McDonald's...of all places

I won't go into the whole story, so I'll just start here!

For the past 3 years, my dad and my half-brother were not on speaking terms. No phone calls, no visits, nor a mentioning of wanting to change this between either of them. In fact it had declined to the point of not even recognizing that there was a father/son relationship anymore. It felt like a death in the family…that changed this past weekend!

My dad walked into a local McDonald's and saw John (his son, my half-brother). They were both caught off guard a little by this situation and reluctantly said hey to one another for the first time in over 3 years! Surprisingly, dad asked John if he and his wife wanted to sit with him to eat breakfast. Again, surprisingly, John said, “Yes!” They sat together and had random conversations. I mean what would you say after 3 years anyway? Well right before they left, my dad opened his arms and asked John's wife for a hug. She said, “Yes” and hugged him. John opened his arms and dad opened his and they hugged each other for the first time in a LONG time, with dad kissing him on the cheek.

I realize you don’t know our family situation very well, but this is HUGE...even miraculous in a lot of ways!!! And although their relationship sill has a long way to go, I have prayed for this day for some time and am excited to share this new beginning with you.

I hope in some way that this story will bring you hope and encouragement today if you are dealing with a difficult situation, especially if you currently see your situation as impossible!

But from what I've prayed about and have witnessed...I promise you it’s not!

New iphone app!

I just uploaded a new app for my phone today called "Red Laser." What it does is it scans barcodes, then gives you a detailed list of prices and places to purchase that particular item from. Pretty amazing really! In fact there are times in which I'm blown away by the iphone's capability and don't understand how a lot of it is even possible. I just end up accepting the fact that it is.

In a similar way, I personally don't understand how God can truly love us as the Bible describes!

Consider...all of this for you and me!

--Jesus chose to limit his authority and power as Creator of the universe by becoming a fragile infant, born to a virgin, then placed in a manger which was used to feed animals! (John 1:1-5) (Luke 2:11-12)

--He lived a perfect life by denying all temptations and wrongdoings for 33 years of His earthly life, and still chose to endure a criminals death on a cross. (Luke 3:23) (Luke 23:20-49)

--Even chose to love those who executed him! (Luke 23:32-34)

--And to this very day He is willing to love us and call us "friends," despite our imperfections and short comings. (John 15:15)

I guess in some ways, like the iphone, I don’t understand how it’s possible…I just accept the fact that it is!

"The Beard"

This weekend my brother is coming down for a little fishing escapade on the OH river. He and I decided to grow out our beards in anticipation for this weekend. The hope was that whenever we looked in the mirror it would remind us about the fun weekend coming up. I have another reason for it, but that’s for another time.

“The beard” got me thinking about something though. How often do we intentionally put reminders (whether verbal or visual) into our life that will help remind us of what is yet to come? Take goals for instance. (You do have goals right?) Then what are you intentionally putting in front of yourself that will remind you daily to take steps towards accomplishing them? How about life in general? What do you daily prompt yourself with that will encourage you and engage others to live life to its fullest?

I’m not here to answer these questions for you. In fact this is written more to get you thinking in this direction. We all have different lives and circumstances, so really what comes next is your part. If you get a chance let me know what works for you!
Hey…maybe it’s a beard?

(Although I've seen facial hair on women, this comment was more for guys)

Logan...my hero!

Have you ever noticed how little children feel they can do anything? For instance, ask a little child (boy or girl) if they are good at something. The answer is usually, "yes." Are you a fast runner? "Yes." How about singing, are you good at that. "Yes." Can you draw/color really well? "Yes." (Seriously, try this with a child under the age of 5). It's almost as if they believe they can do anything!

My question is "Where does that go?" "When do we lose that?" My guess is that it's when we begin comparing ourselves with others. Because someone is always skinnier, prettier, stronger, faster, wealthier, better...etc. Most innocent little children haven't learned to pollute their minds by comparing their abilities against others. They are FREE and GOOD at anything they try! They are SUCCESSFUL because that's how they view themselves!!!

Here's a true story about Logan (4 1/2) who has been diagnosed with Spina Bifida.

Logan was at church worshipping , singing songs with others her own age. She was singing the songs until another song came on that had some motions to it. These motions had children jumping up and down, something that would prove difficult for a child diagnosed with Spina Bifida. (Or at least one would think) For those of you who don't know Logan, Logan daily pushes a walker to get around, along with braces on each leg which helps support her body. She is what some would call, "disabled." But Logan does not see this as her title! When the song came on she looked around the room and saw all the children jumping. She didn't make excuses and decide to sit that song out, although no one would have blamed her. Instead she used the strength in both her arms and her legs to begin jumping! She was as FREE as any one else and was just as GOOD as anyone else!

Now, will there be a day where Logan begins to see the abilities of others and then begin to doubt what she's capable of? Will she one day believe in her limitations moreso than her ability to succeed? I hope not! And as long as I'm a friend in her life, I will help redirect that within her!

"I will not fade from this life within the limitations that adulthood sets within my mind, but rather will open my heart to live out the freedoms that I have built as a child."

--Tobias--

First day of school

Cole, my 4 1/2 year old, had his first day of school today. I thought I'd share a picture of his first day. He actually WANTS to go to school...must take that after his mom.

Testing...testing...is this mic on?

Here we go! I'm doing my first blog...(wait for the applause)...yeah, got nothing there. For what it's worth, my hope with this is to record small glimpses from my every day life and share it with you. Thoughts go through my mind from time to time, so I'll probably share those as well. Be forewarned though, my own mother has even said, "He marches to the beat of a different drum." (True story) What can I say, she might be right.

Either way the journey begins...