#C309

I was so blessed to be able to attend the annual Creative Church Conference (C3) at Fellowship Church again this year. Thanks mom!

It was jam packed with so much great teaching, I almost don't know what to do with it all. It's like getting a crate of ammunition but not having a gun. It's going to take a while to digest it all. Anyway, I thought I would share some of the memorable things from all the incredible speakers.

Ed Young
-The majority is usually wrong.
-The one thing we learn from history is that we don't learn from history.
-Decisions made at the start of something will have effects until the end of it.
-There is always a story behind the story.
-Leadership is measured more by your absence than your presence.
-Creativity mostly comes from humor and conflict.

Bill Cornelius
-All you need is a remnant, not a majority.
-Man made systems can eat the people that made them.
-We have to show up before the Father before people will show up before us.
-Someone out there has been dealt a worse hand than you and they are winning with it.

Tommy Barnett
-Find a need and fill it, find a hurt and heal it.
-Allow people to feel like they belong and them teach them to believe.

Ben Young
-Science studies what is repeatable, history studies what is unrepeatable.
-Truth is knowable and truth is livable.
-Truth is a person (Jesus) before it is an idea.

Steven Furtick
-There is a difference between honor and respect. Respect is earned and has more to do with the behavior of the recipient. Honor is freely given from your heart and has more to do with the giver.

Christine Caine
-Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but not everyone is entitled to give it.
-Excellence, creativity, and innovation are not the goals, they are just by-products of being a Christian.

Craig Groeschel
-God can still do "it" right even when we do it wrong.
-Do only a few things well and eliminate things that you are not called to do.
-To reach people that no one else reaches you have to do things no one else does.
-What do you need to STOP doing?
-Opportunities hide behind obstacles.
-Your greatest deficiency could be the door to your greatest opportunity.
-What is God trying to show you through your greatest limitation?
-Failure is necessary and the first step to success.

In Front and Behind

Only 1 more month until I will be the proud father of four! I remember the day Nell and I went to the doctor's office to find out the sex of our third child. We had been thinking and talking about the gender for a while. We were both ready to find out.

But it felt different for me because I was praying for a girl. I actually prayed for a girl. I had not done that with either of my other children. I could find the page for you in my prayer journal when I started praying. I really remember wanting a girl and hoping so badly that the Lord would bless us with one. I wanted to experience sons and daughters as a parent. I was so excited when the nurse told us we would be having a little girl.

Since then, I have been amazed at some of the differences I have seen in my sons, Zeke and Eli, and my daughter, Selah. First, I have noticed natural tendencies towards certain things. I feel that Nell and I are pretty neutral in what we allow our kids to play with. Even so, the boys naturally gravitate to swords, guns, noise, and anything with batteries. Selah goes for the dolls, puzzles, and books. Selah goes for anything pink; the boys will take anything as long as it is not pink. I guess I kind of expected that.

An unexpected difference, though, is that I love them in very different ways. I always thought parents were supposed to love their children the same. I thought that, as a dad, I was supposed to be fair and equal. It turns out that that is not even close to the case. Each child is different and needs their own unique love and affection.



I feel like I love my boys from behind them. I want them to step out and try things on their own. I want them to experience adventure and the unknown. I am standing right behind them. I will help them up when they fall from failures and I will cheer them on when they march from victories. I want them to experience pain, frustration, and hurt while knowing that I am right there to help. I want them to know that whatever they are fighting for or going through, that their dad is for them. They need to know that their dad believes they have what it takes. All they need to do is turn around and I'll be there. I'll always be there. Right behind them.



The love I have for Selah is in front of her. I want her to know that I will always be there to hold her hand and lead the way. She never has to step out in fear because her daddy is right in front of her making sure it's okay. I want to protect her from everyone and anything that would try to hurt her, cause her pain, or dare make her feel unlovely. I'll take the pain and the hurt for her. I want to make sure she is nurtured and comforted. She needs to know that her daddy thinks she is beautiful and wonderful. All she has to do is look up and I'll be there. I'll always be there. Right in front of her.

Thank you Lord for the opportunity to love in front and behind.

(Photos taken and edited by my lovely wife, Nell)

Isims

I studied language development in college as part of my training to become a teacher. It is really quite fascinating. There are all kinds of stages, and developmental windows. I got to learn all about schema and how children assimilate new words into their vocabulary.



What I did not learn was how funny this process can be. The trial and error of learning new words is definitely entertaining. Some pronunciations take weeks or even months to nail down.

