Way too long since last post!

Hello everyone....
It has been way too long since my last post. And so much has happened. I am a new Daddy to a beautiful baby girl. Crazy stuff is happening here at home. God is working on me and in me. I will have to somehow try to put it all in words. Sometimes words are so inadequate. I am running out the door right now to take one of my kids to the orthodontist. More later...

Time to blog again...

Man, I can't believe it's been so long since I have blogged. I am home from a three day training retreat and I think it may have been the best retreat I have been on. The speakers were awesome and the material was so easily absorbed. I feel really refreshed! I am reminded of how amazing God is and how He is my strength. I need to "re-center" my life and I feel I have some tools to do that. I come home ready to minister...to pull from the resources of my Heavenly Father and let Him overflow in the ministry He has called me to. "He will be faithful to do it..." I love that scripture.
I'm gonna run now....I am getting ready to "fill up". I am heading to New York with my father-in-law to go to a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium and then heading upstate to Cooperstown and the National Baseball Hall of Fame. I feel like a kid going to Disney World for the first time!

Forever and a day!

It's been forever and a day since my last entry. A lot has happened since I wrote last. One of my older kids is no longer living with us. One of our older kids from our first bunch of kids has come back to us and I am a granddad. We survived Florida and had a good time. School is back in full swing and we're busier than ever.
Through it all, I am reminded that God is good. It's been tough lately. Robin is hurting with kidney stones. She has kidney stones and lithotripsy will happen Monday. I am praying for the procedure to go smoothly and for a quick recovery. I hate to see her in pain.
Another tough thing we've been facing has been waiting. Robin and I are waiting for a baby. We're on a waiting list and it's been over a year. Waiting is so hard. We feel like it's never going to happen, but it will. We have to trust and wait.
If anyone reads this...please pray for us!

2 in the morning and not much to say

It's 2 A.M. It's been a weird 3 weeks. Robin and I had a week alone on vacation on the Gulf Coast of Florida. It was such a needed break. We didn't do a whole lot. We only went to the beach two days...the beach was steps away from our gulf front rental. After our alone time, we joined the kids on the East coast of Florida. Another post will shed light on the wonderful happenings of that trip! At one time there were 19 people at the house!!
I have this funny feeling that God is at work. I know He always is at work, but I think He's stirring things up...I hear Him calling me...drawing me in....welcome home, son. Home is with Him...here on earth or there in Heaven. "Here or There"...I feel a poem in the works.

Is anyone else of going green?

If I hear any more of the "go green" movement, I think I'm going to puke. Is anyone else sick and tired of all of the dirt worshiping tree huggers shoving the go green message down our throats?
I understand we have to take care of our planet--it's the only one we've got. But come on, people...give it a break! I try to save electricity by turning off the lights. My sister-in-law accuses me of being a vampire, afraid of turning on any lights. I am simply tired of hearing and seeing the go green messages everywhere in the media. I know the environment is important...I get the point.
And another rambling thought....this whole global warming thing....it's a cycle. It will cycle back. Just like the economy...it will bounce back. It will take time. I think I might have to hurt someone if I see anything else about going green. GIVE IT A BREAK!!

One of the coolest things about summer vacation

One of the coolest things about summer vacation for me has to be coffee cups. Every morning throughout the year I make my coffee. I used to get Gevalia coffee sent to me. It's great coffee, but I found a coffee I really like better...Dunkin' Donuts coffee. I order it online and it is shipped to my home.
What's so cool about coffee cups? Summertime is a slower time for our family. This summer has been crazy busy, but we are now in "camp mode" and most of the kids are at camp. Our schedule has slowed some and we are getting ready for Florida. The cool thing about coffee cups? Oh yeah, I forgot....the cool thing is I can pour my morning coffee in a coffee cup from home. And it's not in a to go cup!
Most of the time I have to pour my coffee in a to go cup and then I roll out the door. Not today. I am sitting at the desk in the office and I have a REAL cup of coffee. A Spider Man coffee cup to be exact. It's really cool with Spider Man even on the inside of the cup! So, here's to a slower summer...a time for real coffee cups..."Coffee...Splenda and half n half...for here, please."

My wife is a very stubborn patient!

Robin does not like to be waited on. She wants to do everything for herself. I am convinced that if she was in the middle of a 42 car pile up, in the hospital for a month and then at home for home health care, she would be up and about...even in a wheelchair...doing laundry, organizing the kids' stuff, fixing her own I.V. drip, while online researching things the kids need.
She's in a lot of pain and it hurts her to move. She fusses at me for doing stuff for me...or at least protests. "You don't have to do that," she says. I want to serve her...I really don't mind helping her. ARRRGGGHHH!! Maybe one day she will let me serve her. I have already learned not to hover and bug her. I keep my distance and simply ask her if she needs something. I am a "doter". I like to dote on people. She despises doting. I have learned a balance. Yet, she still gets a little upset when I do things for her.
Thanks for letting me vent.

I don't know exactly what to say...

