This past weekend we had our daughters wedding, and it went very well, I of course got chocked up a bit but I was able to get through it.

She was of course a beautiful bride and he was a handsome groom and everyone involved with the wedding did a splendid job.

What impressed my wife and I, was her maids of honor and his groomsmen, what a great group of young people.

They pitched right in and helped set up and tear down everything at the rehearsal dinner at the church and at the reception hall. They made it so much easier on us as well as my wifes family who was so involved with the food and all of the little things that make weddings great we can’t thank everyone enough.

We always hear all the horror stories about young people but I want to tell you, with young people like these, this country might have a chance.

Most of them were graduates from Calvin College and they impressed us so much.

I thank God that there is still many young people who have not given in to our cultural demise, but instead have integrity and a good work ethic.

Who can stand in front of a large crowd and pray in front of them as well as their friends without fear, praise God that we still have young people who have a desire to serve the Lord.

All is not lost, but we need more to take a stand

This week has been full of great joy as well as some disappointments, I’ll tell ya about the disappointment first. As you know we have been planning on starting a church, and everything was falling into place, until, the wife of my pastor friend decided that she didn’t want her husband to do this.

I couldn’t understand why not at first, but then I started to think about the times my wife didn’t want me to do certain things, and after all was said and done, she was right.

The Lord uses our wives in many ways to stop us husbands from making mistakes, and for whatever the reason, the Lord doesn’t want us to move ahead, so every thing’s on hold

But then,  I contacted a church that is south of us that needs a pastor and I told them that I could come and help them if they wanted, and lo and behold, they called me back the next day and we’re going there this coming Sunday Memorial weekend!!!

I couldn’t believe they got back with me so fast, this doesn’t mean they will call me as their pastor, because I’m the first speaker and generally they want to hear a few guys before deciding, but we’ll pray.

The other joys we had was our youngest son Keith,  finished high school and will go to ITT Tech starting next month in Web Development, we’re going to have his open house in a few weeks.

Our daughter Stephanie, also graduated from college yesterday, with a double degree we’re very proud of both of them

Its exciting to see them excelling and having plans for their future but also sad for my wife and I as we see them leaving us and moving on with their lives, but that’s the way its suppose to be.

The world that they will face is much different from when I started out, its uncertain the way things are moving but I know that the Lord promises us regardless of what direction our country is headed, if we walk faithfully with our Lord Jesus, he said he will never leave us nor forsake us. And that he will care for our every need.

We hope that we have instilled in them the faith to walk with our Lord, I’ve not always been the greatest father or spiritual leader as I should have been, but thank the Lord where I failed their Mom took up the slack.

My wife did a tremendous job home schooling and preparing them in order to be able to go on to college, I never did much with the schooling, my wife had it under control and I’m as proud of her as I can be.

I’ve got allot to be thankful for, God has truly blessed me with 3 kids that I can brag about if I want to, a great daughter in law , a handsome grandson and a great soon to be son in law.

I look back over my life and even if I didn’t do everything perfect as no one can, being saved and walking with the Lord can give you great blessings when it comes to your family. We may not have much money, but I’ve got a family that touches my heart, and I thank God for them.

Todays an exciting day, as our Son and our daughter-in-law are at the hospital right now preparing to bring our first grandson into the world.

My wife has hardly slept all night as she awaits to hear the news of when he’s arrived, seems to be taking his time!

Then all the fun begins of diapers, feeding, crying, burping, smelling strange things, crying,  no sleep, sickness, crying, smiles, giggles, first steps, crying, and all the otherr things that goes with child rearing.

But how are we to raise our children?  Some say you should never let them cry,  but doesn’t that build up their lungs?

Some say you should give them everything that makes them happy, but doesn’t that create a spoiled self indulgent ego maniac, that no one can stand to be around?

Some say you should never spank them, but doesn’t that just create a person who doesn’t know how to change direction in their lives and that sometimes being told no turns out to be the best for you?

Some say your to be your childs best friend, then why did God give us parents, what good are they, best friends might give me advice, but parents help direct my life, stick with me my whole life, best friends tend to drift away.

