More Peru Photos
More photos from our family’s service trip, during which we spent several days at an orphanage in Ayacucho, Peru.
It was a wonderful time and God was very gracious to us as we traveled and during the outreach.
We experienced great joy as we tried to live out the admonition in James 1:27, but I can’t help but feel we can - and must - do so much more for these “fatherless” children.
Our daughter Saige with some new friends at the orphanage.
A rural village in the midst of farming country
- We were drawn to children - everywhere we went, we found kids to smile at, play with and shower with love
Work team helped plant fruit trees - future food and revenue source. I'm on the left, and the two tall guys in the back row are my boys.
Family Trip To Peru
For many years we’ve wanted to take our family on a missions trip, learning and serving together. And finally, it happened! We celebrated Christmas in a memorable way, as we visited Ayacucho, Peru and volunteered at an orphanage.
The orphanage is operated by a local church, and we served with their U.S. partner, Vision Trust, an agency whose mission is to develop orphaned and neglected children into mature Christians equipped to live in their own culture. They do this by enabling Christian nationals to meet the physical, educational, emotional and spiritual needs of these children.
Together with two other families, we showed kindness and Christ’s love to the 38 orphans at Casa Luz. We also worked a bit on some land the orphanage is developing.
We are so thankful God worked through us to touch the lives of the children we met! Also, that He gave us safe and relatively smooth journeys.
Did You Spend Too Much?
Our approach to Christmas presents is rather modest, as we try to emphasize the spiritual nature of the holiday. So my wife and I avoid big-ticket items and try to watch the number of gifts our children will be opening on December 25th. So when I saw this piece about being frugal this time of year (and really, ALL year ’round), I read it with great interest.
Can you really be “too cheap?”
After reading the article, do you think you spent too much this season?
Parenting Webcast Follow-up
For the folks joining us for the live webcast with well-known marriage and parenting expert, Dr. Kevin Leman, a couple of things.
First, thanks so much for joining us for this interactive and engaging time with Dr. Leman! We had some great questions from parents across the land.
Second, the picture here was taken prior to going “live,” and responding to our studio crew’s advice, I changed to more…conservative attire. I was a bit disappointed, because I wore the shirt and tie in honor of Dr. Leman, who has a history of showing up at Focus on the Family in floral shirts and checkered socks. I just wanted to be like him!
Here’s a link to Dr. Leman’s site, where you’ll find information about his “Couples of Promise” cruise in January (sounds great!) and some superb resources for parents and couples.
UPDATE: The entire webcast is now available for online viewing here. Send the link to a parent you know. When you’ve watched, leave a comment. Do you enjoy these webcasts?
Another Successful Hunt
On Monday we loaded up the family and headed to the mountains for our annual Christmas Tree Hunt. Once again, a fine time and a very nice tree…with hot chocolate and some spontaneous body-sledding in the snow along the way. As always, a wonderful family memory for all.
Nice Reunion
Had the opportunity to visit my oldest at college this past weekend. He is doing well, and we’re grateful that God has put some wonderful people in his life.
During my brief time there, I met several friends, a prof, a clergyman, someone from the dorm’s housekeeping staff, and of course, his roommate (who willingly gave up his bed for my use - what a gentleman!). Staying in the dorm was really a great experience - can’t say I miss those days too much, though!
Seeing Dakota become his own man, and especially knowing he continues to follow Christ, is an answer to years of prayer. We are blessed!
Teen Driver Alert!
I came into the office a bit late today, after taking our 17 year-old son to take his driver’s license road test. He has had his permit for over a year now, and was ready to take on the privilege - and responsibility - of driving without a parent in the front seat next to him.
To his credit, Seth passed the road test quickly and with a nearly-perfect score. So, another milestone has been achieved, another step taken toward independence!
I’ve called the insurance agent, and tonight will be discussing a few things with our son. There’s a little contract we’ll cover, a document to formalize our understanding of expectations and consequences with regard to his driving. Nothing draconian, but some additional detail and a chance to put his signature to paper - so we all are on the same page, literally!
Here’s a sample contract you can use with your teen driver.
Parents: Let me solicit your advice. Although this is our second child to successfully achieve a driver’s license, do you have any words of wisdom for us? Anything we should know? Stories to share?
Dads Of Larger Families
Talking recently to a co-worker who has seven children, I became aware of how tiring it can be to parent a larger family. Sometimes it feels like a merry-go-round, or a carnival ride that just keeps going in circles…and I can’t get off!