I am in a mood. I'm more like in a funk. I am not sure, but it's probably because my routine is off...geeze....I am just like my kids!! Robin is home from her outpatient procedure yesterday. She is really hurting because of the stint at her left kidney. At least she has no kidney stones on the left side! Of course, the 10 on the right make up for the fact that the left kidney is clear. I prayed the night before the surgery...I prayed for no kidney stones.
The fact there is no kidney stones put me in a quandary. Did Robin pass the stones in the week before the procedure, or did God take them away? Why am I so skeptical? Sometimes it's hard to believe that God works like this. I know He is ALL powerful. I know that He is ALL knowing. I guess I'm just doubting a little. I believe, but sometimes I believe He won't. Does that make sense at all?
Anyways...if anyone is reading this post, please continue to pray for my bride.

An ever-present help in trouble

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."
Psalm 46:1

Wow. I needed to hear those words today! God has been whispering them in my ear today. Have you ever had "one of those days"? Robin and I have had "one of those WEEKS"! The last three days have felt like three months! Here is the rundown of the week so far...please bear with me!
Vacation Bible School Monday through Wednesday 9 AM to 12 PM
Family emergency that Robin had to help with.
Kids off of routine and acting like their world has been ripped apart (We went to VBS, for crying out loud!!)
14 kidney stones....Robin is officially "Rocky"!
One of our kids had a friend spend the night...not stressful...a great friend...but the routine changed!
One of our kids had to go to the emergency room to get an I.V. for dehydration...6 hours waiting in the waiting room.
One of our kids decided on the last day of VBS to go around the church (it's huge) with her friend to look for her friend's sister. It took 30 minutes to find her...we ALWAYS meet at the fish tank!
Our little van decided to break down...transmission...fun fun. My wife called me and said, "There is a new light on that I have never seen...a spoke looking light with an exclamation point in it." Now our four year old is freaking out because the little van isn't at home!

Craziness. Yet through it all...it's all O.K. God has been our refuge...our ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46 is really awesome...read the whole thing. It has really helped me today. Verses 2-3 say, "Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." Selah
Selah...Hebrew for pause. Pause and think about this. God is in control. Don't fear.

Verses 10 and 11: "Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us, the God of Jacob is our fortress." Selah

Pause...
God was exalted today. The best thing about today? My 12 year old accepted Christ today. How amazing! God is on His throne! In the trouble of today, God is in control. How awesome is that!!

Robin is Rocky!

Robin is now officially nicknamed "Rocky". She went to the doctor today and she has 14....fourteen kidney stones. (10 in one kidney and 4 in the other) Please pray for her! She is truly amazing...she still carries on despite the pain. She is facing some procedures in the near future, so please pray! Life is nuts already...let's add some kidney stones in the mix!! Woopee!

Busier than a one-legged man at a butt kicking contest!

Whew! It has been nuts around here. Peaceful Father's Day. Then BLAM! Vacation Bible School is this week and 4 kids attend and one is helping...I'm really proud of the one helping...I'm trying to teach my kids to be servants. I had to register all of the kids and get them to the right place. Robin had a doctor's appointment, so I had all of the kids with me. I leave the church, run to the bank and then get home. O.K. A little breather. NOPE! My sister-in-law had a crisis of sorts and Robin had to go help her. While this was going on, one of my older s called me and she had a flat tire. I went to help her...this is when the sister-in-law situation arose. A friend of ours picked up the kids along with hers and some others, like 8 kids 6 and under...I drove to meet her and get the kids. I did get to catch a breather after getting home.
9:30 PM hit and we desperately needed groceries. Robin thinks I'm nuts, but I really do think milk is the life of our family. The day there is no milk in the fridge is the day our family implodes! So...I went to the store to get groceries.
Times like this drive me crazy....but through it all I see God at work and it's cool to see Him hold us up.

Cool Father's Day

I had a really cool Father's Day. I got to spend most of the day at home and it was awesome. Robin and the kids took me out to eat at UMI, one of our favorite Japanese Steak Houses. I got a Sunday Home Braves Jersey and a gift certificate for a Wii. COOL! But the coolest was the Saturday and Sunday I got to spend with my wife and kids. Saturday we went to Mom and Dad's and we had a blast. We cooked out and had a great meal. Two of my older s came and it was a great evening.
Sunday one of my older s called me to wish me a Happy Father's Day. I spent the day in my "chair" (No, I'm not Archie Bunker!) The kids played and it was a cool day. I got to "soak up" the day with my family. Cool stuff.

My 13 year old is here...here is what she says...

I don't want to say anything. NO!

Stubborn Kids...Stubborn Dad

I have some stubborn kids. One in particular is really fighting us on finishing up some math work that she needs to complete. I was talking to her the other day and it reminded me that sometimes I am just as stubborn. I told her that she knows what is the right thing to do...she just needs to do it. How many times has God said the exact same thing to me? So many times I know what I need to do, I just don't do it. I think God gives us kids to teach us stuff. (that's not the only reason) What do you think??

