What?! You're kidding, right?

I couldn't believe this when I heard it last night and I still cant believe it. Its all I've been thinking about all day. I was lying in the bed getting ready to go to sleep. I was channel surfing for the last time of the day (I think I'm the only guy in the world who does this) when I saw it. The state Lottery had some sort of public address announcement about people who are addicted to gambling. They have a phone number you can call if you, or someone you know is addicted to gambling. You can call them for help. WHAT?! Somehow, this doesn't make sense to me. If I were addicted to gambling why would I call the very people who were supplying me the very thing to that which I was addicted? If I were addicted to alcohol, would I call a beer company for help? If I were addicted to cigarettes, would I call a cigarette company for help? If I were addicted to stealing would I call the government? (That's for all you conservatives out there.) Look, I know. Some people would say, "have you ever been addicted to anything? Its hard to stop." Okay. I understand that. I will give a little. I can only guess how hard it would be to break the addiction of any of these things on your own, but come on! Go to the ones who are helping you stay addicted? That doesn't make sense. At the risk of sounding preachy, here goes: there is only one who can break the chains of addiction. Only one person can save you from the bondage to which you so hopelessly are enslaved. No, you cant break the addiction...on your own. Jesus Christ can not only break the addiction, but can take the craving away so you will never have to worry about it again. Ask any Christian that you know who was addicted to habits before they gave their life to Christ. They will tell you. They tried hundreds of times but to no avail. If you decide that you don't want His help, then that's up to you. At the very least, think about it before you go to the ones who are supplying the habit which you support and are enslaved. Thanks for letting me rant today. Have a wonderful Wednesday.

LW

Swine flu?!

Just when you think you've heard of everything. I saw this on the news yesterday. Boy! Doesn't sound too good.

"The symptoms of swine flu, which are similar to symptoms of regular flu, include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu has also been reported. In the past, pneumonia and respiratory failure and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause chronic medical conditions to worsen." Makes me glad I'm not a pig! Can you imagine?? Seriously. It seems that every day there is a new cause for concern. Every time you turn on the radio or the t.v. or pick up a newspaper there is something else to worry about. Isn't this to be expected though? 2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. If I were to live my life based on all the bad news I hear, I would bolt my doors shut, climb in the bed, and pull the covers over my head and never come out again. As we continue to live in these last days and get closer to the second coming of Christ, it grows increasingly apparent that God is taking his hand of protection off of this world. He is letting things happen to fulfill the prophesies of the Bible. We could debate all day why He is doing this. On one hand, some would say that He is letting this happen as judgement on a world that is falling farther and farther away from the truths of God. On the other hand, some would say that He is letting these things happen to try to get people to turn from their wicked ways and come to Him. The one fact that we can all agree on, is that now is not the time to be playing around with our spirituality. We need to get as close as we can to God and try to get others to follow. Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. We need to live every day as if it is our last. We cant afford not to. Have a wonderful day in Christ.

LW

Cheesy feet

This is really for parents of small children or for those who can remember when their children were small. So many times we wish our children were bigger. They need so much attention when they're babies. Constant care, diaper changing, chasing around the house, keeping them out of the cabinets, etc. We really have no time for ourselves. No time to relax. No "me" time. The only time we get to ourselves is after they are in bed for the night. By then, we're so tired, we don't want to do anything. In times of consternation this can make us wish that they would hurry up and grow up so they can take care of themselves. We think, "if they were just a little more independent." Well, I wont judge you too harshly for those thoughts. I've had them a few times myself. Recently I was playing with my 11 month old twin girls. They love when I get on the floor with them. They crawl to me and pounce on me like little lion cubs. We roll around and wrestle. I give them zurburts on their bellies and we laugh. So much fun. So carefree. So innocent. So beautiful. If they've had shoes and socks on all day, they try to take them off the first chance they get. This just gives me something else to play with. I grab their little feet and kiss them and bite them and they giggle so sweetly. Because they've had shoes and socks on all day, their little toes get sweaty and they get a little odor to them. Its natural. In adults its nasty, but with babies its sweet. I like to call them cheesy feet. Not that they smell exactly like cheese, but they do have an odor and the closest thing that I can think of is cheese. Plus, I like the way it sounds and they always laugh. My two older daughters have caught onto it and they say it all the time too. Its so much fun to play with them and smell their little cheesy feet. We laugh so much. At least me and the babies do. I don't play that game with my 4 and 2 year old anymore. They are already past that stage. I know it wont be long and the twins wont play that game anymore either. I know it sounds cliche but, they grow up so fast. It doesn't take long. Enjoy your little ones. I promise you that one day you will long for those sweet little "cheesy feet". I hope you and your family have a wonderful Saturday.

