An interesting discussion on parenting leaders....take a listen....

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My Tree - by Chris Rice

On a hill far away stands a tall mighty tree
Where a boy and girl used to take
turns pushing the tire swing
I remember the pocketknife in hand
And her name in my heart
And thinkin' there ain't no way for a boy to contain
The love that he feels inside
So I carved her name into my tree
Then I carved a heart around her name
Then I carved an arrow through the heart
Just to say "I love you"
Now on a hill far away stood an old rugged cross
The emblem of suffering and shame
I remember the nails through my hands
And your name in my heart
And how in their wordless way the nails explain
The love that I feel inside
As they carved your name into my tree
Where I wrapped my heart around your name
Then I took your arrow through my heart
Just to say, "I love you"
Just to say, "I love you"
Now I can never forget how much you mean to me
'Cause I will always remember whenever I see
Where I carved your name into my tree
Where I wrapped my heart around your name
Then I took your arrow through my heart
Just to say, "I love you"
Just to say, "I love you"

Enduring faith is one quality Christ demonstrated as he walked through those lonely hours from the olive garden of Gethsemane (lit. translated "oil press") to Golgotha, (lit. "the place of skulls"). In the garden of Gethsemane, he prayed and anguished so hard that he was sweating, and sweating blood. And, that was just the beginning of his endurance. He endured more hardship than many of us in western civilization could ever imagine -being whipped and tortured, abandoned by his closest friends, mocked by a whole city, bruised and beaten and then hung on a cross for all to see.

Through all of this, Hebrews indicates "for the joy set before him, he endured the cross..." In the midst of all this mockery and brutality, the Son of God had in his mind all of us, and his Father. He had me, he had you, at the forefront of his thoughts. It was for you and me that he was being tortured, whipped and forsaken. He saw the joy of knowing that we could be in close relationship with God, his Father, because of the cross. He was full of joy knowing that his life sacrifice was enough once and for all to make us right before God.

There are many things we can take from this enduring faith Christ demonstrated. Is it that I need to have the same enduring, joy-filled faith in God for a situation, knowing what is coming on the other side? Or, is it that I need to see God's plan for my life more clearly so the situations I encounter are only viewed through the glasses of God's plan for me? Or, is it that I haven't yet encountered Christ, the one who can make any situation an opportunity to be joyful?

Whatever you take, talk to Jesus about it. He's on the other side of the hardship, filled with joy to know you and I can talk to him about anything and he'll understand.

The power of forgiveness

2 Corinthians 2:10
If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake"


Tonight at the Marriage Course, the topic was forgiveness. It was a wonderful time to reflect on the power forgiveness has in our lives.

The power to forgive someone who has wronged you, and be forgiven for wrongs you have committed to others, is significant. The release that comes with forgiveness can be likened to cutting off shackles because when we don't forgive, or ask for forgiveness, we are the ones who become bogged down/burdened/embittered. So, forgiveness is choosing to let something not affect you any longer. Resentment is remembering a hurt done to you again and again. Forgiveness is the opposite.

I am so grateful that forgiveness is in our vocabulary. And, so much more grateful that I know what true forgiveness is. It is easy to forgive others when you remember how many times you have been forgiven.

C.S. Lewis:

Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.

Anne Rice

I was most pleased to find out today (don't know how it took me this long to find this out - but what a pleasant surprise) that Anne Rice, famous author of the Interview with a Vampire series, gave her heart to Jesus in 1998.

There are many points to which this is of interest to me:
1. The weekend I became a Christian I was in fact reading Interview with a Vampire and was coming to a realization that what the book subscribed to was a glorification of something that stood in direct opposition to Christ - to be eternally damned on this earth, devoid of all light, empty of community, destined to feed off the life of others till their destruction...It's amazing to consider how much I was hungering for the supernatural in my life at that time, and Interview with a Vampire was so powerfully set aside in favour of eternal life.
2. God is a redemptive God. Anne's history is a childhood in a Christian home, with a 38 hiatus from the Lord. She called herself an agnostic during that time, and she relates her books deeply spiritual and supernatural bent to her own search for meaning in a dark time. Praise God that he brought Anne to the crossroads of faith once again.
3. She has not renounced her books (click here for her essay on this), which I believe is not wrong. I look at all those who read these books - they are obviously hungering for something more than the natural, as I was, and are happy to consume literature that offers something more to consider. I myself am grateful because even as I was reading her book back at the end of the 80s, early 90s, I was so hungry for eternal purposes. I'm just so grateful that she, and I, didn't relent until we found the eternal God. And, those avid readers of the Vampire Chronicles are poised to read the rest of her works, which are filled with faith, and redemption. What an opportunity!

Too Funny! Enjoy. Pat

I saw this video on my friend Gene's blog, and I thought it quite funny so wanted to share! There are days when I feel like this myself but I don't have any excuses as to why!!!

Is it time for school????