Some say you must pour out only love, never make them afraid of you.

But doesn’t the bible say that fear is the beginning of wisdom?  Doesn’t fear cause you to respect something greatly?

I don’t get into a wrestling match with a bear because I fear it and have great respect for its power.

Same is true for parents, I feared my parents, not because they beat me, but because they were the authority in our home who could and would correct me.

I respected who they were, but they also poured out love for me, I knew they could be trusted,

My wife and I also raised our kids the same way, we instilled fear in them, we were the authority in our home, we would and did correct them.

But today, we are extremely proud of all three of them, who are grown up and very responsible for themselves.

If you want a peaceful home while your children are growing up, lay the groundwork with fear,  we never needed drugs to control them.

There are kids who do need certain drugs because of a real physical problem, but in most homes their children are on drugs and out of control  because the parents don’t have any control over their homes.

Their children have no fear of their parents, and so the only way a parent can get some peace is to drug their kid into a stupor.

Raise kids Gods way and not mans, and you’ll find peace in your home and a relationship with them that is joyful.

My daughter said I never write about her, its not because there isn’t anything to write about, afterall, she’s just like me,  someone so wonderful, I could write thousands of pages full of her wonderfulness!!  I mean, greatness can’t compete with her, she’s beyond words all one can do is stand with their mouth open in awe in her presence!!!!!

Not buying it?  I tried dear!  Can’t pull the wool over their eyes!

Truth is, God has blessed us with great kids, and none of them are more special than the other one, we love them the same. They’re all unique in their own way, each one has their own character and special gifts. But one thing they all possess equally is how caring they are.

I do have one favorite daughter I must confess, oh wait we only have one daughter!  She’s in her last year of college and then off to who knows what, but she’s a great young lady.

I do have 2 favorite sons,  both are smarter than I’ll ever be, our youngest has one more year of high school and then he’ll probably do some schooling in computers, not that he needs it, but you have to have a degree now days.

Our oldest son is a deputy sheriff and I’ve had the privilege of going with him a few times, and I’ll tell you this, he’s got more patience than I ever had, I would have just shot them all and let God sort them out. But when people are so quick to blame the police for everything, he had better be patient.

And we have a wonderful daughter in law,  who is going to make us grandparents now. I said I’m too young and good looking to be a grandpa, she said NO YOUR NOT!  but then didn’t specify anything after that!!!!

Our kids have never given us any problems to speak about, why?  I don’t know why. But I thank the Lord for them and how they have all turned out. I guess maybe because we love the Lord and we love our kids equally.

Their not perfect no one is, and I always laugh at these stupid parents who stand there and say how perfect their kids are, get a grip. Theres only one who is perfect, and we’ll all bow before him someday.

The bible says that children are a blessing and they can be if you’ll love them from conception all the way to your grave, I say conception because at that very moment, that is my child, not a fetus or a blob that can be disposed of, but our child to be loved and protected.

I read in the sword of the Lord that if you laid all the children next to each other in Arlington National cemetery that have been murdered in a mothers womb, it would  have to be expanded hundreds of  square miles. I thank God that although these babies never had a chance to live on this earth, they reign with Christ today.

I wonder how a mother will react at their judgment by Christ while having to look into the faces of their son or daughter that they killed?

For those mothers who killed their child and then got saved, heaven will be a reunion of a kind that we cannot imagine.

Heavens going to be a interesting place to say the least.

Kids were never meant to be killed in a womb, but to be loved and showed who Jesus is, many fail, but I can’t imagine what our lives would have missed if it wasn’t for our kids.

A smashed boat (where that tree come from?) and how proud I was seeing him get his first deer on his first hunting trip,   watching our son play piano in church, and fighting tears as they well up in my eyes as his playing touches my heart,  my daughter racing for a ride on my motorcycle, and then having a broken heart as she leaves for college.

Our lives would have never been the same it hadn’t been for these three and now four and now a grand baby. God is good!

Do I worry about their future?  Of course, but we survived Jimmy Carter and Clinton I guess we can survive another fool in the White House.

But then again,  I can’t point my finger and blame everything on that idiot,  afterall, who voted him in?