New Flag

I put up a new American flag at the house today. I am fairly patriotic and I enjoyed putting it up. The kids were curious and the boys were excited about the flag. I try to stick to flag etiquette, so I have a spot light on it to shine at night. I had some fond memories go through my mind as I put the flag outside. I thought about my Uncle Marion. He passed away a while ago...I always respected him. He was a retired Colonel from the Air Force. He always put his flag out on National holidays and he never had it out during the rain. He often complained about how people abused the flag and I sort of promised myself I would always respect Old Glory.
I also thought about our country. Our nation has a lot of problems, but it is still a great nation. We are so blessed. I thought about the folks in the Armed Services...I have so much respect for them. I remember seeing a group of soldiers in uniform walking in the airport. It was a sight to behold. There was almost a silence that surrounded them as they walked. I silently prayed for them as they walked by.
I stepped away from the house when darkness came. There she was...Old Glory...shining in the night. It felt pretty cool to see the flag on the house. May God Bless America!

Laughing in his sleep...

A few nights ago my wife was up late. She normally stays up late. I'm worried...I think she's secretly pumping energy drinks through an I.V.! She heard something from across the hall where our 4 year old sleeps. She heard laughter. Our 4 year old was laughing. Not chuckling. Not giggling. Laughing. It was the kind of belly laugh that comes from an awesome tickle attack.
This may seem sweet, and it is. But the coolest thing about him laughing is that it wasn't always that way. He used to have nightmares. He would cry out in the night. When he first came to us it was almost every night. "Nooo!" "Stop!" He would yell and "whine" in his sleep. Not anymore...the cries have turned to laughter. I am so amazed at how good God can be.
Add to that a couple of nights ago. He had turned himself sideways and I went in and turned him around and before I could cover him up with his blanket, he said with his eyes closed, "I love you, Daddy." And he wasn't finished making my night. He then, eyes still closed, held wide open his arms for a hug.
I am truly the most blessed man on the planet.

Why is it when you need to sleep you can't??

It's late. I went to bed. One of my teen's cell phones rang and woke me up. Who the heck needs to talk at 11:58 PM anyways??!! Add to the confusion--the phone is off, so now there is a demon inside of my daughter's cell phone!! So now here I sit at the computer. I have to get up in 5 hours. Why is it when you need to sleep, you can't? This is very frustrating. I am sleepy. I am grumpy (at least no one is around for me to show my grumpiness!). Maybe I can get back to sleep. Just thought I would blog myself to sleep. Maybe blogging cures insomnia!!

One of my s got saved!!!

Tonight one of my s ( our 9 year old) talked with me. The last couple of days she has had some questions about God, accepting Jesus, and being baptized. Robin said it would be good to talk to me, so tonight, I talked with my little . Her questions were legit...she wanted to know at what age someone could become a Christian. I told her that there was no right age--it's different for kids of all sorts of ages. I asked her what becoming a Christian meant and she gave me to Sunday School answer of "you get saved". I wanted to make sure she really understood, so I asked her what that meant. She said, "You become a Christian when you accept Jesus into your life and you give Him control of your life." COOL! She got it. I asked her if she ever prayed to ask God about this and she did last night. She said, " I told God that I knew I was a sinner and that Jesus died for me and I asked Him to come into my heart and I gave Him control."
To know this child, this is HUGE! Control is a very scary thing for her because of what her birth family did to her and what they didn't do for her. It was really neat...you could see a difference on her face.
I am so happy! She told some of her brothers and sisters, me, Mom (Robin) and her Grandpa George. In her sweet little voice she said..."I became a Christian". This is so awesome!! I had to post this....thanks for letting me share!

Craving some Caribbean

Springtime is the busiest time of the year. It's totally nuts. School is drawing to a close. Work stuff is building with tons of paperwork and stuff to do. The kids are in hyper-drive and summer is knocking on the door. When life is this crazy I crave me some Caribbean.
Robin and I were introduced to the Caribbean by our "employers". We were sent on a week long sailing trip to the British Virgin Islands along with our co-workers. It was the most amazing trip I've been on. Since then, Robin and I have rented villas twice in St. John, one of the most beautiful places on earth! St. John is one of the U.S. Virgin Islands and most of the island is national park property, so it's not too "touristy". I am craving me some Caribbean!!
I have high pressure...is this against HIPPA regulations? Once the doctor wanted to do another reading, so I closed my eyes and went to St. John in my mind. My pressure went down!
One day I'll be there again. Maybe not this year...it's pricey to get there and stay there! I thought I would use this entry to "vent" a little. Thanks.

A movie review for my 14 year old...

My fourteen year old wanted me to give a movie review of a movie I saw recently. I saw Speed Racer. I have to admit that I was totally comparing the movie to what I remembered as a kid. I was a child of the 70's and a teen of the 80's, so I watched the Speed Racer cartoon when I was a kid. The Mach 5 is still the coolest car ever.
On to the review: It was OK. I'm not giving the movie two up, one definitely. The movie is really really stimulating...it's kinda like an assault on the eyeballs! My ADD was in overdrive! But I do have to admit...the cars were really cool. The cars built by the Speed family were awesome. The "classic" Mach 5 was on the big screen and I was like a kid again. The movie did a pretty good job of transferring what I remembered of the cartoon to the big screen. So...would I recommend the movie? If you liked Speed Racer as a kid...then absolutely!! If you care not of the ways of the Speed family...stay away and maybe rent it on DVD. All in all...a good movie. 3 1/2 stars out of 5.
Movies coming up.....Narnia Prince Caspian and Indiana Jones. If you like this review...let me know!

