High Priest or AWOL

I was listening to James Dobson this morning as I do almost every morning at 5:30 and he had a speaker on that was dealing with Dad's being Dad's. He had a lot of good things to say about our responsibility as fathers. The first half aired today and the second half will air tomorrow.

We are more than willing to step up and be the "king" or "priest" or "pastor" or "boss" at work or church outside the home. But we tend to put less energy into leading our family's. We almost ignore them at times and put the behind work and ministry and volunteering to help others. My toes are sore this morning!

The speaker said that God has called us to demonstrate or "prove" our leadership in the home first - before we "prove" our leadership at church or work or out in the community.

The family is a model of the church with a leader (dad the priest), a board of directors (mom the counselor and in my case the prophetess) and the followers (I have a few more than some). Have we been successful leaders in our home? Have we stepped up with at least the same desire and energy at home as we do at church and work? I can't feel my toes anymore!

The speaker referenced Deut 6 and basically all 43 kings of the old testament. Almost all of the kings, with a few exceptions, were semi-successful at work, but failed at home.

Thank God for godly women who step up and fill our empty shoes - but we can't afford to shirk or slyt our God given responsibilities at home. There is way more at stake than we probably realize!

Dad's Day Out!

Well, my wife and my youngest daughter went out today for some mother / daughter time. That left me and my oldest son at home alone, so...It's not what your thinking!

David and I spent the day out...side. Yeah, thats right. We (I) mowed what part of the lawn needed it. We trimmed the bushes, pulled one out that I didn't like anymore. We sprayed for bag worms (they seem to like my evergreens). We burned the brush pile. We set the sprinkler out and watered the new grass in my backyard. I've worked pretty hard to get it to grow and I don't want it to burn up in the heat. We fixed the sprinkler and the leaky garden hose. (had to do that before we watered). We cleaned off the the front porch. We spayed for wasps and other critters around the back porch...and then we played catch with a softball for about 4 minutes and I was done.

I was soaking wet, tired, hot, so I went in and took a shower and got cleaned up. And then I remembered - I was supposed to go let the horse out in the pasture. So, David and I jumped in the truck and went and let the horse out.

Not a bad day out with my son - just really hot and tiring. But hard work is good, right!

Overtime!

My middle son just called me and told me he was going to be late tonight getting off work. He is helping the masons lay brick on the houses he is helping to build this summer. The masons need to be done today and so he called me and told me they were going to stay untill the brick was done.

He sounded so excited and full of energy, like he just discovered the mother load. He'll get payed time and a half for a few more hours today.

I remember working six tens in Dallas and I don't remember being so excited about the overtime I work. I just remember being really tired.

Jump!!!

Remember falling backwards on purpose hoping your friends would catch you. I hope they did! Anyway, you probably didn't do it unless you knew who was supposed to catch you.

Last night in church, Martha Tennyson said that you only trust the people you know, and to know them, you have to spend time with them. That's why we have so much trouble trusting God, sometimes. We may pray a lot but we never listen to get to know the other person (God).

I had my own little object lesson in trusting God last night. I went forward to play the keyboard for the alter time and Sis. Tennyson ask me to play a song I had never played. I knew the old hymn, but I had to trust God to give me the music. He was faithful to do it.

Like falling backwards in my friends arms, it was difficult the first time, but it will get easier as He gains my trust in Him.

How do you eat an elephant...

Sometimes, when I step back and look at the big picture, I am completely overwhelmed. Especially when I go back to work after a vacation or a holiday. Things just seem to pile up on me. It's nice to have the time off, but the battle that waits for me when I get back is daunting at times. I have so many commitments and responsibilities in different areas of my life. I have to be the strong one. The one everyone else can lean on. The rock that doesn't move! The anchor that is secure. Enough of those euphemisms... The point is, I struggle keeping my head above water sometimes. Anybody else like that?

I take encouragement in knowing that you can't eat an elephant in one sitting. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time! I make it my goal to keep taking little bites out of each of the many things I do and are responsible for. Eventually, they are completed...most of the time. Sometimes I fail and let people down. That's a real bummer for me because I hate to let people down. But most of the time, things get done and I look back and am amazed that the elephant is gone...

It's My Money and I Want It Now!!!

You've probably heard the commercial with this post title. "It's My Money and I Want It Now!!!" Well, it probably is your money and you can probably have as long as you haven't previously agreed to some restrictions concerning that money in that investment.

But I don't want to talk about money. It's the attitude of entitlement that rubs me the wrong way. People think that society owes them everything, or at least most everything. The government didn't GIVE me enough or I know I should make more than that other guy I work with because I do twice the work.

Jesus told a story where a owner of a field hired several people to work in his field, but he hired them at different times during the day. Some worked all day. Some worked half a day and some worked only a short time. Each one agreed on his wage when he went to work...and was happy.

At the end of the day, the owner payed every worker the same amount of money regardless of how long they worked. Can you believe that. That's just not right. The guy that worked all day in the heat should get a lot more than the guy who worked maybe an hour. Right!...or maybe not right.

I'm dealing with this very attitude with people that says: I am entitled to this or that because...
I'm so tired of selfishness and "its all about me".

Lets give up for others - Lets sacrifice so that others may have. - Lets do without so that others can have.

This stuff is wearing me out!!!