Pumpkins

Late night . . . pumpkin guts everywhere . . . but we have a finished product.

Revolve and Rotate . . . NASCAR Style

Being responsible for teaching homeschooling on Fridays, I was charged with the task of teaching the difference between rotating and revolving as it relates to astronomy. Being a concept that can prove to be confusing, I decided to provide a lasting visual illustration courtesy of NASCAR.

Travelling to Martinsville, VA, we watched stock cars "revolve" around the infield as they qualified for Sunday's Sprint Cup race. A few times, we saw a car "rotate" as it got loose in the corner.

Works for me.

OK, so it was a stretch . . . but what do you expect when dad is in charge?

It was a joy to watch my two kids express such intensity for their racing (as you can see below).

Timothy got to sit in the M&M's car in honor of his favorite food group. In addition, he got an autographed pit crew hat from David Ragan, who raises money for Shriner's Hospitals.

All in all, a great day . . . although we have some school work to do this evening.

I Need Jesus

Upon arriving home from work this evening (and shortly thereafter hearing from the doctor that both kids have a touch of pneumonia), Timothy met me at the back door almost in a frenzy.

"Daddy, I need Jesus! Daddy, I need Jesus!"

At first, I wasn't sure what I was hearing. For clarity, I asked, "Did you say, 'I need Cheez-Its?'" After all, crackers are his favorite food group.

"No. I need JESUS," he responded in frustration.

"You need JESUS?" I asked, just to be extra-sure.

"Yes. I need JESUS," he replied.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to do or say next; however, before I could respond, Timothy took me by the hand and began leading me down the hallway.

"Daddy, I need Jesus," he continued.

Taking me to his room, Timothy dropped my hand and pointed.

"Daddy, I need Jesus."

Rather confused, I looked in the direction he was pointing . . . and low and behold, there next to his bed was a Fisher Price catalog turned to a page with a nativity set on it. And guess who was in the center? You guessed it.

"Daddy, I need Jesus."
__________________________________

After chuckling, I did find myself praying for Timothy in a new way later this evening . . .

Father, may Timothy live a life dependent on your Son. May His heart cry out in all circumstances (whether prosperity or adversity) . . . I need Jesus.

May he know and walk daily with the Jesus. Not the plastic Jesus so popular in American Christian culture . . . the Jesus who melts when in heat and can be easily tucked away for safe keeping. May he know and walk daily with the REAL JESUS . . . the risen, reigning, LORD.

That Time Of The Year

In the doctor's office after work with two sniffling, feverish kids. The masks they are required to wear are such the fashion statement . . .

Curved In On Ourselves

A portion of Michael Horton's book Gospel-Driven Life became all the more real to me given our our experiences with Timothy's spinal surgeries . . . and more importantly, given my need for Christ.

Paul and his fellow apostles knew that they were by nature – - like the rest of us – - bent in on themselves. And picking up on a phrase from Augustine, the Protestant Reformers said that as fallen sinners we are all “curved in on ourselves.” Born with a severe case of spiritual scoliosis, our spines are twisted so that all we can see are our own immediate felt needs, desires, wants, and momentary gratifications. But the gospel makes us stand erect, looking up to God in faith and out to the world and our neighbors in love and service. Not every piece of news can do that, but the gospel can . . .

Like a branch that has been bent out of shape, we fall back naturally to being curved in on ourselves unless we are being pulled back constantly to raise our eyes up to God in faith as he has clothed himself in the gospel of his Son.

Pasta Night

If there is one thing Timothy knows, it is pasta . . . as is obvious in this video.

New Shoes

We are home (YES)! New shoes. New splints.

Hold On

Not too sure about the bus.

Blow

In the cab on the way to the airport, playing a new game he invented . . .

Put the sticker on your nose and see if you can blow it off.

Three miles . . . no winner . . . but it looks like he is about to pass out!

Bite Your Head Off

Timothy is presently going through a bag of animal crackers and biting the heads off of the animals. He's on to something . . .

Maybe the airlines should hand out bags of animal crackers rather than peanuts in order to give weary travelers a means of expressing frustation.

Why Not Be Different

Who says a patient sticker has to go on your shirt? Timothy is insisting it go on his nose.

The Heavens

The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19.1