I hope that teens like her will be able to develop more "care" regarding their lifestyles, whether it is through their parents' influence or others' whom they trust. May we be praying for areas like this, that God might use you to help make a difference, whether you have children or they are your children.

Boys and girls, sons and daughters, each need good modeling and influences from their parents. If you have children in your home, do all you can to continually stay involved in their life. If your children are separated from your home, due to a divorce or other removal, still use every chance you can to be involved in their life. If you are in the latter category, it will be more challenging, but stay involved! If you are in the first category, don't take it for granted that your children will always be in your home, take every night as a special night to be a family.

Making the most of every moment...
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To read the short e-mail that I received, you can view it online at http://www.allprodad.com/pod/podlist.php?y=2008&m=4 .Then click on April 29.