Sweet Laughter

Tonight the whole family (family at home) got together and we ate out. We went to a diner that's fairly new and we had the best time. Have you ever had one of those moments when you mentally "step back" and take in the moment? I do...and it's not my ADD moment, either. I "stepped back" tonight and it was really cool. We were all talking together...conversations were spread over the table of the 9 of us. And laughter...sweet laughter. We laughed at many different things, but our 4 year old keeps us in stitches often. Tonight when we got the bill we told our server that our 4 year old would pay for it. The server stretched out her hand to him and asked for the money. He smiled and without missing a beat, he turned to me and stretched out his hand for me to give him the money.
I can actually make a little spiritual jump about this...
I need to do that more often with my life. Whenever I am asked to do something...I need to realize that I don't have the resources on my own to cover the tab. I need to turn to my Daddy and let Him be the source. So many times I try to do things on my own. I've got to turn around and let God do whatever it is through me. He's got the resources...mine are limited. I have lint and pennies in my pocket. God has limitless resources. That's a source for some sweet laughter!

A complaint about Mother's Day

I have a complaint to make about Mother's Day. It's been a few years since I've been to a Sunday morning service on Mother's Day, but they almost always go down like this:
The sermon is about how wonderful mothers are. They are sweet, compassionate and moms everywhere are wonderful and are to be revered on this special day. We should all be thankful for our mothers and we celebrate how great our Moms are.
I have no problem with what is said on Mother's Day. My complaint comes in June. Father's Day. The sermons take a different tone...at least that's my experience. Father's Day at church goes down like this:
The sermon is about how sorry we Dads are. We don't do enough for our families and we need to be better at being Dads. No thank you's. No "great job!" Nope...it's a bashing.
Can anyone else relate? Let me know if you can relate....
I promise I'm not bitter about this...just an observation.

A really good Mother's Day

Today was a really good Mother's Day. Mother's Day normally stinks around here at home. To give a little background... almost 10 years ago my Mom passed away. Since then, Mother's Day for me has been a little rough. It's gotten better through the years...today was a day for me to reflect a little and I was thankful for my Mom. I miss her a lot...but I had sweet memories...except for one. When I was a kid I wore suits to church. It was a time when you dressed up for church. Every Mother's Day I would go outside and pick a red rose from the rose bush and put it on my lapel. The red rose signified that my mother was alive. A white flower symbolized that your mother had passed away. (Passed away is Southern for died--I guess it's not as blunt) My Mom in her quirky way of being morbid reminded me that one day I would wear a white flower for her. Gee, thanks, Mama...I needed to know that information at age 10! Enough with the therapy session.
More background to why Mother's Day normally stinks around here. My kids had it pretty rough before they came to be a part of our family. So, Mother's Day kinda puts it in their faces that their birth Mom didn't do her part. They appreciate my wife and they call her "Mom", but it's still a tough day. A few years ago we planned to make Mother's Day a different kind of day for our kids. We make it a fun day. I teach my class on Sunday morning and then I head home and we go and do something fun. This year we went to the Georgia Aquarium and then had a cook out at home with family and friends...(friends who really are like family).
Today was a really good Mother's Day. It was a day to hang out...have fun...enjoy one another. I wasn't worked up at all and the whole family had a great day. The ending of the day was really cool. We had steaks, great desserts, and awesome "fellowship". Some of our older kids joined us and we got to see our granddaughter for the first time. Cool stuff. We all had a good day. My wife didn't dread this Mother's Day...it was a good day.

This is my 6 year old's blog

Um I love Mommy. I got me a bump on my head. Um I don't know what's wrong with me, I'm tired. I will go swing on the swing set. I will go swimming. Can Mommy go swimming with me? Yes her can. I love Mommy berry much. And I love Daddy too. I love my brothers and my sisters. I love this house. I love um...I love Daddy's new lawn mower. Um I love those flowers. (pointing) I love my teachers at school.

My kind of people...

In the South we have a saying.."my kind of people". It's a way of saying that we have something in common with folks, or that we like to be around certain kinds of people. A more redneck way of saying it (heard often at NASCAR events) "them's my kind of people". (NOTE- I am not busting on NASCAR...I can share the NASCAR comment because I am "one of them people"...I confess my NASCAR fanhood.
Back to the point of the blog...

I was thinking about this saying this morning. I wonder sometimes if I'm God's "kind of people". The Old Testament paints a great picture of our relationship with God through the people of Israel. So many times Israel runs away from God and He pursues them. He longs for a covenant relationship with His people. Through Christ, I have a covenant relationship with God. It's really cool to think about it. Before Christ, the only way to God was through a High Priest of the God of Israel. Because of what Christ did on the cross, I have access to God the Father. I am so humbled by this.
Jeremiah 31:33 sheds some light on this covenant relationship:
" 'This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,' declares the Lord. 'I will put my law in their minds and write in on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.' "

That blows me away. Because of the new covenant, which places me in covenant relationship with God through Christ, I AM God's kind of people! That's pretty amazing to know. It would be cool to hear God say..."Wally...yeah...he's my kind of people."

