Doing Life Together

• Camp of Champions is this Wednesday night.  I think it could be our best ever!  Check out longhollow.com for more details.
• My Celtics finally put King James and the Cavs away.  Still hoping for a Celtics-Lakers final.  No team that has gone to 7 games in the first two rounds has ever won an NBA championship.  Not good news for Boston fans.
• King James (LeBron James) is a beast!!!
• Speaking of the NBA, does anyone agree that Kyle Korver of the Utah Jazz looks like Ashton Kutcher?

• I grilled my first pork chops soaked in Dale’s Sauce of the summer.  Everything tastes better with Dale’s on it!  The only downside is the sodium content is off the charts.
• Can anything beat eggs over medium with the yolk running all over your plate?
• I’ve been thinking about getting back into Louis L’Amour books.  I used to read them like crazy.
• Sgt. Alvin C. York of Pall Mall, TN is the most highly decorated soldier from Tennessee.  His story is very interesting.  Anyone remember the movie about him with Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan?  I think it’s called “Sergeant York.”  It’s a good one!
• Dunkin’ Doughnuts has discontinued the Chocolate Burger.  This is a sign that the apocalypse is upon us.
• My youngest son Josh was so fired up about his day today!  For 5th grade day, his class is going to see “Prince Caspian,” eat pizza, and then go swim and play at the the Gallatin civic center.  After school he goes to drum lessons and then to the 6th grade party at the church.  Wow!  What a day!  Ah to be young again.
• Speaking of “Prince Caspian” – I thought it was very good.
• Anyone see the segment on SportsCenter on Roller Derby?  It’s making a comeback - another sign that the apocalypse is upon us!

More on yesterday’s blog…

Another key to authenticity is to embrace integrity.  Too often today we compromise our convictions on the altar of expediency.  The Bible says,

The righteous man walks in his integrity ~ Proverbs 20:7 NKJ.  If our integrity is for sale, then we don’t have it.

Integrity is about a consistency between what we say and what we do.

Authentic Christ followers are men and women of integrity.

Years ago I heard a pastor give a challenge to live an authentic life; to be genuine in our walk with God.  He stressed three keys to maintaining that focus: 

1. No secrets between us and God.  That’s pointless anyway – because He knows all about us.  But when we approach God with transparency and a willingness to agree with Him, we are positioning ourselves for His Spirit to dominate our lives.
2. No secrets between us and our spouse.  There are no secret places or worlds that you hide from them.  You are “one flesh” in all things.
3. Few secrets between us and a select group of close friends.  We have a safety net of accountability by bringing safe, trustworthy people into our lives.  

More on this tomorrow… 

• The kids and I took Jen to Buca di Beppo for lunch yesterday for Mother’s Day.  Great food!  Huge portions!  We made it spite of an enormous traffic nightmare on I-65.
• You guys have convinced me to give Amtrak a try.
• Second best sitcom theme song goes to Laverne and Shirley.
• Third best to WKRP In Cincinnati.
• Best theme song for a TV show in the non-sitcom category goes to Grizzly Adams.
• Best music-only theme has to go to Hawaii Five-O!
• Still no sign nor smell of Minnie.
• What about Holiday World in Santa Claus, IN (home of Jay Cutler)?  Is it worth the drive?
• Sad news about the passing of Eddie Arnold – a country music icon.
• Anyone remember Schoolhouse Rock on Saturday mornings?  “I’m just bill.  I’m only a bill.  I’m sitting here on Capital Hill…”
• Anyone remember the Christian cartoon Jot?

One of the best moms I know is my wife.  Jennifer amazes me at how well she does the motherhood thing.  She is very intentional about everything she does with our children.   Through the years, I’ve watched Jennifer give special attention to some things that have greatly influenced our kids.  Here are a few of them:

• She is very intentional about praying for them.
• She is very intentional about spiritual instruction.
• She is very intentional about modeling spiritual authenticity.
• She is very intentional about showing them love and acceptance.
• She is very intentional about spending time with them.
• She is very intentional about having fun with them.
• She is very intentional about listening to them.
• She is very intentional about giving them words of kindness and affirmation.
• She is very intentional about applying discipline.