The Bible is very clear, if we as a nation will not forsake God he will bless us,  but for years this nation has forsaken God and taught our children to forsake him,  the bible promises us that when we forsake God, we will reap what we’ve sown.

The white house and all of our leaders, is what we are reaping because of our sowing.

Until parents introduce their children to Jesus Christ, our future is bleek, But then, God did send Joshua, Nehemiah and John the Baptist and many others to wake up people to Christ, and he can do it again.

Perhaps, even through a blog!

God Bless Our Children

We have our oldest son who is a deputy sheriff and his wife who is a Spanish teacher, just called us and told us that we are going to be grandpa and grandma!!!!!

I’m too young and good looking to be a grandpa,  of course,  the, ” to be grandma,”  is so excited she dropped her false teeth, into her vat of rubbin cream that sits next to her girdle (that cream helps her slide into the girdle!) she bent over to fetch her teeth, but slipped off her by the bed commode,  (bathroom too far)

Hurt her hip,  jumped up and yelled hallelujah,  but shouting caused her wig to fall over her eyes, blind and slippery, she fell out the window onto the dog, who ran across burning leaves and started the house on fire!!!

But praise the Lord anyhow,  homeless, no teeth and girdle less,  we’re goin to be grandparents!!!!

I got to admit I was a little confused at first,  my daughter in law (whom I love)  (ps. to kill at times!!!)  She put my face on a I LOVE OBAMA POSTER ONE TIME!!   She’ll pay big someday!!

Anyhow, she  told me that I was going to be a grandpa, but then she said,  they were goin to adopt Michael Jacksons kids!!  (She’s such a liar,  they don’t even know Michael)

I was confused which happens allot at my aged years,  I didn’t know if she was pregnant or going to adopt?   But finally, she calmed me down and said yes, they were going to have a baby.

Not that I’m against them adopting Michael Jacksons kids,  but I fear they might be as weird as Michael was.

Of course everyone is excited,  our daughter,  who is in college, is going to be an Auntie!  Auntie Steph,  sounds kind of like something you would have to put on after you cut yourself!  HEE HEE HEEE

I’m a party all by myself

You see, this is what I’m worried about,  a grandchild around me?  I can be off in la la land, and my dear grandchild could be swimming with sharks!!  I guess they’ll never let me watch em  huh.

Becoming a grandpa,  man, I never thought that day would come,  but then again,  my knee hurts right now, so I must be old enough to bounce a baby on it,  because the pain would be grandpa like!

I wondered what kind of grandpa would I be?

I never let my kids get away with nothing,  we would correct them,  hold them responsible for everything,  but a grandchild,    who cares.

I can turn him into a total brat,  a nightmare,  and then laugh my behind off as I watch my kids haul him home bouncing off the car door!!!

I can just picture the mean sneers I would get from my kids,  as they try to hold their kid inside of a car that he wants out of and to be with grandpa,  who will let him run WILD!!!

And I can wave and smile as they drive away,  and think to myself,  payback,  for that OBAMA PICTURE!!!

The more I think about it,  maybe I would make a great grandpa,  I can teach him how to change his own diaper,  paint on his parents walls,  hide somewhere good and then watch his parents go nuts looking for him!  How to make 911 calls to a different address, how to make a slip and slide out of butter in their kitchen,   how to stop up the toilet,  and how to drive a car,   and most importantly,  how to get a tattoo,  all before the age of 5!

Yeah, this grandpa stuff is sounding better!!!

And it doesn’t matter if its a boy or girl,  their brains are nothing more than a bowl of jelly and I can mold it into a genius of my making!!!

If you think about it, grandpas are the best,  we have all this wisdom bottled up in our heads, and we’re just dying to pass it on to someone who doesn’t know that we’re just rambling on about nothing.

Thats the great thing about grandpas,  they don’t have to be a dad,  thats my sons job,  I can just love em, spoil him and send him home, TO WRECK HAVOC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YEAH GO GRANDPAS!!!!!!!  and grandmas,  you bake cookies,  for us guys to eat!

Becoming grandparents,   my kids might want to rethink it.