Home Archive by category "Family" (Page 30)

Category: Family

Luke Goes to the Park

Just want to post some pictures from the park for family, friends, and Luke fans! Luke moves up to a bigger bottle! Luke’s first time to see bubbles! He was fascinated! Luke learns to swing! Only his second time in one! Couldn’t choose between these pictures, so putting both! BUT THEN THE MOST AMAZING THING HAPPENED! You MUST SEE THE VIDEO to believe it! After setting Luke on the slide and holding him from behind a bunch of times, and then keeping my hand behind him several more times in case he fell back, he finally pushed me away as if to say, “Let me do it alone.” So I nervously put him at the top of the small slide (it has hight sides, which was nice) and then video taped his first decent down a slide solo… and you won’t believe what happened! OK, I figured out how to put flash video on my blog, here is the first:

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Beautiful Dandy Kid Lions

Sunday afternoon we went on a picnic with some family friends we haven’t seen in awhile. Their dad wandered off at one point and returned with a GIANT dandy lion for his daughter. I have never seen one so big! Here is a ‘very dramatic’ girl holding the bundle of seedlings. (taken with my iPhone by the way, and edited in iPhoto) As I had fun do doing some effects to this picture, I couldn’t help thinking how much the dandy lion and my little friend have in common. Both are full of tons of potential that won’t truly be discovered until they are set free to go wherever the Lord blows them. Once blown way, this beautiful puff of seeds will soon give life to many others once it finds its place and begins to grow, though right now, there is no way to know where those plants will be. Likewise, this beautiful girl will also someday produce fruit in ways and places that only God knows right now. I know mom and dad aren’t eager for the day she is ‘grown up’ (neither am I!) but it is comforting to know that when that time comes, wherever God…

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One Day Mini-Vacation in Manitowoc

This weekend I found myself on the way to Manitowoc! Because it was a long drive, I decided to take the fam along and add on a one-day vacation on Monday and experience the sights and sounds (and smells) of Manitowoc. Luke was excited to get to go on a road trip with Daddy! Now, I realize some of you may be wondering, “Where in the world is Manitowoc?” Well, here is a hint: We saw a lot of signs like this as we headed North, Wisconsin! Luke was soooo excited, as you can see! We were eager to find some fun things to do in the area, and our host gave us some tips. Manitowoc is a very nice area, there is a World War Two submarine that we’d like to see when Luke is a little older at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. There were beautiful parks and quaint little shops along the main street. (did I just say quaint?!) But we were happy to find that Manitowoc has it’s own Lincoln Park with a free zoo! Luke’s FIRST trip to the zoo! Of course, I started by feeding him to a lion! The highlight of the Lincoln Park…

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Walking, Bumps, and Holding Hands

As Luke is learning to walk there are many lessons I am learning about my own “walk” with my heavenly Father. And one of those lessons literally hit home yesterday. But before I get to that, here are some snapshots of Luke’s journey in learning to walk, many illustrate my own journey in the Walk of faith. (Note click on any image for a larger view) In the beginning, Luke could not walk at all. Even to stand, he needed his father to hold him. I remember as a very young boy how much I loved being close to my dad, and close to God. The outdoors was always my favorite place with both of them, and how Luke points toward the outside almost every time I pick him up. Then there was the day he stood all by himself for the first time! The delight on his face was amazing as he stood and clapped for himself. I told him, “Luke, you have taken your first step into a larger world… and I mean that quite literally!” My first taste of walking alone was when I headed off to Bible college. For the first time I was truly making…

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It’s Not What You Do That Counts

You’ve heard it said, “It’s the thought that counts.” Well, we all know that’s a lame excuse for when we fail to do what we should, but what about the thought that what you do doesn’t count either? When it comes to our walk with Christ, what we do doesn’t count either! My “mentor” Oswald Chambers (OC) writes today, “We count as service what we do in the way of Christian work; jesus Christ calls service what we are to Him, not what we do for Him.” In life you will discover that it is far easier to work for Jesus than to abide with Him. “…that is why so many are devoted to causes and so few devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not want to be devoted to Jesus, bu only to the cause He started.” (OC) This forces me to ask as I look at my “to do” list, how many of my tasks is Jesus asking me to do? How many are a result of my ideas instead of His? OC gives a warning that I can personally relate to, “If I am devoted to the cause only, I will soon be exhausted and come to…

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