Taking in the view...

The picture above this post (and all other posts, I guess) is the view from my front porch. See all that grass? I cut the land throughout the spring and summer and once in the late fall. The picture was taken during the fall. It's beautiful and I'm thankful for the view.
Tonight I am not feeling well. I'm stuffed up and I'm running a fever. My wife is out of town until tomorrow and I am feeling yucky. Even feeling yucky, I try to take in the view. I walk around the house at night...not the creepy, stalker kind of walking around! I love to check on the kids and I watch them sleep. I say a little prayer for them. I'm taking in the view.
I love to people watch...not the creepy, stalker kind of watching! I get my binoculars...no, wait...just kidding. No, actually I love to be in public places and I like to see how many different kind of people there are in this world we call home. I'm taking in the view.
I don't know if there is a point to all of this...I guess I'm reminding myself to take in the view.

Teaching stuff that I'm learning and teaching...

I've been teaching/preaching for a long time...about 17 years. Geeze...I feel old now. One thing that I have noticed is that often times when I teach something or I preach a sermon, it's about something I am learning myself. Sometimes the subject is something someone else is learning too and it "resonates" with them. This happened a few times in the last couple of weeks. I'll try to recollect them...
I have been doing some quiet times on the life of Joseph. It's really cool stuff. I mentioned what I was learning with my sister and she was covering the same stuff in her Sunday School. Neat.
I was having a really hard week and I was learning about "casting my stuff". One topic that I used to wrap up the "mini sermon" was the "Geesus Loves Me" story. I was at the nursing home and when I came in the room, they were about to sing their little song....you guessed? yep..."Jesus Loves Me." I was grinning from ear to ear as we sang the song.
Tonight I was reviewing for my Sunday Night class that I teach. It's talking about living life wisely and how fools reject correction and instruction. I was talking about this with one of my children just this week. I think this is the one where God is trying to teach me too.
I don't think it's any that this kind of stuff happens. I think God has to do this kind of stuff to get it through my thick skull!!

Casting my cares and anxieties

My blogging has been spotty of late. I have been incredibly busy... I'm always busy running after 7 kids, but lately it's been "busy on steroids". Last week was one of the worst weeks I've had in a few years. Break in at the house. Devastating news about one of my kids. Add to that the pressures of everyday life and I was burdened. I had anxieties. But it was different. I knew people were praying for me and I was praying too. I felt like I was lifted above all of the "junk".
Yesterday I got the privilege to speak to a nursing home in the community. I was running late from my 6th grade boys class and I walked in the community room where the residents meet. There they were, all in a circle...most in wheel chairs, some in mobile recliners, one with a walker. There is one lady who is sort of the "ring leader" of the bunch. She said that they were going to sing "their little song". I asked what it was and it was "Jesus Loves Me". I grinned and said that it was perfect. Little did they know that in my "sermon", I had used the reference to my boys singing their "new song". Priceless.
In the sermon I spoke about casting your burdens to the Lord, because He cares for you. Notice this isn't, "Um, excuse me, Lord...could you please, if you don't mind...could you carry this for me...I don't think I can handle this...it's too big." Nope...it's, "Lord, CATCH!!" Casting...throwing...or in some cases dumping. The Lord can take it and He will take our burdens. I have been working on the casting part...sometimes I like to handle the "Junk" and carry the burden...but I can't...at least not for long. My shoulders are only strong enough to carry it long enough to roll it over to Him.

Psalm 55: 22
"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."

1 Peter 5:6-7
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."

Sorta Numb

Have you ever had some major stuff happen in your life and you're kinda numb? I hope I'm not the only one who does that. This week has been filled with some tough things coming our family's way. Sometimes I put myself on auto pilot and that's easy to do. I'm trying not to do that. I'm a routine nut and I'm trying to get back into a routine after being away for a few days. Add to that the stuff going on and I'm numb. I'm trying to step back and remain aware of what's going on around me. Robin, my wife, s it when I "check out". It's really a gift given to men. Before males are born (and I are one), our brains are washed in testosterone. This does some weird stuff to our brains. I think one thing it does is whenever we have children, a button is activated and we are instantly able to zone out and watch sports on TV. Or be busy doing something around the house or outside. Some think it's a curse, some think it's a blessing. I'm not sure. All of that rambling to say I'm numb. Life is nuts and I'm trying my best not to carry it on my shoulders. I tell my older kids often, our shoulders are strong enough to carry our "stuff" long enough to roll them over to God. I think I'll roll 'em over and let God handle it. I may be losing that numbness after all!

