Weekend in Review :: 02-24-08

We closed out our Sexual Revolution series yesterday with some great worship & teaching. At least...that's what I was told in staff meeting this morning. I wasn't actually here to witness it!

On Saturday night it quickly became apparent that I needed to minister more to my family this weekend than to the church. Ethan was struggling emotionally, and the only cure was for Daddy to be around. After I finally got him calmed down and asleep in his bed, I realized what needed to be done.

Early on Sunday morning, I called in an impromptu vacation day and spent the entire day with my wife and kids. We played games together, did some projects around the house, and went to Karen's parents for dinner. It was a great day together, and it helped Ethan tremendously.

I want to publicly thank Bill and the staff and the Leadership Team and the people of Great Oaks for being a church where the pastor's family is allowed to be his primary ministry-focus. Thanks for your understanding and flexibility when an audible needed to be called!

Climbing the Walls

I can't wait to get this girl in some climbing gear and on a wall of rock somewhere...

And It Was Good

Here's a sampling of my little creator's work. Every night before Ethan falls asleep, he draws a picture on his Magna Doodle. Last night, he created this...


This is a robot that moves around the house and cleans up your garbage and your dirty laundry. It throws the garbage away and washes, dries, and folds your laundry for you. Later this same day, here is his creation...


It is now sitting proudly in his room collecting his favorite books and toys!

Sick Day

I got a call from the school nurse today. Ethan was in her office with a low-grade fever. Normally, it would take a natural disaster to get Ethan away from his friends at school, so I knew he wasn't feeling well when he said he didn't want to go back to class. Here's a pic of Ethan taking it easy this evening...

And Morgan wanted her picture taken as well...

Tears at Culvers

I had to go buy some new basketball shoes last night, so we decided to go out shopping as a family and then surprise the kids with dinner at Culvers - one of their favorite places to eat. After buying the shoes, Ethan was trying to guess what the surprise was. He guessed various foods that Mom might be making for dinner and even mentioned eating out at one point.

He even asked if the surprise was that HE was going to make dinner. All of a sudden, he got really excited about making dinner for us. (Remember...he's six!) So we told him, "If you are still hungry when we get home, you can make dinner."

When we got to Culvers, he was all confused. "What are we doing here? I thought I was going to make dinner?" He actually got so upset that he broke down in tears in the lobby of the restaurant. He was evidently really looking forward to making dinner for us.

I picked him up, held him close and told him that he could make dinner for us tomorrow night. He calmed down and over the course of the rest of the evening, he began planning out what he was going to make. We eventually settled on him making lunch for us today, so when he gets home from Kindergarten, he is going to make us all specialty sandwiches, side dishes (potato chips & carrot sticks), and drinks.

I love my little boy!

Mourn with those who Mourn

The Apostle Paul admonishes us in Romans 12:15 to "rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." This week I am mourning with my close friend, Mike Jackson. Mike is one of my rafting partners and, even more importantly, is a great friend, a mentor, an amazing example in faith & fatherhood, and a true joy to be around.

Earlier this week Mike's father had a massive heart attack and went into a coma from which he would never return. The family made the tough decision to pull life-support last night. His father passed away in less than seven minutes.

Please pray for Mike & Nancy and their children - Nici, Sarah & Jonathan. They have been close friends of mine for over 11 years, and I know they would appreciate your prayers.

Morgan's Thoughts

Morgan was invited to a My Little Pony birthday party today for a little girl who happens to have two older brothers. At one point during the party, Karen asked Morgan if she would like to have two big brothers.

After a long pause, Morgan replied, "One be 'nuff!"

Valentine's Day

Let me begin by telling you the shocking truth... my wife & I don't celebrate Valentine's Day! When we were dating, Karen told me that she didn't see the point in celebrating it (something about a "made-up Hallmark holiday" if I remember correctly). Her birthday is just a couple of weeks after V-Day, so we have always rolled all of the February celebrations into one night out right around her birthday.

So whether you celebrate V-Day or not, here are some thoughts for all of us...

1. Couples - Celebrate your love for each other every day not just one day a year. Nothing irritates me more than when couples try to make up for a year of lackluster expressions of love by going gang-busters in one day. I guarantee you that your spouse would rather hear that you love him/her every day rather than just one day a year.
   
   
2. Husbands - Speak your wife's love language today not yours. Guys...let's be honest. We often go all out on V-Day because we think we will get something in return (and you know what I'm talking about). Make it all about her. Speak her love language not yours. For some of you, this may mean a gift and a night out at a great restaurant. For others, this may mean a day of doing neglected projects around the house. For others, it may be a night spent at home with the family. And for a lucky few, you and your wife speak the same love language and sparks are gonna fly! Don't be selfish on V-Day (or any day). Let your wife know how much you love her by saying it in words and ways that resonate with her...not with you!
   