LW

Kites taught me a lot about being a dad.

I had the privilege of taking my wife and children to a local kite festival over the weekend. It was a beautiful day. There was just enough wind to make all the kites fly effortlessly in the sky. There were big kites, small kites, strange kites, and some really cool kites. My favorite was a huge dragon kite. There were craft vendors and food vendors everywhere. We finally made our way to the tent where they were giving away kites to all the children who didn't bring their own. I'm not a big kite enthusiast so we didn't have our own kites. I enjoy watching other people fly kites but I'm not really into flying my own. But that being said, my two older girls, a 4 year old and one who will be three in a couple of months, wanted to fly their kites. So, I bit the bullet and started to try to fly their kites. Now, I mentioned earlier that there was just enough wind to fly a kite when we got there but when it was time to fly our kites the wind was almost non-existent. I knew this was going to be tough but I tried nonetheless. Try as I might, the wind was just not cooperating. I looked at my 4 year old and the look of disappointment was almost unbearable. She was so excited but I just couldn't get the kite to fly. I apologized to her but it did very little to comfort her. She was so excited and now I was not able to fulfill the expectations that she had. I felt horrible. "I'm her father. I am going to get this kite flying or die trying." This was exactly the thought running through my mind. I started running back and forth, back and forth trying so hard to get the kite to get started. Nothing. But something happened while I was running. Both of my older daughters were running behind me laughing. I couldn't get the kite to stay up but they were having a blast running with me and trying. They were satisfied with that. We ran around for a while and then they were done. They were happy that I had tried. The disappointment that they had at the beginning wasn't even a memory anymore. I learned a valuable lesson that day. I don't have to succeed at everything to be a hero to my girls. I am a hero for trying and most of the fun of the journey is the journey itself. I may let my children down because I just cant do something but I will do my best to make sure I never disappoint them to the point that they remember it. If they do remember, then I will have done something horrible that I may never be able to undo. Do your best for your children. That's really all they want. They don't want the best that the world has to offer. They want you. I remember my childhood. The best memories of my mom and dad are when we were together. I don't remember the things I had or didn't have. I remember my parents always being their for me. They always did their best. Lord, help me to be that way with my children. I don't miss my parents because of what they could give me. I miss them because of who they were. Parents, just be there for your children. I learned that's really all they want. Have a blessed day.

LW

Why worry?

I was out running personal errands this morning. It was a beautiful day and I was listening to one of my favorite Cd's (John Fischer-Dark Horse). I was really relaxed and enjoying the drive. It made me think. Even though I am in the midst of this job search and I cant seem to shake this sickness, why am I not more worried than I actually am? Shouldn't I be a basket case of worry? What will happen to my home? What will happen to my family? Where will we go? What will we do? I really should be worried right? But for some reason I just cant get bothered by the surrounding circumstances. There's just something inside that makes me know everything is going to be alright. If I could explain it I would. Oh wait! I can explain it. Psalm 119:165 "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them." When all you are, and all you have is in the Lord, you will have great peace in the middle of the storms. Oh, how I love being in Christ Jesus. I know that no matter what comes my way, He will be there to help me. Nothing happens that he hasn't ordained. He is watching all the time and making sure I am following his direction. As long as I do, nothing will harm me. I am so thankful for the "peace that passeth all understanding", Philippians 4:7. If it were not for that peace, I would surely be a basket case. All I can do, all I want to do, is trust in Him who knows everything. Besides, He must have seen something in me that made Him trust me with this battle. If I couldn't handle it He would have never let me see this valley, right? I am thankful for his peace. When the world seems to be running to and fro, trying to find their way, I will rest in Him. Its a great feeling if you don't know what it feels like. You can know. Its very simple. Believe me, there's nothing like it. God bless. Have a wonderful day.

Spring/Easter...coincidence or divine timing?