A renewal of sorts

I just spent two and a half days with some of the most amazing people on earth. My wife and I are houseparents with a non profit organization. ( That's why I have so many kids!) I spent two and a half days at a training retreat in a beautiful place in Tennessee. I come away from these "events" renewed. I am more aware of the calling God has placed on my life to pour Jesus into my kids. I am humbled to be around such awesome people. I've known some of the folks for 20 years, and some I just met for the first time. These folks are simply amazing. During the retreat, we got two bits of really bad news. The first was that our home was broken into on Monday. The second was a really huge bomb that was sent our way concerning one of our kids. Raising kids is tough, and our kids have tons of baggage. The whole time we were there, we were ecouraged and lifted up. We're all in this together and it's so vital to see that we are not alone in what we do. If anyone in the group reads this silly little post, please know that I pray for you and I thank God for you all. I was reminded of how blessed I am to be considered a peer in the ministry we're all called to. I was reminded of how crucial it is for God to work in me, to overflow Him...I can't be empty. I was reminded of how awesome it is that I get a chance to serve God by raising kids. Thanks to you all...and "Pass the green beans."

How often I forget to take in beauty around me.

I have a beautiful wife. I have a beautiful family. I live in a beautiful home on some beautiful land. I am currently visiting a beautiful country inn in Tennessee. It's gorgeous here. Every room in the inn is wonderful and they are steps away from beautiful views. Being here reminds me to take in the beauty around me. I am so blessed, but it's so easy to get wrapped up in the everyday stuff that I forget to take in the physical beauty that surrounds me. I think God gets us away at times to remind us of the beautiful places. St. John, USVI is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Last week I was at the doctor and my blood pressure was high. The doctor wanted to take it himself and as he did so, I thought of St. John. It went down...I took in the beauty. Maybe this little blog entry can remind you to "take it in". There is beauty all around. Maybe it's a little one's voice singing a song. A bird flying through the air. A flower that catches your eye. Beauty...it's there to take in....like a special gift from God.

'Cause My Daddy Tells Me So

One of my good friends reminded me of this story. My 4 year old gives me great material to work with! He teaches me a lot about life if I will pay attention. Not too long ago he learned "Jesus Loves Me." One day he was singing it and when he came to the part that normally says "For the Bible tells me so..." He sang ," Cause my Daddy tells me so".
There is so much to pull from that little line. First, it's humbling to know that I can have a huge impact on my kid's lives. Second, I need to watch what I say and do because I have little eyes and ears watching and listening. Third, I need to have that child like faith...believe just 'cause.
I don't have an earthly "Daddy" anymore...he passed away when I was a baby. But I do have a Heavenly "Daddy" and I need to know that Jesus loves me " 'Cause my Daddy tells me so."

This is my 4 year old's blog

Um I don't really know. I don't know. Who put my heart fishy on the wall? I got that at school. I had fun today. I played with my sister. She was ugly she didn't push me on the swing. I said "I need help I need help!" And her didn't push me. I'm done talking about it. I'm going to go outside. I'm going to be late. I already helped you three times.

I'm sick, but I've been "healed" by my 4 year old

Today I've been sick. It hit yesterday. I spent 2 days on the tractor, cutting the land in front and to the side of the house. Allergies hit with a vengeance. Sore throat. Throbbing headache. Stuffy nose. Hurting eyes. Now I know I need to use a mask. My only hesitation in using a mask is that I'll look like a dork. But my wife and kids regularly let me know that I'm a dork. So I'm gonna buy me a mask before I cut the next time. I think I'll actually get one of those $7 gas masks from the Army/Navy store. I'll look cool for sure!
This afternoon I was sitting in my chair resting. I asked my four year old to give me a hug...it would make me feel better. He gave me a great hug and he then he asked me, "You're better now?" "Yep...I'm better now."
It reminded me to have that child like faith that Jesus talked about. Isn't that what the Kingdom of God is made of? Folks with childlike faith.

God lets us let go when we're ready

I do a lot of thinking when I am driving. I drive a lot. I have 7 kids in 6 different schools and only one of them carpools. I was thinking about what one of our Student Pastors said at a recent Student Ministry Leader's meeting. He talked about the Samaritan woman at the well who Jesus spoke to (John 4). He talked about how we all have our "wells" and ultimately, Jesus needs to be our well.
I was thinking today about how I hold on to stuff. Things that may not be bad, but I still hold on to for comfort. Maybe it's a routine, money in my wallet, whatever... It reminded me of one of my kids from a while back. When he first came to us he was so hungry for a family. He loved being a part of our family. My wife and I had to leave for a training retreat and we were gone for two and a half days. He fell apart when we were gone. He was convinced that we were never coming back. The next time Robin and I had to go out of town, I gave him something to hold on to until I came back. I was in a fan club for a NASCAR driver at the time (he's no longer driving--he kinda stunk and got out of the sport!) . I gave him my "membership" card to hold on to while I was gone. He held on to it and when I talked to him over the phone, he was holding it, hoping I would return. I came back and he gave it back to me. This went on for about a year. Then it happened...one trip was coming up and he didn't ask to hold on to anything. He knew we would return.
Doesn't God do that with us? He lets us hold on to stuff...as long as it's not harmful to us. And sure enough, when we're ready, we let go of what we're holding on to. So if you're holding on to stuff, maybe it's time to let it go. You can always trust in God...He'll always show up when He's supposed to.