Here is a list of the funnier "isims" that the kids have come up with over the years:

faf⋅fle (fof-uhl) n. batter cake with a pattern of deep indentations on each side, traditionally comes frozen in boxes of 24. [I want a faffle for breakfast]

mes⋅i⋅nine (mes-uh-nin) n. any substance or substances used in treating disease or illness; remedy, usually forced down the throat via a plastic syringe and 3 adults holding the child down. [I don’t want to take my mesinine]

re⋅mem⋅ber⋅rize (re-mem-buh-rahyz) v. to commit to memory; learn by heart, to repeat something out loud over and over until a parent says “Stop!” [You should rememberize your phone number]

yo⋅grit (yo-grit) n. a prepared food having the consistency of custard, made from milk curdled by the action of cultures, usually served in a tube with colorful cartoon characters and ridiculous flavors. [We need yogrit at the store]

pup (puhp) n. a small, open container made of plastic, glass, etc., usually having a handle and possible sippy spout, used as a receptacle from which to spill milk, juice, wa-wa, etc. [That’s my pup]

pants⋅na⋅ked (pants-ney-kid) adj. being without clothing or covering below the waist, resulting condition of an aborted diaper change. [Now Selah is pantsnaked]

vi⋅ma⋅nin (vi-muh-nin) n. Any of various organic compounds that are needed in small amounts for normal growth and activity of the body; usually dispensed in a bottle with colorful cartoon characters and ridiculous flavors. [Your vimanin is by your faffle]

in⋅ap⋅pro⋅cri⋅ate (in-uh-proh-cree-it) adj. not appropriate; not proper or suitable. [That TV show is inapprocriate]

hook (hŏŏk) n. a soft or flexible covering for the head and neck attached to a cloak, coat, or the like. Note: this will be universally pulled off until the child is approximately 2 years and 2 months of age. [It’s cold out, put on your hook]

re⋅ver⋅sa⋅ry (ri-vur-suh-ree) n. the yearly recurrence of the date of a past event esp. a wedding. [No, we are not having McDonald’s for mommy and daddy’s reversary]

res⋅trau⋅naut (res-truh-nawt) n. establishment where meals are served to customers; exclusively refers to McDonalds or Taco Bueno. [Let’s go to a restraunaut for supper]

glub (gluhb) pl. glubs n. a covering for the hand made with a separate sheath for each finger and for the thumb; Note: attempting to put on children will cause a paradox in the space-time continuum due to its antithetical nature and high improbability of success. [Hold still so I can put on your gulbs]

mee⋅no (mee-noh) n. 1. mildly acidic red or yellow pulpy fruit grown on a vine and eaten as a vegetable. 2. an opening in the wall of a building, the side of a vehicle, etc., for the admission of air or light, or both. [Don’t throw your meeno out the meeno]

gook (gŏŏk) v. to turn one's eyes toward something or in some direction in order to see, usually repeated out loud over and over again until a parent says “What!” [gook!, gook!, gook!, gook!, GOOK!]

prac⋅ti⋅cal a⋅dult (prak-ti-kuhl uh-duhlt) n. being such in practice or effect of a person who has attained the age of maturity in function not age; one who desires the freedoms of an adult without the responsibilities. [Zeke refers to himself as a practical adult]

Right In The Ukelele

As a dad, it is so much fun having boys. It's great to run around and wrestle with them. They love to see how hard they can punch me. And they always want to show me how fast they are. I love it.

One of the best things, however, are the laughs we get to have. There is a level of immaturity in guys that is always present at some level. Being the father of two boys (and soon to be three) I feel it is my privilege, nay, obligation, to provide them with plenty of fodder for fart gags and crotch jokes. It just comes with the territory. One of our favorite pastimes is coming up with clever euphemisms for these hilarious things.

I accidentally-on purpose taught the boys a new one the other day. It has become a pretty popular saying around our house lately. I did not realize quite how ingrained in our vocabulary it had become until I showed the boys this recent picture. Of course the first words out of their mouths were-

"Ow, right in the ukelele!"

You are looking at one proud dad.

Really?- Ice Caps

I saw this picture on the back of a car the other day.  Wow.  I mean far be it from me to poo-poo someone's passions and causes.  I know I should probably be more of an activist and advocate in many areas.  I know it takes guts to speak out about what you believe in.  But ice caps? Really?

With all the human trafficing, drug smuggling, prostitution, starvation, child pornography, and utter evil in the world, I just don't get being worried about the ice caps.  Besides, I'm pretty sure that Jesus will likely come back before those babies melt anyway.  Probably...