Saturday, July 21, 2007

Things I Missed with Jim & Caleb

For me, the worst part of divorce is that my relationship with my boys has been forever changed.  The best way – God’s plan – is that divorce never happens and children always live with their parents.  Over the last fifteen years I’ve done a sometimes good and sometimes bad job of keeping a good relationship with them.  I suspect I could have done better.  I’m proud of them and love them but feel I could have been more influential in their lives.

And the non-custodial parent – that’s what the court calls me – gets four days a month to be with the kids.  At least that’s how it was in my case since their mother moved 120+ miles away.  I missed a lot of games and plays and concerts and just everyday living that you can’t really experience through a phone call.  I missed the Tooth Fairy, PTA, lunch at school…  They could probably create a longer list than I can.

Now I have two grown men and I still want to influence their lives.  I want them to be godly men.  In order to influence them in this way I have to be a good example.  I can’t miss these opportunities.

Friday, July 13, 2007

Rain

It seems like we’ve had rain almost every day for a  couple of weeks.  Most days the rain has been heavy.  But I’m told that we are still short on the year-to-date totals.  Once you get behind it’s hard to catch up!

I’ve learned that this principle works in our walk with God.  Christians refer to the spiritual life as a daily walk – with the emphasis on daily.  How often do we forget or neglect to spend time with God?  It doesn’t take long and it seems we are so out of touch with him…that he is so far away.

A church a few miles from here posted a message on their sign that reminds me of a truth that hits home far too often: When it feels like you are not as close to God as you once were, God is not the one who moved!

It will take a lot more rain for catch up with the YTD average.  Fortunately, it only takes a prayer to return to a close walk with God.

Thursday, July 05, 2007

Fireworks

Baseball, hotdogs, apple pie, & Chevrolet.  What is more American than that?

Last night I had three of the four plus fireworks.  Although the Arkansas Travelers are not very good, I love baseball and had a great time.  We had a rare partial double header!

Last week the Travelers played the Frisco Rough Riders in Frisco.  The game was delayed three times by rain until it was finally halted in the middle of the tenth inning with the score tied at zero.  Since the Travelers won’t play again in Frisco this year and since Frisco is in Little Rock this week, the natural decision was to complete the game prior to the game Wednesday.

The teams took to the field.  Bottom of the 10th.   Score 0 – 0.  Two pitches later the Frisco catcher pounds the ball over the left field wall for a walk off home run.  Game over.  It didn’t take long for the July 4th fireworks to start!  It took even less time for them to fizzle out!  We had to wait 57 minutes for the start of the regularly scheduled game – the second game of the double header.

The second game was great baseball – for the Rough Riders.  Their pitcher went the distance pitching a 1-hit shutout.  Frisco swept the double header 1-0 and 3-0.

Since the game was moving along quickly (1-hitters usually do) there was plenty of time between the end of the game and the start of the city’s fireworks display on the Arkansas River.  So the kids got to run the bases!  Riley loves that.

Then the fireworks display!  I enjoyed baseball, ate a hotdog, drove home in my Chevrolet, and watched fireworks.  I need a piece of apple pie.