A Bit Behind and a Little Distressed

In this amazingly connected world, I am in a place that has 'limited or no connectivity'. That means no Man-stuff Monday yesterday. It puts me a little behind for the week, but brings to mind an interesting conundrum of our time.

With our ability to communicate so close at our fingertips, why do we seem to be so distant? Why are we, the followers of Christ, making less of an impact on the society in which we live? Why are we as parents so disconnected from our children?

It seems as though our ability to communicate more freely has only aided in making us more exclusive in our communication. We get into our huddles, be they in person or via online communities, and bask in our encouragement of one another. We have multitudes of friends online, but forget the importance of interaction with our spouse and children. I update my status, but forget to update my relationships.

Who have we impacted today? Does someone know more about Christ because of me? Has my spouse had real contact from me? (it's ok, I just emailed her) Are my children secure in their relationship with me because of time spent together?

Let's make some real contact and make a real difference.

Wednesday is for Women

I am sitting in a library looking at the shelves of books from floor to ceiling and as I see the knowledge around me, I have to stop and realize that one must be able to discern what we hear and read.

Sometimes, when we are trying to expand our knowledge, find a helpful resource, keep up with current events, or just reading for pleasure, we ignore the basic admonition that 'the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge' (Pr. 1:7)

As a woman who is diligently seeking to increase my knowledge about being a disciple of Christ, as well as a godly wife and mother, I cannot disregard the basic principles laid out in scripture that 'guide me into all truth' (Jn. 16:13)

Travelling this road together,

Darla

Man-stuff Monday

Winning: Real Man Style

OK, The Masters is over, so it was an off week in golf. Few people probably watched the Verizon Heritage tournament and saw golfer Brian Gay win with a 20 under par to break the tourney record and beat his nearest opponent by 10 strokes. With this win, he assures himself an invitation to next year's Masters. Way to go, Brian!

Honestly, until yesterday, I had never heard of Brian Gay. I probably would not have even seen this event, but I was looking for something to take my Sunday afternoon nap to, and nothing lulls you to sleep like golf on television (except the peaceful hum of NASCAR). None of the big names were there for the tournament, so many will say Brian really didn't accomplish that much, but there were 3 people of great importance who watched closely as he putted in on the 18th green to cement the win.

After that final putt dropped in the hole, Brian's family ran to join him on the course. He scooped up one daughter in his arms and held the hand of the other. As he was being interviewed, he held his family close and shared this big moment with them. His daughters obviously knew their daddy's arms were a safe place even in that public spotlight, and this man seemed as comfortable with his child in his hands as he had been with the club a few minutes earlier.

My congratulations to Brian Gay. You've done well. (And you're a pretty good golfer, too.)

Family Time

Movie Review

We finally decided to see the new Dreamworks movie, 'Monsters vs. Aliens'. Sometimes Dreamworks can be a bit questionable in their content, but we found this new film offering to be overall acceptable. The story was compelling and the humor was age appropriate (that means my 10 year old daughter and I both laughed).

The only scene that had undesirable content, was when a government file pusher is entering a secure area of what appears to be a NORAD type facility and has to do a hand scan, retinal scan, foot scan and then sits on the scanner. If you have seen the trailer for the movie, this has been shown on TV.

The message of accepting yourself just as you are is related well through the story. We were glad to see the main character, Susan, realize her potential for good even though she wasn't just like everyone else. The General sets a good example of following through with a promise.

We saw the movie in 3-D by default, since the theatre we went to was only showing in that format. I initially thought the 3-D would be sub-standard, but was pleasantly surprised at the advances that have been made since Jaws 3. The effects were amazing, and just added to an already fun film. We left the theatre smiling and quoting memorable lines. Mom, Dad and the kids all had a great experience.

We give 'Monsters vs. Aliens' an A-. We also recommend keeping your glasses for a host of upcoming 3-D movies aimed at the family.

Film reviewed by Todd and Brook'lynn (age 10)

Man-stuff Monday

Find it, Fix it, Fund it!?!