   
3. Wives - Respect your husbands. Ladies...the greatest thing that your husband needs is not your love. The greatest thing he needs is your respect. One of the biggest reasons men spend so much time at work and hanging with their buddies is because they get more respect in those settings than they do at home. If you let your husband know you respect him, you will be amazed at the amount of love he will show you. Even if you think he isn't worth respecting, show him respect and see if he doesn't end up becoming somebody you do respect and someone who shows you a lot of love. It's called the "love/respect cycle" of marriage. Read Ephesians 5:33...
   

Have a great Valentine's Day no matter what you're doing. Karen & I will be spending a quiet evening home with the kids having a heart-shaped pizza from Papa Murphys!

Something in my Room

Morgan came downstairs last night to tell Karen that "there's something in my room..." (Imagine a little 3-year old girl with big eyes and a look of fear on her face.)

Karen smiled and said, "Is it a dragon?"

"No!"

"Is it an elephant?" Karen inquired.

"No...I think it's a ladybug!" Morgan whispered fearfully.

Karen went up to Morgan's room and sure enough there was a ladybug on the ceiling. After Karen saved the day, Morgan fell right to sleep. You've got to hate those killer ladybugs!

American Heart Association

My son, Ethan, is participating in Jump Rope for Heart through his school. They are raising money for the American Heart Association. Just in case somebody out there is looking to make a contribution to a great organization, you can do so through Ethan's personalized fundraising website. Just click here, and you can make an online contribution.

And if you do contribute, I'll have Ethan call you personally to say "Thank you!" (Unless you are a complete stranger to our family or you live in a foreign country!!!)

When I was a kid, my siblings and I used to do annual fundraisers for various organizations like the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society. I remember the challenge of being a kid and making a personal request to an adult. It is daunting, uncomfortable, challenging, and rewarding.

Even when Ethan emails a family member about his fundraising website, I make him personally call the person to ask them if they would consider donating. If they say "Yes", he then tells them he has already emailed them all of the information. It keeps it personal in this age of online giving...

Split Personality

So this morning I have about 10 feet of snow to shovel off of the driveway. Thankfully my neighbor came over with his snowblower to help. We talk a little bit and exchange pleasantries. "Yeah, the new job's going well. How about your new job?"

I come inside trying to stop sweating. Ethan is supposed to be getting ready for school, and Karen is attempting to clean and sweep the kitchen. Ethan isn't doing what he's being asked to do, and his emotions start to sky-rocket. (By the way, I get sort of "cranky" when I am trying to cool down and it isn't happening fast enough...)

I end up getting angry at Ethan because he is getting upset about not being able to put on his snow boots which leads to me being irritated at Karen for no good reason which leads to me getting more upset because she is upset with me and because she pointed out that I should probably warm up the van to take Ethan to school which of course I know that I should but my pride says "I don't care" which leads me to being more angry with Ethan because he's not putting on his snow boots fast enough which leads to Ethan getting even more emotional... aaarrgh!!!

So after Ethan finally gets everything ready for school, we hop in the van. We talk some about emotions and temper control (for both of us I think), and all is well when I drop him off at school. After I drop him off, I go to the gas station for some milk. As I am preparing to purchase it, I pull out my card, and the lady behind the counter says, "We can only accept credit at this time. The debit isn't working."

"No problem," I respond, "I don't even have a debit card."

"Thanks for your understanding, sir," she replies, "A lot of people haven't been as understanding."

"Well, I'm a pastor, and we're all about grace and forgiveness and patience."

Except for at home evidently where it is perfectly fine to treat the ones you love the most worse than the anonymous lady at the gas station. Talk about a smackdown from God as soon as those words rolled out of my mouth. I came home and apologized to Karen and will apologize to Ethan when he gets home from school.

Hungry Hungry Hippos

You never know what's going to happen when you work from home. I was called in to help put together Hungry Hungry Hippos for Mom & the gang. Of course, I couldn't pass up an intense game with the family!

What is your favorite game to play with the family? Mine would have to be Go Fish.

Taking a Break

Karen & Morgan are currently taking naps, and Ethan is downstairs having "resty time". I decided to take a break from my studies and go check on Ethan. Here's what I found...




That's my boy! I used to make these all of the time when I was a kid. Of course, who do you think taught him how to do this? I can't wait to get out in a real tent with him later this year...

Snow Day!

We woke up this morning to discover a dusting of snow on the ground... definitely not the massive amount of snow we were supposed to get overnight. We thought the storm had just missed us, but we checked online to see about Ethan's school just in case. It's an official Snow Day!

We couldn't understand why until we started watching the news. We are supposed to get 10-13 inches of snow today starting...now! It's coming down pretty good with no sign of stopping until this evening.

I'm curious...what's your favorite memory from an official Snow Day when you were a kid?