I’m grateful for her and the blessing she is to our children!   

Below is a blog entry Jennifer posted on our Long Hollow Women’s blogsite.   I’ve included it without permission!

May 10, 2008

Motherhood 

I remember being a mom for the first time on March 20, 1989 and thinking how wonderful this is!!  Rachel was 6 pounds, 6 ounces and had snow white hair.  She was precious but so small.  I was so excited!!  I had always loved children.  I thought this role would come naturally to me since I had babysitted since I was old enough to keep children.  I was an elementary education major so children were my thing and this motherhood thing should just kick in and I would know how to handle every cry, nursing, nap time, etc… I always saw myself as a mom and always wanted to be a mom.

However, I found myself over a thousand miles away from any relatives and we were the first ones in our group of friends to have a child.  Most friends were working or attending school and not in the parenting mode so I found myself entering a world that seemed somewhat unfamiliar to me as I turned 24.  I had more questions than answers and didn’t know where to turn.  It was surprising to me.  I was still very excited but I was also a little nervous about the awesome task of raising another human being.  I couldn’t believe that the hospital would actually send me home with this adorable baby with no directions included.  (I mean even if you buy a flashlight it comes with directions!) I didn’t always know what every cry meant.  Did she need to be fed or changed or just want me to hold her?  I learned quickly that I had to humble myself and ask lots of questions of those that had “been there and done that.”  I also soaked up every parenting resource I could get my hands on.  At this point I had so many opinions I didn’t know what to do.  I decided to just pray hard and do the best I knew to do and trust the Lord with the rest.

I remember thinking I will never sleep through another night.  Then when she did, I woke and ran to make sure she was alive.  I did sleep for many years and then she started driving and staying out late with friends and need I say more?  I remember thinking I will never get my child potty trained but I am not buying diapers today you’ll be glad to know.  I remember singing the same songs and reading the same books over until I was hoarse.  Now she has her ipod and doesn’t ask for a lullabye.  I remember picking up toys and then in 5 minutes the whole place was a mess again.  Now I pick up clothes scattered around. I remember thinking she will never learn the word no and even though she may not like it any more than she did then she does understand it.  I remember thinking I could not take her to ballgames because it wore me out to chase her around.  Now it is a treat for her to take me to a UT game and we both sit in our own seats.  

She is now 19 and just finished her Freshman year of college.  I remember when she left this year wondering if I had covered everything with her that she needed to know.  I wanted to put her through a crash course.   What verses could she recite?  Would she lock her door at night?  Can she keep her clothes washed?  Will she be careful driving 3 hours away?  Will she stand strong in her convictions even if others don’t?  Then once again before I was overtaken with fear and pulling her back home, I had to rely on prayer and trust the Lord.

Yes, the season of motherhood with my daughter has changed but the early lesson I learned remains.  I still seek to humble myself and ask for godly counsel.  I still seek to read resources.  I still have to do the best I can with what I know.  Most of all I still pray a lot and trust the Lord.  I know I still have many lessons to learn and seasons to go through but it sure is nice today to have a wonderful young lady who I can share a late night phone call, text or e-mail.  It is nice when she is around to have another female in the house and share a hairbrush or eye shadow.   Who would have ever thought many years ago when I was feeding her applesauce and putting baby booties on her feet that we would one day share chinese meals and even shoes?

Moms, even though at certain times it seems you may never make it, hang in there.  Time goes by fast.  I am blessed to be a mom and the Lord even allowed me to have 2 more children to keep trusting and praying for ( for another blog entry).  I still don’t have all the answers but I know that some parts of motherhood do come to an end. You will not always be buying diapers or teaching them to tie their shoes. I am in a continual state of praying and trusting with my children and I don’t think that part ever ends no matter what the age or stage you are in.   I want to encourage you wherever you find yourself today to keep trusting and praying and enjoy motherhood in all its seasons!! Have a wonderful Mother’s Day 2008!

                                                                                                                                   Jennifer

Proverbs 3:5,6 - “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding, In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”