Category Archive

So now that we are in the coldest part of the year, I thought some summer memories might be encouraging and refreshing. Here goes.

Every year on our North Shore of Lake Superior Trip we spend a few hours on Artist point in Grand Marais. And every year those hours are a highlight of the year, but this summer it looked like our joy there might be dampened.

This was because only a few minutes after we got to the east side of the point, rain clouds came over the hill and we saw that we were going to get rained on. So we packed up quickly and headed back to the car as it started sprinkling. But as it turned out, the rain didn’t end our time there.

Here are some truths we were reminded of as a result of what happened next:

1. Sometimes a dad’s job is to get the mom to do what she might not otherwise want to.

It took some time to get to the center of the point where you cross over to the parking lot near downtown. And as we got there (and as we were standing in the rain) I looked up and saw that there was blue sky past the clouds and it looked like the rain would soon be ending. So I suggested that we just wait it out. Debbie was hesitant at first because we were just getting wetter, because it was still raining, but (to her credit) she fairly quickly agreed.

2. Sometime God ordains that bad things will cause better things to happen.

We decided to walk to a section we’d spent very little time at in all of our trips to this point. And there we found a jut-out of rock that was somewhat of a challenge to get to. It was here that we had the most fun we’ve ever had on Artist Point.

If it hadn’t been for the rain, we wouldn’t have stopped at this spot. And for the record, I’d just like to note that I’m aware that in the grand scheme of things, getting rained on is not a very bad thing.

3. Sometimes fear becomes fun.

The jut-out was in the form of a 100 foot oval. At one point this oval was very narrow.
The waves were coming fairly strongly and sometimes would spurt up ten feet high. And if you crossed the narrow section at the wrong time you would find yourself getting very wet. The kids at first didn’t want to cross it, but then saw that the challenge created thrills.

4. Wet clothes dry.

Before we were done, all of us had gotten a little wet, and some of us got very wet. Our clothes were dripping. But it was clean water and the next day (or even later that afternoon) no one would have known that we had been drenched. So what’s the big deal?

5. Sometimes Joy can be free.

Two of our kids said that this was as good as (or better) than a water park. It would cost us nearly $100 for us to bring our whole family to a water park, so this was very encouraging for my Dad ears to hear.

6. Teenagers and 3-years-olds can find the same thing to be fun.

There were no children that were left out, or thought it was boring, or who couldn’t play along.

I just looked at my journal for that day and it said this:

The water running at Artist point was one of the more perfect times we’ve ever had as a family.

I thank God.

We have been talking with our kids to let them know that the twenty-fifth of December is not the only time that they can enjoy the advent season. So, like most families, we do Christmas-y things as a family all throughout the month of December. And I’m trying to point out to them that those things aren’t just build up to the main event, they are part of the main event.

• This helps to avoid a big let down on December 26^th, because it wasn’t all about a 24 hour period of time.
• This helps because our kids see that Joy In Christ is not dependant on one event. Or one kind of event.
• This helps because they learn that there are many celebratory paths that lead us to reflect on the good that happened because God became incarnate.

In any case, we were encouraged along these lines by what we read in a Caring Bridge update. The seven month old daughter of friends of our family has leukemia and has been in and out of treatments at the hospital since summer. Here’s the end of their last post.

… Also pray for Kevin and the kids at home and for all of us as we prepare for Christmas in many practical (and impractical, scattered, and hectic!) ways as we are very excited to give each other gifts and enjoy one of our favorite times of the year and give extra love and attention to the children… and we are longing to find some quiet to remember the wonder that God sent a Savior, Emmanuel… God with us. I want to deeply feel this myself and also share this good news with our children over and over again during this hard season in our lives.

This family wasn’t together at home on the day that most of us celebrated Thanksgiving. And it’s quite possible that they won’t be home together on Christmas Day. But that isn’t stopping them from celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas. Quite the opposite. This hard time is causing them to be more intentional in sharing this joy with their kids.