Family Fun

Here's a peek inside my family from the last 24 hours...

• Family Day at School - I had the joy of observing Ethan in his Kindergarten class on Tuesday. It was fun to see him in his classroom with his teacher and friends.
  
• Parking Lot - After loading Ethan into the car at school, I managed to back into the car behind me. I hopped out to look at the damage (license plate holder bent a little) and talk with the owner who was walking towards their car when I hit it. Her response after I apologized? "Life's too short to worry about something like this." I hit the right person!
• Crayon in the Laundry - We missed a crayon in Ethan's pocket when we did laundry. It melted in the dryer all over an entire load of clean clothes. Know what gets crayon out of clothes? Goop Multipurpose Handcleaner...it works awesome!
• Dentist Visit - Karen, Ethan & Morgan all had dentist appointments yesterday afternoon. It was Morgan's first visit, and she did great. She was calm, comfortable, no resistance, no crying. Ethan did great, too! Somebody did have a cavity, though...Mommy!
  
• American Idol - We rushed home from the dentist and dinner at the in-laws to catch American Idol. During the drive home, Morgan begins singing and then says, "I'm going to Hollywood!"
  

Birthday Weekend

After we celebrated Morgan's birthday earlier today, we headed over to the home of our good friends, Mark & Lynne Batts for a Hawaiian-themed birthday party for their 6-year old daughter, Audrey. (FYI - Mark was my co-hort in the hayride incident I mentioned in my sermon last Sunday. Listen here...)

Audrey was born just six weeks after Ethan, and we frequently joke that they both arrived in this world already married to each other. We've got some great pictures from the last six years for their wedding slideshow! Here are some pics from the party...

[Morgan on the left; Audrey in the middle]

[Ethan's all set to limbo...]

[Audrey really got into the "Happy Birthday" song!]

Morgan's Birthday Party

We celebrated Morgan's 3rd birthday today with a small get-together with family. Karen prepared a great brunch with two different egg casseroles and homemade coffee-cake. I don't think we will be eating anymore eggs and butter for a long time!

Morgan was certainly dressed for the occasion; I'm still amazed at how much pink and purple a little girl needs!!!

Waiting for a Thud

I'm sitting downstairs in my family room waiting to hear a big THUD from above me...

Ethan has outgrown his bed, so we moved in a "big kid" bed we purchased at a garage sale this summer. It has legs ("Hey, I can put stuff under my bed!") and includes a box-spring and mattress. As a result it is about 2.5 times taller than his previous bed.

The problem lies with the fact that Ethan has a tendency to fall out of his bed about once a week. Sometimes he doesn't even wake up; we find him lying there on the floor with one leg still up on the bed. He'll definitely wake up if he falls out of this bed!

On a side note, I have one more coat of white paint to put on Ethan's old bed before we move it into Morgan's room tomorrow night. This is her last night in her crib!!!

Merry Christmas!

It has been a whirlwind 48 hours around here! Here are some reflections as I sit in my family room at 10:40pm on Christmas Day...

• We spent the night at Karen's parents house last night. It was great to spend some extended time with her family.
• I read the Luke 2 story of Jesus' birth to the kids on Christmas Eve. It was difficult to stay upbeat about it since I had to stop the EXCESSIVE whining of a certain 6 year-old because he thought it was going to be a "really long story."
• I went to FVCC for their 7:00pm Christmas Eve service. It was a little weird walking through the doors of the church as something other than a member or pastor. The last time I did that was in 1996 when we were just checking them out.
• I got to hang out with Steve and the band before and after the service. I love praying with the band before they take the stage and then hanging out just chillin' in the green room after the service.
  
• I love seeing Christmas and Santa through the eyes of my kids. The excitement and wonder of it all just blows me away!
  
• My big Christmas present was my kayak, so there wasn't much under the tree for me this morning. Not a big deal because I am jacked about getting the kayak out on the water in the spring.
  
• I love my mother-in-law's breakfast casserole!!!
• We went into Chicago for another Christmas celebration with Karen's extended family. Lots of Polish food and memories.
  
• Karen's aunt & uncle and cousins from Indiana always come up. Her cousin, Carly, was our flower girl in our wedding. She is now 17 and looking at colleges! When did I get so old?!?
• We are back home now. The kids are asleep. It is quiet. It is nice. I'm going to bed. Goodnight and Merry Christmas!
  

God's Sense of Humor

Ethan and I were on a recent road-trip. He was flipping through a copy of Ranger Rick when the following conversation occurred...

"Hey, Dad...why does a centipede have, like, a million legs?"

"I'm not really sure...I guess because that's how God wanted to make them."

Ethan replies, "Well I know why a tarantula has four eyes."

"Oh yeah," I reply, "Why is that?"

"Because God wanted to freak us out!"