We truly are blessed

I had a long day today. It was a good one, but a long one. I teach a 6th grade class on Sunday mornings at church...not to be confused with Sunday School. We call them LifeGroups...before that it was the Link. Before even that they were Bible Study Fellowships or simply BSF.
Church was good. I had only my 2 youngest with me today...my wife and the rest of the kids were in the mountains at my wife's grandparents' home. I left late Saturday night to get back home from a long day of working at "Nanny and Papa's". I teach in the evenings at something we call the Link...it changed from the mornings and now the Sunday night time is called The Link. I have ADD...this is NOT funny to keep changing the names of stuff. I am confused enough on my own. I also had a youth leader's meeting and headed out of church around 8:45 PM.
See...I do have ADD and I went on at least 2 rabbit trails!!
Basically, I had a long day of church activities, sandwiched in between was a nap...angels singing. After the meeting, I went to Wal-Mart to do a little grocery shopping. We were out of stuff and we really needed the groceries. The dogs wanted to eat too, so I had to get dog food. 200 bucks later we have school lunch stuff, 2 suppers (Southern for dinner), a little snack stuff, a dog watering thingee, dog food, and an array of paper products. I'm a dork--I just went down my grocery list.
The "We are truly blessed" title comes in now. I was in line to check out...it's never a fast experience at Wal-Mart. I was in line and I thought of how blessed we are. There are people that can't get a buggy full of food and supplies. Some can't even go to stores like Wal-Mart...they have no supply. I propped my arm up on the Coke cooler and said a little prayer of thanks. We are truly blessed.

Happy Tears

I have only one comment on one entry--this has kind of bummed me out, but that's OK. This blogging thing has been sort of therapeutic for me.
The children in my home aren't my birth children. My wife and I have had 35 children in our home in almost 11 1/2 years. (Not 35 at the same time! The most we had at one time was 14) The "Happy Tears" story happened about 10 years ago.
One of our daughters was sitting with my wife...she was 11 or 12. She told Robin, "Mom, I didn't know I needed a bath every day until I got here." Then she asked my wife, "Mom, tell me about my first day here at home." Robin told her that she was so excited that her babies had come home...they maybe didn't come from a delivery room, but they came and they were beautiful. Our daughter came with two of her siblings and Robin went on to describe their first day. They had a picnic outside in a play house and Robin called one of her siblings "angel". This was a big deal because she had been called "demon child" for most of her life.
Our daughter started to cry. Robin said to her, "I'm sorry...I didn't mean to make you cry." Our daughter replied, "Oh Mama...Oh Mama! These are my first happy tears!!"
I am so thankful to God for allowing me to be a part of our kids' lives. People often ask us how we do what we do. To my wife and I it's no big deal...it's what God has called us to do. I'll try to share more stories if y'all don't mind.
Let me know if anyone is reading this stuff I'm writing!!

Geesus Loves Me

Yesterday morning the kids were sitting around the table having breakfast and sort of hanging out, hanging out as much as kids can hang out. Our 4 year old starting singing Jesus Loves Me. Sometimes he says "Geesus". His 6 year old brother joined in and they both started singing. They sang Jesus Loves Me and Jesus Loves The Little Children. Some of the other kids joined in the singing too.
This may seem like no big deal, but they have been with us for a little over 8 months. When they both came to us their song was Bad Boys, the song from the T.V. show Cops. Their little hearts have softened a lot and they have a new song to sing. It was a moment to take in. What sweet songs...sung with sweet voices. They had no idea what they were really doing, but they were praising God and worshiping Him with their songs.
Worship leaders often quote the Bible and say that God inhabits the praises of his people. It's a vague reference to Psalm 22:3. I did some looking up online and found some cool references to the verse. I'm not big into using different versions to "fit" what you're trying to say, but one of the versions I use is the ESV, The English Standard Version. Psalm 22: 3 says, "Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel." The footnote on the verse says "or dwelling in the praises".
I imagine God dwelling in my praises...pretty cool stuff. Hearing my kids singing...yeah, I could dwell there too. It was such a sweet sound. What a change from "Bad boys, bad boys, what ya goin' to do" to "Jesus Loves Me". Those sweet moments help keep me going.

I'm a dummy

I'm a dummy. No ifs ands or buts. I was a real jerk today to my wife and it is not cool. I it when I say stupid stuff. I mentioned in another post about a reset button. Boy, did I need one earlier. Maybe even a rewind button...geeze, I'm a dork. I'm glad that God's not through with me yet. Sometimes I am overwhelmed when I think of how much I need to work on in my life.
Maybe that's the problem...I need to let God do His work on me and in me. I'm not a very good handy man around the house and it makes sense for me to have someone else do big jobs around the house. If I had to replace the roof, I think we would have to go to a restaurant supply company to order 242 pots to hold the water leaking from the roof.
There is a children's song from church that I used to sing when I worked with children..."He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be...It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars, the sun and the moon and Jupiter and Mars...How loving and patient He must be...'cause He's still working on me..."
I guess I need to let Him work on me...

