It's too late to drink.

Some eyes are drawing to the whole "drink" of the title of this post.  Already, I see religious people crying out in anger because I used this title.  However, I must say, I used it.  Maleah was whining the other day and I found myself irritated at the whining.  Let's just be real people, if you have kids, you can relate.  She had already had finished up her supper and had been playing somewhere around the house.  Suddenly, she came whining.  Not just about one thing but about everything.  For a moment, I was briefly reminded that I am surrounded by the estrogen ocean.  Barbie dolls haven't been lining our halls but they were tucked safely away in the rooms of their captors.  It started.  "I want...."  The last one was "I want a drink."  My reply; "Honey, it's too late to drink."  Before the sound of "k" came out, I shot Sara a look and began to laugh.  Only in my child's confused eyes was there a straight face.  Never would I have thought I would tell my child that there was a time frame for drinking, especially in our house.  We don't drink.  There's no moral of this story.  There's not a thing that makes it any less funny.  What makes it special?  I will always have a memory of the day my kid asked me for a drink.

I Love You No Matter What.

We found ourselves this week in the midst of craziness with changes in our lives and becoming part of something great in ministry.  The change was that I wasn't home very much because of our passion play at the church.  What is neat is that though the girls couldn't be a physical part of it, they were an inspiration for me.  Have you ever told your kids that you would love them no matter what?  I find myself reminding the girls that we love them so much each and every day that we are blessed to have them on this earth.  Being the father of three, I don't know if I could be as gracious as the Almighty God who gave His son so that you and I could live in eternity with Him.  What is so crazy is that our love for our children is the same and we would give up our lives to see them have a fulfilling life of love, hope, and to see their dreams come to past.  We find ourselves saying, "no matter what you do, I love you."  Jesus exemplified that on the cross. John said it best in John 3:17 that "or God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." As you and I celebrate Easter this year, let us not forget the famous words of Jesus as He exited this world by saying "it is finished."  In essence, He told His children, "I love you no matter what." 

No, I do not want to eat your booger.....

Interesting fact.  Kids eat their boogers.  But the fact that I found funny is....they want to share it.  Sitting here at the computer a few minutes ago and Maleah told Sara, "Do you want to eat my booger?"  The art of sharing is rampant in our house as we are warding off selfishness. I have to say that this is definitely not one in my book that I want to add in the art and display of sharing.  I can't see, for some reason, the condoning of sharing of the boogers.  Yes, this is a gross fact that I have to laugh at because you never think that you have to tell your children that you don't want to share in this act of "kindness."

You will understand when you're older.

I found myself telling this my girls as I had to discipline them.  I swore I would never use this line or the one that says "this hurts me worse than it hurts you."  Surprisingly, I haven't used that one yet.  Yet, it is something I truly struggle with as a parent, the whole disciplining thing.  Somehow, the enemy loves to use it as a tool to manipulate you into thinking that you are this awful parent who deserves eternal punishment.  But I found this passage in Proverbs that puts it into prospective for me out of the New Living Translation; "Don't fail to correct your children. They won't die if you spank them."  I thank God for the chastening that He gives to us, even at the time that we don't want it (see Hebrews 12:11.)  I am sure that my children won't understand right now.  They don't get that their mother and father not only have to bring correction to them but we have to discipline.  Can we just hire someone to do this? I guess it would be wrong.  "We are to be in the image of God As you endure this divine discipline, remember that God is treating you as his own children. Who ever heard of a child who was never disciplined?  If God doesn't discipline you as he does all of his children, it means that you are illegitimate and are not really his children after all.  Since we respect our earthly fathers who disciplined us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to the discipline of our heavenly Father and live forever?" Hebrews 12:7-9

Don't Pick The Lint From Your Sister's Toes.....

We found ourselves laughing at this simple fact.  We have to think that lint picking is somehow not good for your health nor your reputation.  But we observed, casually of course, our Maleah picking the lint from my toes the other night.  I get the whole feet washing thing but seriously.  lint picking? I wonder if this was part of the whole feet washing thing.  Jesus came into the room and told His disciples to take off their shoes.  Now picture this, the King of Kings, telling you to take off your shoes so He can clean the lint from between your toes.  You will never  see Jesus cleaning feet in the same way again, will you?  Maleah took this to heart.  She is a servant.  Through and through, she loves to serve.  She loves to take care of her sisters and her mom. It never ceases to amaze me that a little child would reflect the image of Christ in a powerful way.  Then again, I never thought I would have to tell my kids.....don't pick lint from your sister's toes.  Perhaps, we should let it go next time. 

Don't Lick The Store Floor.

Never thought that the tales of my parenthood would bring me to start this blog, but I couldn't help the notion that many of us, to keep our sanity, my laugh at the things we have to tell our children each day.  From just the time they breath their first breath to the day was marry them off, we find ourselves giving them advice, tending to their wounds, disciplining their disobedience, holding them close, and protecting them from danger.  As a proud father of three, I get a glimpse of our heavenly Father each day from the musings that I bring to the table.  You and I are made in His image.  I heard Jeff Allen, a Christian comedian once say, "God must have made teenagers as revenge on mankind.  Why else would He make something that ignore what He had to say and deny His existence."   I hope that in light of parenthood, you understand and laugh.


I found myself at the store recently with my oldest daughter, my wife, and my middle child.  this was shortly before our newborn was to arrive.  She was smart.  She stayed in the womb to avoid this madness.  We had just picked up half the store and put it in our cart.  The girls had been running around crazy (yes....I became that parent that couldn't get them out of the aisle...) and I had had enough.  I told the oldest, Maleah, to stand at the end of the check out counter and not move.  She listened.  For a minute.  Next thing I know, I look down by the cart because I saw something out of the corner of my eye move and to my horror, there Maleah was....licking the floor.  I never would have imagined telling my child to stop licking the floor.  Have you ever wondered what goes through a two year old's head?  "Hm....this floor looks yummy...think I will lick it."  Seriously?  Maybe it was the gum residue or the lolly pop crust that made her desire to lick the floor.  Whatever the case may be, I found that she will be forever dubbed....The Floor Licker.