Let's just say that today, of all days, I truly empathize with Calvin's parents. Sheesh - you'd think my kids had lead in their behinds for all the cajolling it too for Ali and I to get them out the door. I'm sure I'll miss them, but for now I'll just have a good laugh at Calvin and Hobbes whilst I enjoy my cup of coffee.

Poor Fellow - my empathy is in overdrive. Pat :)

So, my friend Brian said his wife was searching Craig's List (a popular online classifieds website) for some furniture and found this posting yesterday:

"Beautiful light blue couch camel-back style. Virtually unused. Why are we selling this couch? Because of the inexplicable vagaries of the female taste. We agonized over the style, the fabric, the pattern--finally made our decision and ordered this custom-made couch from the factory. Unfortunately, once it arrived it was not apparently what she anticipated. Thus it entered our home as in intruder, mocking her sense of style until finally the ultimatum was issed--the couch or me. I love my wife. Please save our marriage. This couch has no wear, no tear, no fading, no stains--why would it? It's never been sat on. I paid a huge amount of money for this piece of furniture and have been storing it for you, I guess. If we were a retail business we would be bankrupt operating like this. Buy high and sell low, that's our motto."

Laughter - a solid tool!

Laughter is the shortest distance between two people. ~Victor Borge

One of the great things I am also thankful for is laughter. I am particularly thankful for is my wife's joie de vivre (spelling?). She loves to laugh, and it is infectious. Other people love to laugh at Ali's laugh. I love to hear her laugh. It has a neat effect in that it draws out of people a sense of connection- an opportunity to share a connection. Her laughter builds memories with people: "Remember that night we played the dice game at Pat and Ali's - that was so much fun." or "Remember when we saw that movie with Ali - it was unreal how giddy she got." I love it. It gives me pleasure to see Ali full of laughter and joy - it's infectious. Tonight we shared dinner with some friends and then played some games. All through the night we laughed a lot, at even the smallest of things such as our children's zany antics/habits, and at quirks we have ourselves. And, the more one of us laughed, the more the rest of us joined in.

I particularly love having a meal with my children and in the midst of the meal all six of us find ourselves laughing heartily at something one of us has said or done. We just get caught up in the moment and finish the meal with persistent giggles and a sense of family connection.

Have you taken them time to laugh today - really laugh? If you haven't, I would invite you to ask God to help you. Ask Him to open your eyes to the things around you that you see that are opportunities to laugh. Why? Because in these days when people are consumed with their lives - laughter can be a great tool to help foster a better perspective, a right frame of reference and a welcome interruption. It's hard to worry or have tunnel-vision when you are laughing. So, take the time to laugh and make mirth - people will be happy for the interruption. Laughter begets laughter.

A little perspective...

¹⁶"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NLT)

Oh how much I have to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Canadian Friends!

The Fish In The Sea -Enjoy, Ali :)

Mommy asks Jack... "Jack, what do people eat that live in the sea?"

"Fish" says Jack.

Mommy questions... "Then what do the fish eat?"

"Smaller ones!" Jack rolls his eyes at this EASY quiz.

Mommy replies... "Yes, Jack... that's very clever! Lots of fish eat other fish... Like the shark! He eats fish!"

"No Mum... not the shark!" scolds Jack. "He doesn't eat fish -silly!"

"Okay, then WHAT DOES the shark eat Jack?!" Mommy questions.

"PEOPLE!!" Jack declares!

(Mom laughs.) "Yes Jack... that's true too!"

Lovely Happenings @ Bedtime... -Enjoy, Ali :)

It's bed time and Mama Spider creeps giggling into a little fly's room...

"Ah ha ha ha... I'm a Mama Spider and you're a fly" she says to little Jack. "Do you know what the Spider said to the fly Jack?" says Mama Spider.

"What?!" says the little fly.

"Mmmm... I smell DINNER!!! Mwhahahahaaaaaa!!!!!"

"Wait! WAIT! Stop! STOP MAMA!" (Little Jack commands then continues -whispering...) "I wanted to be your little baby fly."

Mama smiles in the dark, "Okay then, you can be my baby fly instead". Mama is concerned her game went too far and scared her Jacker.

Jack reaches up, wraps his little arms around Mama and yells, "NOW YOU CAN HAVE YOUR DINNER MAMA!!!" Mama laughs out loud, Jack (sounding remarkably like his mother) laughs too, and then pulls her even tighter into his lovely little hug. "Dat's funny Mama?!" (Mama is still laughing...)

Then he says something she knows she will never forget. Holding her close he whispers into her ear, "I'll keep you Mama... I'll keep you... and YOU, you can keep me."

Old Lady -Enjoy, Ali :)

On my dresser beside my mirror, there is a photo of our wedding day. I am standing in front of the mirror putting mascara on. Garrett stands to my right looking intently back and forth from the photo to my reflection in the mirror.

"Mommy?" Garrett questions, "Are you an old lady now?"

"No dear... not yet, but I'm working on it!" I answer, smiling.

I make a mental note to NEVER take him when I go dress shopping, for FEAR of what his answer will be if I ask how I look in my dress! OY VEY!