And if they can do it during a time of Cancer, the rest of us should be able to do it during … normal times. So do it.

Dads, when considering a home to live in one question you should ask is: Is it close to our church?

This is not the only factor, nor the most important, but it is fairly significant.

For example, people who live close to church make themselves more able to help others and be helped by others in the church.

Here’s what Pastor Piper had to say about leading your family in devotions:

Dads, I’m going to make this real easy.  Even if you can’t read and your wife can, you can still lead in devotions. Just say, “C’mon, kids, come on”. Say that: “Come. On.” And then you say, “Honey, read John 1”. And you say, “Daughter, pray for us.” That’s leadership, Fella. You don’t need anything but guts to do that. Well, the Holy Spirit would help. You know what I mean.

I know this isn’t of universal interest, but we’ve recently finished working on our kitchen. When I say ‘we’, I mean that Phil Carlson did most of the work, (besides tearing up the floor, of course) while we watched.

But here are some before and after pictures of what was done.  Click on the picture to see the bigger photo.

and two more after pictures

I have a blog that I’ve been working on this spring, and I thought that June 1st would be a good day to let people know about it.

It’s called “Revisiting Minnesota State Parks” and in it I have been reviewing and ranking the state parks as visited by my family. It includes stories about my kids.

Go check it out!

As I wrote this week’s fighter verse song application post, I starting thinking that there might be a hidden command in it.

Proverbs 6:20-21

My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not your mother’s teaching. Bind them on your heart always; tie them around your neck.

So the primary truth in this verse is that kids should consider their parent’s words and teachings to be very important.

But I think there is a message for parents as well: Be careful what you teach them. Because God is telling them to bind these words on their hearts.

If you are not careful, you might drag them down with unhelpful rules and criticism. You might bind them up with legalism or permissivism. You might pull them apart with inconsistency.

Your guidance should serve to lead them, protect them and point them to the Gospel.

Our son Erik was born one year and a day after his older sister Adelyn was born.

He just turned nine.

Here are some things you should know about Erik

1. He likes physical touch. We knew this even before he walked up to Debbie and I one morning (four years ago) as we were saying goodbye and said, “Hug Group!”. He is the one who most often requests that all of us wrestle.

2. For his age, he’s the tallest of our children.

3. He likes to laugh and he tries to make us laugh. And I like it when I make him laugh.

4. When Debbie asked him what he’d like to do with her, he answered “Make a cherry pie”. Our whole family benefited from the result.

5. We love Erik and we’re glad he’s a part of our family.

Ten years ago this weekend (the last weekend in April) the Twin Cites had a blizzard. I’m on record as saying that I am the insane type of person who likes that kind of late snow storm, but this was had snow heavy enough to knock down power lines, and some time during that weekend we lost power.

I should also mention that at some time that weekend Debbie went into labor.

Sunday morning we still didn’t have power, but our friends Chris and Nina invited us and our three boys over for Sunday dinner (Roast Beef!) and Debbie remembers sitting at the table and cringing every fifteen minutes when the next contraction hit.

And the next day, Adelyn Rose was born!

Our first girl. So Debbie made dresses. And the boys like to hold her. And she gave us joy.

And now she is ten! She still gives us joy.

Let me tell you three things about her.

1. She still likes wearing dresses. She is almost never seen not wearing one.

2. She likes setting a table. Whereas most of our kids like to be surprised by a table all set and made fancy for the birthday meal, it was her joy this weekend to stay up late to make the table exactly like she wanted it.

3. She was pretty much in heaven at the Father Daughter Tea last weekend. Roses, royalty, dressing up, elegant dining, focused attention from her dad, wearing white gloves. Yes, how could it get any better?

Oh and also –

4. She likes small things, even if they are  snakes. Please see the corresponding picture.

Adelyn is loved by her parents, her siblings, her friends and her heavenly father. On her birthday, I prayed that this year she will be drawn closer to God.

May He grant that it be so.