As we get ready to fill out our first full month of spring, I had a thought that you may, or may not have already had. Spring is such a beautiful season. The trees are all budding, the flowers are all blooming and the grass is as green as it will be all year. The birds are singing, the squirrels are thieving (see my post below), and everything that was dead or sleeping is now awake with the newness of life. There is just something in the air that says, "Welcome to today! I am alive and I am enjoying every minute of it!" So, when Easter came along I began to think about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. That's good right? What else do you think of at Easter? I thought about how Christ died and all life as we knew it appeared to have died too. The sun was hidden, the clouds rolled in and a great storm seemed to signal the end. It became cold and death swallowed up victory. For 3 long days life was gone and no one could see the end in sight. But on the third day the stone rolled back and signaled the beginning of life forevermore. I know the crucifixion and resurrection may not have happened in April. Like Christmas, we may never know the exact day or month. I just wonder if the Lord, in all of his infinite wisdom, placed it in the heart of man to set a day aside in one of the most beautiful seasons of the year. Why not celebrate in July or October? Why not in January? Think about it. What other time of year would make us so cognizant of Christs' most awesome gift? I don't know. Maybe I'm just over thinking the whole thing but it really makes me wonder. Just a thought. I hope you had a great Easter and I hope you know the true giver of life.

LW

Did that really happen?

Well, chalk this one up for "I didn't see that one coming." Someone I know who works transporting money recently relayed a story to me and I wanted to make sure I gave credit where credit is due. I am always a little more pessimistic than optimistic. I usually see the glass as half empty and not half full. I almost always fall on the cynical side of the fence, especially in matters of peoples kindness and honesty. I must, at least this time, bow down and humbly ask Gods forgiveness. The following event happened in a little town in Virginia called Stuarts Draft. A sizable sum of money (5 figures and we'll leave it at that) was being taken from a building to an armored vehicle. There happened to be a very strong wind that day. The strap that was bundling the money together broke. All of the money began blowing and swirling in the wind in broad daylight. Everyone in the vicinity gasped in horror to see all of the bills flying unfettered in the wind. The people responsible for the money immediately began running and grasping every bill they could get there hands on. What a nightmare this was going to turn out to be. People who were watching began gathering money too. How much money would end up missing? How would you get it back? How would you even begin to prosecute? It would be a huge loss. Not so fast. Thankfully, the good people of Stuarts Draft were still honest and upright citizens and willing to do the right thing. After all of the bills were retrieved and all was said and done the results were unbelievable. Out of all of the money that was lost, all but 1 bill (a $100.00 bill) was retrieved. Present and accounted for. Pretty unbelievable huh? I'm not sure this would have happened in a big city or even in a bigger city but in sleepy little Stuarts Draft my faith in mankind, to a small degree, was restored. In this time of greed, degradation, corporate wealth and political infighting, there is still hope that men and women will do what is right. So, if you are ever going to lose your bill fold or misplace your purse, make sure you do it in Stuarts Draft Virginia. I think you stand a good chance of getting it back. Good for you Stuarts Draft and hopefully all towns and cities will take a lesson. God bless you all for you kindness and honesty.

Squirrels, thieves and Nana's birdfeeder

My wife's mother, affectionately known around our house as Nana, is always trying to come up with a craft for our girls. She loves the outdoors so it usually is an outdoor craft. This time she had these hideous hollowed out gourds with two holes in them. They also had a wire attached. The craft was to paint the gourd, put a stick in the small hole for a perch, and then hang them in a tree for the birds. Sounds good, I guess, but nothing is ever that simple right? Well, in this case it all worked exactly as planned. After the girls painted them (quite beautifully I might add) I went to Lowes and got a hook and a dowel rod and finished the rest of the project. I filled the gourds with birdseed and then hung them in the trees. The girls were very proud and for a little while I guess I thought Nana hit a home run on this one. That feeling didn't last long. About as long as the feeling that you're actually loosing weight until you try on your tightest pants and its like trying to stretch a balloon over a watermelon. Anyway, for a couple of days all went well. One day at the lunch table I was looking out the window and I saw something in one of the bird houses. It didn't look like a bird unless this was some sort of freakish bird with a big furry tail. I've been around a while so I didn't think there was a species of bird like that. I watched for a moment. After a couple minutes of non-movement the culprit came out of the gourd. Sure enough. It was a squirrel. "Stinking squirrel", I said. "That's for the birds!", which is exactly what I was thinking of Nana's project right about now. "Get out of there you little thief!" Upon closer examination I realized that the squirrel had chewed out the small hole for the birds and made the hole big enough for me to climb in. I could almost see him on his back with his hands behind his head and his legs crossed picking his teeth with a toothpick. "Ha-ha chump!" is what he was saying to me. I wasn't overly angry. As a matter of fact, I found it a little amusing. This isn't the first time we've had a bird feeder in our back yard. I tried this last year and the deer kept coming and eating all of the bird seed. How did I know it was a deer. Those droppings weren't left by my family. So, I guess the bird house/bird feeder projects are over for us. I did get something out of this experience though. The squirrel reminded me of me before I came to know Christ. I was just looking for food. Something to sustain me until the next day. I just didn't realize that I was looking in the wrong places. I finally found the one who gives food that will never run out. Someone who not only feeds me physically but spiritually and emotionally as well. I don't have to run around like a squirrel searching for morsels to get by. I have all I'll ever need and more. Lets not be like the squirrel but find the true source of nutrition for our body and soul, Jesus Christ. Have a great day!