I am pretty familiar first-hand with the difficulties in balancing time between work and my family relationships. How can I find the moments to meaningfully connect with first my wife and then each of my children? This is a responsibility I take seriously. I believe God has called me to be my family’s loving leader and I am increasingly aware of the long-term impact of my parenting. It is a struggle for me which requires continual evaluation, reflection, prayer, thought and action. Life is full, I am busy, and humanly speaking, I can’t pull this thing off. God, help me do this well!
Anyway, just had a quick conversation with a co-worker, Mike, who has a very daunting task. He has a larger family, and the financial strain he deals with is significant.
Mike is working full time at the office. To supplement the family’s income, he delivers newspapers every day. That requires him to rise very early each morning. And now with tax season approaching, he will soon be spending increasing hours preparing taxes for others. Three jobs!
As he described his schedule, I realized that however pulled in many directions I am feeling, Mike is stretched far more. While I may be tired, he is exhausted. I am blessed to have but one job, and we are able to make it on that income, but Mike works three different jobs to provide for his family’s needs.
“How do you find time to be with your family?” I asked. Well, he said, he has Sundays off, and a couple of evenings are free.
I queried, “I have a difficult time engaging with and leading my family. How do YOU do it?” Mike looked at me, smiled weakly, and said he tries as best he can.
After that conversation, I thanked God for my own situation, and with a conviction that I have little room to complain about being short on time and tired! I can only hope that I will be the husband and daddy my wife and kids need.
So my prayer is that I’ll have the energy and wisdom to engage my family, interact with them, and lead well. Let me go home tonight and provide the emotional support with strength, guide the table talk with purpose, and demonstrate love in meaningful ways to each member of my family. Guess I’d better start making that transition, from “Mr. Office” to “Mr. Husband and Dad” as I drive home this evening.
To other Dads, what about you? If you have several children, how do you balance your time? How do you meet all the needs? Do you have any balance in life?
Rock Climbing
Zane is part of a “play group” which meets regularly. The kids learn to interact appropriately, playing games and being in different social settings. Their progress is tracked quantitatively. The therapists take the children on an occasional field trip, and recently the experience was indoor rock-climbing. Zane donned a helmet and braved the heights…to a point. After scaling about 12 feet up the wall, he declared, “I am tired, I want to get down.”
The progress these kids make under this kind of program is pretty encouraging, and for parents with a child who has autism, I highly recommend a similar approach, if possible.
The Beauty Of A Children’s Bible
A small thought…became a big thought!
It started when I was reading to my youngest child last night. He wanted to go over the story of creation - for the 714th time. I was fine with that, because the illustrated kids Bible we have been reading lately has some pretty good artwork! More importantly, I was happy to indulge him because I love reading Scripture to the boy. Can’t say no!
You’ve been through the first chapters of Genesis more than a few times, I suspect. After the story of creation, there’s the story of Adam’s beginnings, and the making of Eve. I poked Zane in the side and asked if he knew how God made the first woman? We talked a bit about ribs and dust and breath. For a 5 year-old, he seemed to get that pretty well.
Then we came to the temptation of the man and woman, and their sin. As I walked him through the consequences of disobedience (something he and I are discussing with some frequency these days), I read the line in Genesis 3 about God driving out Adam and Eve from the Garden. “He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden and a flaming sword which turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” (NKJV)
“Who can get in there?” asked Zane.
“Nobody,” I replied. “They had to leave forever, and couldn’t go back to the garden. Ever.”
“The bad guys can get in.”
“Nope, they can’t. See the angels (there were two heavenly beings in this illustration)? See the sword? Nobody can get into the garden.”
“If it rains someone can get in.”
“No, rain won’t put out that fiery sword. God is making sure nobody gets in.”
Silence.
“There,” I thought, “he understands a little of the Truth about decisions and disbedience, I guess.”
Then I became more thoughtful about the finality of the man and woman leaving the garden. I don’t recall ever hearing a sermon about the garden of Eden. I don’t recall much in Scripture about it, either.
I started to wonder….what happened to that garden? Where’s the “door,” so to speak, through which Adam and Eve made their exit? Are the cherubim still there? Is that entrance still guarded, and if so, are we just unable to see it? Maybe it is hidden from human sight? Who will be the first to go back into the garden when Christ redeems all creation and takes His place on the Throne?
Suddenly, I was grateful for a chidlren’s Bible and a five year-old’s desire to know more about God and His divine story.
I don’t have all the answers, of course, but that’s okay.
At least I am starting to understand some of the questions!