Our oldest daughter is 18 and just bought her first car. She has saved her money from her 2 jobs and a few years of Birthday and Christmas gifts in order to pay for it herself. I am proud of her. She saved the money, she found the car, she paid for the taxes and title transfer. Pretty grown up, wouldn't you say?

She got the car, which is in GREAT condition, knowing the drivers window wouldn't go up all the way. I told her we would figure out what was wrong with it and get it fixed.

I do not have a great mechanical mind, but I am more than willing to take something apart and check it out. To make a long story short, I got into the door and it was a simple fix. The window works. The rain stayed out. Dad is the man!

This is the kind of stuff dads do, right? Find it, fix it, fund it! But Deuteronomy 6:6-9 gives us a different view of helping our kids. We are to teach them the ways of the Lord. Talk to them about the commands of God. Train them in the way they should go.

Fixing the window on the car was man stuff. I felt a sense of accomplishment when it was done. It was easy. The 18 years leading up to the purchase of the car has been more time consuming, and much more rewarding. She has a strong foundational faith because of the time spent from childhood til now. She is firm in her conviction of right and wrong because she has been pointed toward the truth of scripture. She knows the right direction for her life lies in following the will of God. THIS is a REAL accomplishment.

Today's man-stuff;
Eph 6:4 And you, fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.

Wednesday is for Women

I have always taught my children that God has a specific plan for their lives. That they should always seek the Lord when choosing friends, extra-curricular activities, college, career, and their future spouse.

Recently, God showed me that I, too, need to continue to seek His plan for me. In Jeremiah 29:11, He tells us that His plan for us is not to harm us, but to give us hope for our future. Like a road map, we choose which direction we turn. He continues through v. 14 to show us that if we seek Him with our whole heart, He will show us the road we need to choose.

God has led me down many roads as wife, mother, friend, teacher, daughter, sister, and the list goes on. As our relationship with Christ grows, He is able to reveal more of His plan. The key is not to get so focussed on the road we are on that we do not hear Him tell us to make a turn.

So, if you are a young wife, mother of small children, have kids in school, or if your nest is empty and you are entering grandparenthood, God has a specific plan for you.

What a grand adventure!

Travelling this road together,

Darla

Man-stuff Monday

In a society that believes a family can be defined by any group of people that reside under the same roof, the idea of a man being the head of the home is intolerable. But since scripture isn't necessarily concerned with tolerance of human beliefs, we are going to hold to the Biblical standard of the husband being the head of the wife and his children.

This is not an arrogant stance on manhood. On the contrary, the Biblical model of a man, who is the head of the home, gives himself for the benefit of his wife and family. (Eph. 5:25, Eph. 6:4) Since he is the authority in the home, it is important that the man is responsible in his relationship to his authority, Christ. (I Cor. 11:3)

Proverbs 16:7 is a great testimony to building the right relationship with Christ. "When a man's ways please the Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him."

Don't misunderstand me here. I am not calling our wives and children the enemies of husbands and fathers, but if those who are opposed to us can be at peace with us, how much more our families?

Real man-stuff at home happens when real man-stuff happens in our relationship with Christ.

Blueprints for Families? Why Not?

When our kids were little, I loved Christmas eve when a gift had 'some assembly required'. Those words meant pulling out my tools and spending a long night of putting together something that would be adored and appreciated by the recipient the next morning.

There was a sense of anticipation, on my part, as little feet ran to the gift that I had, painstakingly, followed directions to assemble. The thrill in their eyes as they took in the wonder of this new possession, gave me a sense of pride because I knew what went into making that moment possible. They didn't know the struggle, the sweat (or the sorrow, upon finding a part was missing). They only saw the finished product.

Our families are of much greater value than a Christmas toy. They are a gift of heritage that we leave to our children and, ultimately, to the Creator of all things.

Shouldn't we painstakingly follow the directions He has given us to ensure the completion of the gift He has placed in our care? 'Some Assembly Required' is exactly where our families are continually. In need of care as the assembly process is ongoing.

We hope to provide ideas, some direction, and a little laughter on this blog as we work together to follow the blueprints to building stronger homes.