LW

Great service

Tonight was one of those services that makes you glad you overrode your flesh and said "I'm going to church tonight." There were so many testimonies of praise for all that the Lord has done for them. The whole time I'm sitting there with a horrible headache but listening intently to everything that was going on. So many people are starting to realize that they have a higher calling than just trying to make it. God is letting us go through things to strengthen us and make us better for him. Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. Even though it may be the hardest thing we've ever gone through it is working toward a better us and a better Kingdom of God. I praise the Lord every day for every valley he lets me go through. As the old song say: "if I never had a problem, I wouldnt know that He could solve them, I'd never know what faith in God can do." Keep your chin up. Its okay. Hang in there. DO NOT let go of his hand. He's working you to be something more than you can imagine yourself to be. God bless you today and every day.

LW

The 31st day

Where did the title for this blog come from. What does "My 31st day" mean? My wife and I already had 2 girls. I also have a teenage son from a previous marriage. When she told me she was pregnant again it was no surprise. We had talked about it so I was cool with it. When she told me it was twins, my knees buckled and I almost fell on the ground. Okay. No problem. We can do this. I had recently gotten a promotion at work and was in upper management. She was staying home to care for the older girls but we were certain that we could tighten the purse strings and make it work. I'll skip through a lot and get to the most important stuff. The day came when the twins were born. They were 6 weeks pre-mature but otherwise healthy. This meant a stint in the NICU. Thankfully, this NICU was at a local hospital. I came home from work and my wife and I would go to the hospital. The main problem the twins were having was eating and breathing at the same time. When they ate they would stop breathing, something very common in premees. The oldest twin came home after 18 days. We were rejoicing but sad because the younger twin had to stay by herself in the NICU. A bittersweet moment for sure. Every day we would think that it was her turn to come home but she was still having the problem. The nurses assured us that everything was fine. Some babies take a little longer. It was excruciating though. She did fine when mommy fed her but overnight she would have spells when she would stop breathing. Her heart rate would drop. We felt like we could handle this at home until she was up to speed but the doctors really wanted the nursed to be at the ready just in case. We inquired of the Lord and asked why the second twin couldnt come home too? Nevertheless not our will, but the Lords be done. Finally the day came when she could come home too. 31 days later. We were thrilled. We didnt know why it had taken so long but it didnt matter now. We were all home. One big family. A few days later a letter came in the mail. Because the second twin had been in the NICU for over 30 days she was eligible for institutionalized Medicaid. What my insurance didnt pay, the state did. Praise the Lord!! Thats why she had to stay. It had to be 31 days. Never again will I question the length of the battle or valley that God has for me. He knows the future and sees everything. He has it all in control if I will let him. Now I'm in another long valley. I have been laid off since December 2, 2008. I'm having a hard time finding a job like the one I had. A job that pays enough for my wife to still stay home and for us to be able to stay in our house. Of course I am praying and asking God for an end to this job search but I now realize that it is not the 31st day yet. He sees the future and knows everything and there is a reason that I am still unemployed. When its time for me to find a job He will give it to me. I just have to let go and trust in Him. He didnt let us down with the twins and he wont let us down this time. If you're going through something and you see no end in sight, do not worry. Dont dispair. God sees the future and knows everything. Its not your 31st day. Hang in there. When day 31 comes, you'll know all you need to know then. God bless you.

This blog is dedicated to my wonderful family. All that we have been through has made us stronger. I hope to help others and be an encouragement along the way. "Life is a few days of struggle" a wise man once said. If we can help in some small way then I hope God will use us as he sees fit. Whatever he wants us to go through is nothing if it helps get someone else home. May God richly bless you.