Responsible Father

Okay, I know what you’re thinking: A poem. Oy.

Do me a favor and read it. Like just try the first fifteen lines or something.

(and yes, I’ve added this to my Family and Vacation Spot Poetry Post)

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Where to Picnic in Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Okay, say you’re on your way to Montana
It’s been a long drive
And you want to stretch your legs
And you’ve got a little extra time
And you’ve got your picnic food
And they’ve let you through the gate
It didn’t cost much because your Mom got the Senior Special discount entrance.
Good for the rest of her life
Good for your whole family
Because everyone else gets in free!
So now you’re in.

Here’s my advice:
Eschew The Designated Picnic Area
Eschew it, I say!
It’s a little half open/half wooded spot by the river.
You’re not in this park to see a little half open/half wooded spot by the river.
No.

Drive deeper in.
At the Fork, take a right.
Going on the south side of the loop.
Keep an eye out for Prairie Dogs and Buffalo

Do you have a map?
Do you see where it says “Ridgeline Trail?”
Go there.
It’s a wide spot in the road. Park There.

Okay, here’s the hard part.
Once you have your food in hand,
Head up the trail.
It is quite steep
But only for three minutes.
And at the top is a bench.
It’s a pretty good place for a picnic.
Better than most.
But don’t stop there.
No.

The Ridgeline trail heads south and a little west.
Don’t follow it.
Yet.

Head to the left of the trail.
Make your way to the edge of the “Ridge”
It’s just sixty seconds, I promise.
And there, lay your picnic blanket
Watch out for cacti.
And you may want to keep young children in hand.
It might be a bit of a tumble if they stepped too far.
In that spot,
You will have a vista that allows miles of vision.
Look.
Wonder.
Praise God.

And that high distant spot off to the right that the trail heads to?
It isn’t that distant.
And not that high.
Take the trail.
Ten minutes tops and you’re there.
You will experience wonder again.
Wonder you would have missed if you’d stayed at the bench.
Or the designated picnic spot.

Sometime the difference between pretty good and amazing is just one minute’s walk.

We went to Yellowstone a few weeks back.

Neither Debbie or I have seen real mountains since our oldest was less than a year old, so we were looking forward to this aspect of our trip. From the moment we drove over the hill in Billings and I pointed into the distance and said “I think those are mountains,” Debbie continuously remarked at how much awe they inspired in her.

It was a great experience to stay at nice a log cabin in the Valley heading into Yellowstone from the North and as we headed over passes and looked out over the expanses, we reveled in the hugeness of what God has created.

So on our way out, we were going to take the advice of two people who knew about the Yellowstone area and leave through the Beartooth pass. But when we got there it was . . . closed. So we went south through Cody, and it wasn’t until we were a few minutes east of Cody that I noticed that I could no longer see the mountains.

I mentioned this to Debbie and she grieved as she realized that she didn’t get a last look at the Rocky Mountains. I felt sad for her.

Now while were weren’t going to let this ruin our vacation, it still was a dark moment.

Until I looked ahead on the map. Hmmm. What are the “Big Horn Mountains”?

Are they significant?

It turns out, they are!

We had a pleasant time as we drove through the TenSleep Pass and as it turned out, we got 1000 feet higher than we had been so far.

Debbie was satisfied. I thank God for how it worked out.

I thought you all might be interested in a post I wrote over at our Fighter Verse Songs blog. Go read it!

If you don’t like the primary message of yesterday’s post, how about this secondary takeaway?:

Unless your child has been diagnosed with something, complaining about their behavior gives those who disagree with your parenting style ammunition against that style.

This is just one more reason not to complain about your kids.

I’ve just considered one of the parenting proverbs in a new light.

Proverbs 13:24 says:

Whoever spares the rod hates his son,
but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.

I’ve always read this to mean something like “If you don’t discipline your child, you are acting in a way that is unloving towards your child”.

But  . . .

Do you ever hear parents complaining about their children? You hear them talking about how the child is snotty, or not controllable, or has a mind of her own, or always disrespectful*. And then you watch them and see that the parent doesn’t believe in using negative consequences.

This past month, I’ve been hearing (you probably have been, too) about a new book called “Go The <naughty word**> To Sleep”. The back cover describes it as ‘Profane, affectionate and radically honest’.  Now I can imagine that this is a very funny book. But one reason it has struck a nerve is parents don’t like their children (at least with respect to this subject). And many times kids get this way because they aren’t punished.

So I wonder if you could (and even should) read ‘Whoever spares the rod hates his son’ in this way: If you don’t discipline your child, you may grow to dislike him.

Read this way – it’s a warning. I think we should read it as a warning.

* I am aware that there are unruly children who are are well disciplined. I am also aware that a proverb is not a promise.

** Yes, the Queen Mother of swear words.

Our Family just got back from Yellowstone and over at my wife’s blog she’s started a series on Big Family Vacation Wisdom.

Go check it out!

Oh, I’m sorry, did you want to see Foster? Well, here you go!

It’s called Simple Diligence, which happens to be what my wife’s about, as well.

It’s for tired moms.

I’d considered it a special favor from you to me if you go read it. Also comment while you’re there.

Update: Turns out, it’s not for tired moms as much as it is for “just moms who want encouragement and/or ideas.”

Our Fighter Verse Song ministry is going to be on national radio Monday and Tuesday – On Family Life Today.

Click here to see what time it’s on a station near you:

In the Twin Cities, it’s on KTIS AM 900 at 9:05 AM and KKMS AM 980 at 7:30 AM

At one point, you can hear my whole family singing. Go forth and listen!

Go read the article I just posted over at the Fighter Verse Song Blog.

And check out the newest song. It’s a capella!

I have a question for all of you. Please skip down to ‘—‘ if you don’t want to read the introductory background.

So I recall the 600 yard dash in my later elementary school days.

And I recall the nearly two thirds mile jog around the basement of my high school.

And the 1.5 mile jog around the track in my one credit PE class at Bethel.

I hated all of these experiences. I ended up nearly doubled over, lungs burning and I could never do these things without stopping and walking much of the way.

When we were taught (in that same college class) that jogging was an aerobic exercise (i.e. a human body should be able to do it for long stretches without rest) I thought, “Well, that’s plainly ridiculous.”

And then, post graduation, there was the hike up Mount Josephine on the north shore, with my extended family and my older uncle and elementary school cousin, and I couldn’t keep up with them.

So I decided to beat this thing and I started jogging – to see how far I could go. And I suffered for days, but each day I was able to go a little bit further without stopping.  And I made it aerobic for me. But it was tough work.

So imagine my surprise Saturday, when all of my six older kids (age 7-13)* jogged a mile with me without stopping**, with no training and with apparently no pain.

I would not have thought this possible, given that they are my offspring (well, most of them).

—- So here’s my question: Are most kids like this? Is it just me that couldn’t run mid –size distances? Can most kids run a mile? Also, what sports expect kids to be able to jog this kind of distances, and at what age?  If any of you are coaches or gym teachers, I also really like to know what a typical elementary school kid can jog.

Thanks for your answers.

* I’m a little disappointed with two-year-old Foster. He can’t jog more than a couple hundred feet without getting distracted by something.

** Yeah, I know. Some of you are thinking right now, “Only a mile? My kid did that in soccer camp. When he was 4.”