you say you want a resolution

40 minutes until the new year here in CST. It's time for those resolutions. I wish you success in keeping 'em.

Be excellent in everything you do.

Happy New Year!

a pattern to follow

It snowed in Kansas City today. This evening kcrazorback daughter and I played at the playground near our house. We walked through a snow covered parking lot on the way back. For no good reason, I dragged my big size-11 boots broadly in a serpentine pattern across the parking lot.

From the street, to check on daughter, I glanced back at the path I'd left. What I saw was my big old serpentine tracks next to a similar narrower path. Of course, she was not too far behind me as well. She'd added her own unique flourishes to the pattern, but, clearly, the direction she was traveling in was modeled for her.

Parents, we're being watched by someone who will do/say/think/be what we do... We should give our children a gift of great value. Let's try being worthy of emulating.

santa claus and the tooth fairy

Four-year old kcrazorback daughter lost her first tooth on Christmas Eve. This momentous event would require midnight visits from multiple gift-bearers on the same night.

A proper perspective was maintained when daughter came bounding in to parents' bedroom on Christmas morning and asked "Did Santa come?"

Mom replied, "I think so, but did the tooth fairy come?"

Then daughter remembered the missing tooth left out for the fairy. She ran back to her room and returned a minute later with moist eyes, saying "all the tooth fairy left me was this cwedit cawd," which was in her hand. You see, the tooth fairy had brought her a gift card for her favorite restaurant.

Oh yeah, Santa also brought the usual haul of princess stuff, games and books.

I'm sure glad the big night is over. I hope to get some sleep tonight.

merry Christmas

Luke 2:14 (New International Version) New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

a child is born, a son is given

Christmas is coming. It's that special time of year in Kansas City when Santa and Frosty are part of a nativity scene. While that is funny, it seems as if it is the baby Jesus part of the nativity scene that seems to be out of place in this world.

Probably because it is. Our human minds cannot comprehend the full implication of the God of all creation entering His creation in total humility. Neither can they comprehend the weight of the sacrifice on our behalf. Here's one of my favorite scriptures (also heard in a little ditty called Handel's Messiah).

Isaiah 9:6 (Today's New International Version (TNIV)
© Copyright 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society)

6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

You see, yeah that's right, a baby was born to us--fully human--one of us. He was born. It's this birth that we celebrate every Christmas. It's this baby that we praise. But, oh the cost. Not only was a child born, but a son was given. This is NOT the gift of a son into the world. Rather, it is the giving up--total sacrifice--of a son by a loving father. By sacrificing His son, God the Father proved (and proves today) his love for us.

A child is born (Jesus is fully human), a son is given (Jesus is fully God)--by my submitting to His rule over me, He is my Wonderful Counselor, my Mighty God, my Everlasting Father, my Prince of Peace.

Will you also place the government of your life on His shoulders and let Him be all of those things for you? The Messiah lives--that's enough reason to go all-out celebrating Christmas.

doritos & doritos

In anticipation of tonight's ice storm, my beautiful wife brought me a bag of Doritos. My regular readers already know of my Doritos addiction--see this earlier post.

This particular bag of Doritos has two varieties in it--Zesty Taco & Chipotle Ranch. What a wonderful idea. I would like to thank the Frito-Lay Corporation for everything they have done for me. I love combining foods. I love eating chips. This whole idea of combining chips, well, more power to you, Doritos.

Oh yeah, thank you to my wife as well. And, uh, I'm almost thankful for the impending ice storm.

70s tv show lunchboxes

C'mon, you know you had one--a metal lunchbox festooned with scenes of a 70s television program.

Mine was Adam 12. What was yours?

why you may not be suited for youth ministry

Some observations:

10. You think a paintball marker is for preschoolers to draw on paper with.
9. You think an injury involving a coke bottle, golf ball and baseball bat is not run of the mill.
8. You can’t actually recall being a teenager.
7. Some vague notion of sleeping at the next weekend retreat still lingers in your mind.
6. You’re not prepared for what follows “let me show you what I got pierced.”
5. You once completed your education—in anything.
4. The words “girls-only lock-in” terrify you and you’re a woman.
3. You are not a pyromaniac.
2. You occasionally wear something other than jeans and a t-shirt.
1. You’re convinced that youth ministry is the fast track for that lucrative career you’ve always dreamed of.

Yep, youth ministry might not be for you. But I tell you this. The first time you pull a 15-year old out of the water after he has made Jesus Lord of his life, you will cry.

baby Jesus is in the way

In my lifetime, I've seen tv shows (Carson, Cosby) dealing with the funny things that kids say. They are great, but nothing beats having your own kid(s) and hearing what they say that is so funny. Last night's quotable quote came about something like this:

Christmas is coming, so we've decorated the house--including a small nativity display on a box that stands on a counter next to the kitchen table.

Our very tired 4-year old had been looking forward to her dessert since before supper. Because it was messy she was required to eat at the kitchen table. This occurred during her winding-down-time television watching time--she loves to watch Flintstones, Tom and Jerry, Jetsons, etc. on Boomerang. Of course the television is in the family room. The solution was to turn the television so that it could be seen from the kitchen table. I turned it.

Overtired and overstimulated, through alligator tears and sobbing, she said, "Baby Jesus is in the way" meaning that her line of sight to the television was obscured by the nativity scene.

Of course the spiritual lesson in her words wasn't lost on the adults in the room. We laughed so hard at the statement but appreciate the truth so much.

Does baby Jesus get in your way? Praise God! Let Him prick your conscience. It may hurt a little, but nothing compared to the awful pain that will result from looking past Him, over Him or not seeing Him at all. When baby Jesus came to earth, God's plan for your salvation began. When He died on that cross, God's plan for your salvation was complete. The plan being complete, the salvation is up to you. Will you let baby Jesus get in your way? Do you make Him your Lord and King? Don't ever look past Him or through Him or over Him. Have you stopped seeing Him? Search. Find Him.

some parenting observations

How to be a great dad:

1. Talk to your child about God and talk to God about your child.
2. Honor your wife.
3. Discipline with love.
4. Learn to make pancakes—make them often.
5. Kiss and hug your kid—often.
6. Put down the newspaper/laptop/cell phone/day planner/whatever and pick up the child.
7. Teach your son to cook—on a grill of course.
8. Teach your daughter to play baseball.
9. Dance with your daughter—no matter how old she is.
10. Take the kid fishing.