Family Fun, Favorites, Food, and Faith
As far back as I can recall, I was taught to treat others as I have would them treat me. I grew up with the understanding that all men were created equally precious in the sight of God, that He was no respecter of persons, and that everyone we interact with was to be given our respect and love.
I believed in what I was taught. I have always known in faith that we are spirit children of God and have an infinite capacity for good. Occasionally I get a glimpse of the love He must feel for us.
Since we have traded goalie gloves for guns around here, and since my dreams of having my son support me in my waning years with his soccer earnings are evaporating, it would appear I am going to have to adjust my designs for my child. No biggie, I can see all the positives for his new-found hobby.
I choose faith because I know what the fruits of a faith-filled life taste like and I KNOW that they are real. I choose faith because there is no fulfilling or satisfying substitute out there which can replace it. I choose faith because while it doesn’t perfect me, or qualify me for anything by itself, it encourages me, fills me with hope, and gives me direction and satisfaction to my life.
I’m scared… and I don’t scare easy. This October is quickly becoming one of the most terrifying months of all time. If the events in the following list don’t frighten the trousers right off of you, then I suggest you may want to have your pulse checked. Dan’s Top 7 Reasons Why This Is the […]
God gave us commandments out of love. He allows us the choice to break his commandments out of love. He watches us flounder, suffer and struggle until we cry out “God save us!” out of love. He allows others, acting as angels, to struggle with us, pray for us, and come to our rescue because we all need experiences like this and because He loves us! He gave us this earth, gave us life, and when our time comes, gave us death as a doorway back to His presence because he cherishes us as His children.
RH was the most diabolically clever mouse there ever was. I think he was toilet trained, because he never left droppings. I also am convinced he was smarter than me. He stole the bait out of my traps, ignored the mouse poison I had set out for him and even put two perfect little paw prints in one of those sticky traps (how the heck did he get out of that one??). It was like he was putting his hand-prints in cement for the Hollywood walk of fame, just to let me know that he was there. He was a ninja among mice.
I have come to realize and accept that I was never intended to be the champion of this match. There is someone else who has already played this game perfectly, and with exact obedience. He is the champion of my game. He has already set the example for me to reach for, but one He knows I will never attain. It is my belief that as he watches my efforts unfold, He isn’t sitting there with a clipboard jotting down every single error I commit. Not that He doesn’t see my each fault, He does, but it is my belief that he gently and continually encourages me, entreats me to improve, to re-engage, to pick up my pace, to keep shooting… He is the ultimate teammate, coach and fan.
This post has everything to do with the cursed mosquito’s cursed plant-cousins: Poison Ivy , Oak, and Sumac. Three plants which I officially put on notice. Your plant days are numbered! You did your durndest to derail my summer, now I will return the favor by swearing an eternal enmity between you and Dankind. I declare you an official enemy of the state of Dan. It is my intention to go all gangsta Round-Up on your three leafed plant kiesters.
After the loss of my pet, my mother taught me some precious truths about life and faith. She explained to me that our Heavenly Father is aware of all of his creatures here on earth – (See Matthew 10:29). She explained that He knew when every one of them died and that He cared. She went on to tell me that she believed that life didn’t end with death here on earth, that life carried on in heaven and that it was a much happier place.
I calculate that it has been 7 years since I have been truly “off the grid” for longer than 24 hours. Even when I went to Italy with my wife 4 years ago, I would check my inbox at least twice a day to make certain I wasn’t getting too behind with work. Sadly, there are just truly too few places left in the world where we are no longer easily connected to our electronic lives.
My status of being constantly “plugged in” changed this last week. My father in law, after many years of trying, was finally able to convince our family to find a break in our schedule – not an easy task – to accompany him on a backpack trip into the Uintah Mountains. So we took a 3 day, 2 night venture out into the wilderness. To a place where electronic service of any kind was unavailable. There was a sense of satisfaction when I put my vacation response on my email settings as not having any access to my phone or email during my time away.
I am thankful to a God that has a sense of humor. I am thankful to a God that at those times of acute distress will find a way to intervene and assist us, even when it might be in the last way we would ever imagine or think might be beneficial. I am thankful for those hundreds of miles I walked over the course of my undergraduate degree. I am glad that I have prayer at my disposal wherever and whenever I need it. My only advice is be careful when you are out in the open praying for relief, you never know just what type of “blessing” might fall out of the sky. 🙂
I don’t need a lot for Father’s Day. In fact, my Father’s Day wish list is pretty low-key. Perhaps this is the sentiment of most dads on Father’s day, that we would much rather focus on our own fathers than we would ourselves. If I must be given something for Father’s Day then I guess I will break down and come up with a Father’s Day wish list. I have also thrown in a couple of “do nots” as well. My guess is while I don’t speak for all fathers out there, I would assume that most of us would be happy with one, a combination of, or if you are feeling spry, all of the following.