Contented Sighs

My four year old sleeps across the hall from my wife and me. I can't sleep tonight. It's after 1 AM and I find myself up on my laptop. I hear my four year old sigh. It's one of those really sweet sighs. It's one of those sighs that says, "My mommy and daddy love me. I love to play. I'm sleeping. I'm safe. Life is good."
As a Dad, I love to hear those sighs. Whenever I hear one of those sighs, I sorta sigh too. I take a deep breath and say a little prayer of thanks. I think God loves to hear our sighs too. Maybe it's a little prayer that's rolling off of our breath. Maybe it's a happy tear streaming down our face. I think God delights in those happy moments in our lives.
My four year old hasn't always been across the hall. He used to live in a pretty rough place. He experienced some pretty rough stuff at such a little age. When he first came, he had nightmares of monsters getting him. He would cry in the middle of the night and it broke my heart. He's safe now. He's happy now. He has contented sighs now.

Warning: Spring Break Sucks Out Brain Cells!

Spring Break is a tool for teachers everywhere to inflict revenge on the parents. The teachers are paying back the parents for the 180 days of school. "We will interrupt your schedules and reek havoc on your children's routines!" the teachers say to us.
This morning I pull up after taking one of my kids to the orthodontist. My four year old comes out in his pajamas wearing his Lightning McQueen slip on shoes. Along with him is my 9 year old, barefoot, and wearing her short pajama set with her thick winter coat. My 12 year old is outside fully dressed with some dress shoes on. All 3 dogs are roaming around mixing in with the three kids. They looked like they were refugees fleeing the mother country coming from a disaster area. Today at lunch they woofed down 2 family size bags of Cheetos Puffs, one regular, one flaming hot. The kids' hands are all covered in red or orange dust, mixing with the yellow pollen that's everywhere. Spring Break is here and the brain cells have left the building.
Summer isn't so bad. You have enough time to settle in to a "non-school" routine. Spring Break is short enough to throw a monkey wrench in the whole routine. Please, dear God, let Sunday roll around so we can go to church, have a day at home and have a what we call a "School Night".

I need a restart button

Have you ever needed a restart button? You know, like the ones on handheld electronic devices. Lately I have been drifting away from God. I haven't been in the Word like I need to be. I'm over the guilt trips I used to get into when I missed some quiet times with God. I used to really beat myself up when I missed. I would think to myself, "You're such a heathen...there's no way that God could ever love you... you missed three days this week!" I'm glad God doesn't keep a quota on that kind of stuff. I think He just misses me. He genuinely wants to spend time with me. I know I need to spend time with Him...I sometimes cram my life with so much junk that I kinda push Him out.
Today in church I was thinking about the reset button. God gives us one...whenever we confess our sins (1 John 1:9) God gives us a reset button. He forgives us, cleanses us, and He resets our relationship with Him. The cool thing about God's reset button is that He doesn't erase any of the good stuff. Whenever you hit a reset button with electronic stuff everything is erased. With God, the good stuff remains and the bad stuff is gone. There may still be consequences for the bad stuff like strained or broken relationships, but the baggage can be dropped off and left behind.
I prayed today for the reset button. I need to start again....and I'll need the reset button again. But for now I'll just go on with a new start.

No quiet mornings

There is no such thing as a quiet morning in my house anymore! At one time we could sleep in until 9. Now it's between 6 and 7. Our 4 year old and 6 year old make sure that there is no one around them asleep. Today it's raining. A perfect Saturday to sleep in. Our 6 year old is convinced that if we sleep in that we will sleep in all day. No matter how many times we tell him that we won't sleep in all day he is still convinced that we will spend the entire day asleep.
When I "step back" and look at it, it's really not a bad thing. How jaded I have become as an adult. The boys are simply jumping at the start of another day. I need to wake up! God has blessed me with another day...there will be only one April 5, 2008. It's gonna take some time to change my "grumpiness" about early mornings, but hopefully I will do it, Lord willing. How many times do I miss out on some awesome stuff just because I don't want to wake up?

I'm the worst Dad ever.

I am the worst Dad ever. Ever ever. Today was a rough day for being a Dad to a teenage daughter. My thirteen year old got in the van today from school and clammed up. Silence. Crickets. I poked her arm and then tickled her. "Stop...I don't want to be touched." What happened to my little girl??? Geeze...I have raised teenage girls before. I had 5 girls ALL THE SAME AGE. That meant 5 mood swings...5 emotional breakdowns...5 proms...5 boyfriends to beat with baseball bats. Surely after surviving 5 teenage girls at the same time I could handle one thirteen year old! I dunno....I guess I'm letting it get to me too much. I simply want a good relationship with my daughter. Is that too much to ask for? Well....I'm gonna try again tomorrow...I just will skip the tickling part.

First Blog

O.K. Here goes...my first blog. I have nothing earth shattering to say today. Maybe I need to introduce myself. I'm Wally. My real first name is Wilson. Wally came in High School and it stuck in college. I am married to an incredible wife...for almost 17 years. I am a child of the 70's and a teen of the 80's. I am a Christian...I've been one since the age of 12. I am a Dad...to 14 kids...none by birth. I have 7 kids in the house and 7 out and my family will continue to grow. Life is nuts around my house. I will try to write every so often....take care and maybe this will be a fun ride!