Take Time For Life

A strange thing happened today. I woke up and realized that sometimes 2 + 2 simply cannot = 4. In my mind I'm still a young guy, maybe even a kid. No I don't have the Peter Pan Syndrome or anything like that. I simply love life and consider myself a kid at heart.

So, if I am still just a kid, how is it that when I woke up today I awoke to the reality that my oldest son is now twenty - truly a young man. Wow! I can remember the exact moment he was born (which is weird because I can't remember much about yesterday as I am still dealing with the affects of having a concussion during a car accident). I remember when the doctor said - "He's a boy!" I remember when the nurse placed him in my arms.

I remember teaching him how to ride a bike. I remember our walks in the yard and in the small town we lived in when he was born. I remember praying with him and hearing him pray out loud for the first time. I remember how excited he was when he found out he was going to be a big brother for the first time. And the second. And the third. And the fourth. And the fifth. And . . . well as far as we know that is the last time.

I remember him holding his mother's hand so he could protect her as he proudly walked beside her at church or at the store, or just out in the yard. I remember our family trips all over Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Washington D.C., Maryland, Washington, Idaho, North Carolina, and Arizona to mention a few. I remember watching him stand before a crowd and sing with an incredible voice and being so proud of him. I remember being with him on mission trips and watching him grow and mature as a young teenager, then a young man and more specifically as a man of God.

As I said, a strange thing happened today; I woke up and realized how thankful I am that my wife and I have taken time for life with each other and our children. If I could offer any advice to you it would simply be, take time for life. Everyday!

Playing Pays Big Dividends

Do you play enough? Most of us are much more inclined to ask or be asked if we work enough. The longer I live the more I'm convinced most of us need to play more. This blog could go in many directions, but I'm going to specifically address the need to play more with your family. Sarah and I have 6 children and we have learned to play a lot of games over the past 20 years. Some of the games are official board games like Monopoly or Sorry, and some of the games are well known outside games like kickball or tag. Some of the games are games that never existed before we played them - at least we had never heard of them before. Some of the games are played inside and some are played outside. Some of the games we sometimes play inside are really supposed to be played outside - like baseball and football.

What good could possibly come from playing games? There are many positives; like exercise of the mind and body. But there are other positives as well such as learning a lot about each other - like who cheats and who doesn't, who is a good winner and who is a good loser. You get to laugh together, cry together, and learn new things together. The best part of playing games is just being together. When you begin to get your life in order and have your job in line with your vocation you will have more time to enjoy your family and play more games. I want to help you spend more time playing - especially with your family.

Enjoy success in life everyday!