The Chronicles of Biscuit - "I Wanna Be Like Dad"

The Chronicles of Biscuit are stories about our youngest son, Tyler, whose nickname is Biscuit.

"I wanna be like Dad...except taller," quipped Biscuit recently.  Biscuit loves his dad.  He wants to imitate him.  He wants to be with him.  Of course Biscuit loves me, too, but he wants and needs that time with his dad - just man to man (well....man to boy, I should say!).

In the spring, while school was winding down, Biscuit would say he wanted to spend more time with his dad.  With our busy schedules of my husband's work, yard/garden/goat raising, and school activities, the father-son alone time with Biscuit just didn't work out.  In fact, it seemed like we were barely all home together at any time.

This summer has been great for Biscuit and his dad to have some special time together.  My husband coached Biscuit's baseball team, they walked over to different sections of the Ranger's Ballpark at two different games (Biscuit thought that was really special, though to us it seemed so simple!), and recently Biscuit drove the lawnmower and 4-wheeler with his dad.

There's something special about a father-son relationship.  Just think about the relationship of God and His Son, Jesus!

My favorite "daddy" poem is "Walk a Little Slower, Daddy".  I used it last year, but here's the link if you've never read it.  It's so sweet!

I found another poem to share with you about dads.  It's great, too!

To Any Daddy

There are little eyes upon you,

And they're watching day by day;

There are little ears that surely

Take in every word you say;

There are little hands all eager

To do everything you do.

There's a little boy who's dreaming

of the day he'll be like you!

You're that little fellow's idol,

You're the wisest of the wise.

In his little mind, about you

No suspicions e'er arise;

He believes in you devoutly,

Holds that all you say or do

He will say and do, in your way,

When he's all grown up like you.

There's a wide-eyed little fellow

Who believes you're always right;

His keen ears are always open

To catch your words, day or night.

You are setting an example,

Every day, in all you do,

For the little boy who's wanting

to grow up to be like you.

- Isabelle Tucker

 

And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:4

Who's Your Bestie or BFF?

I've noticed many people talk about their "bestie", meaning their best friend.  Others use the acronym BFF, meaning "best friends forever".  Having good friends is great.  Having a best friend(s) is extra-special.  In a marriage, I believe it's extremely important for your husband (or wife, if a male) to be your best friend - above any other friendships you may have.  However, above your relationship with your "bestie" or your "BFF", or even your spouse, should be your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ as your best friend is the most important thing you could ever have in your life.  Having Him as your friend makes you a child of God and your relationship with Him is the only way to be part of the family of God.

Jesus wants to be your friend.  He wants to be my friend.  Do you and I want him to be our "bestie" or "BFF"?

Lyrics to "I'll Be a Friend"

They tried my Lord (they tried my Lord) and Master

With no one to (with no one to) defend

Within the halls (within the halls) of Pilate

He stood without (He stood without) a friend

Chorus:

I'll be a friend (I'll be a friend) to Jesus

My life for Him (my life for Him) I'll spend

I'll be a friend (I'll be a friend) to Jesus

Until my years (until my years) shall end

To all who need (to all who need) a Savior

My friend I (my friend I) recommend

Because He brought (because He brought) salvation

Is why I am (is why I am) His friend

Something is Missing

Note: This post is linked to Gratituesday, from Heavenly Homemakers. It is written by Tom Norvell of "A Norvell Note" and used by permission. It sure makes one think about their priorities....or it least it did me!

To see what others are grateful for, visit Heavenly Homemakers.

Something Is Missing

      Something is missing. 

      We spend enormous amounts of energy when it comes to sports, business deals, and political conversations. We show great excitement over good grades, delicious meals, and the latest blockbuster movie. Yet, we sit on our pews acting bored while someone simply tells the story of the cross. 

      We are completely engrossed in a story about an abandoned puppy, the latest political gossip, and information about our newest electronic gadget. We participate in grand displays enthusiasm when our team scores, when our candidate wins, and when our favorite performer wins an award. Yet we check our voicemail while our daughter tells us about her Sunday School lesson.

      We arrive at the theater twenty minutes before the movie begins, we are in our seat an hour before kick-off, and we arrive at the golf course thirty minutes before our tee time. Yet we cannot seem to leave home early enough to make it to a church gathering until well into the service.

      We shed tears when the movie gets gushy, we get weepy during greeting card ads, and we get choked-up when we see photos of a newborn baby. We scream and shout for the home team, we put team logos on our vehicles, and we travel long distances to show our support for our team. But, we make sure we keep our emotions in check when we stand in the midst of our brothers and sisters singing praises to the Lord so that no one will accuse us of being "out of control."   

      We rush to the bookstore and stand in line for hours for the latest bestseller, we make sure we get our name on the list for the not-yet-out-still-being-designed smart phone, and we push and shove our way through the crowds to get a glimpse of a super star. But, we see no need and have no desire to take advantage of quality opportunities for spiritual enrichment in our own church or in our own community.

      We have lengthy conversations about weather, sports, work, a delicious meal, what great gas mileage we got on our last trip, and love to catch up on our favorite television show. But we can't seem to find a way to ask our friend about his spiritual life.  

      We'll stay up late to watch the replay of the game, we'll get up early to be in the woods before daylight, and we'll work late to make the overtime. But we rush through the Lord's Supper and skip Bible class on Sunday morning because we have really important stuff to do. 

      We sit for hours in front of our televisions watching news from around the world, celebrity cooking shows, and comedians telling us what is wrong with our culture. But we find it almost impossible to sit through a twenty-minute message from the Word of God without losing our concentration or needing to go to the rest room.  

      Something is missing. What is it? 

       "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:1-3, NIV)

      Is it possible that the something that is missing has to do with the direction of our heart? Is it possible that our minds are more focused on things on of this earth than on things above? 

      Something is missing. 

Tom

A Norvell Note © Copyright 2010. Tom Norvell All Rights Reserved.

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"Oh, Be Careful Little Mouth"

This lesson was originally posted on May 22, 2009.  It is part three of a series entitled, "Oh, Be Careful Little."

Oh, Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say!

I mentioned in a post a few days ago that I used the song, "Oh, Be Careful Little Eyes What You See" in a lesson I did at a Bible Teacher's Workshop. I went into the other verses of the song as well, so from time to time, I will use them as posts. Today let's consider, "Oh, Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say". I also mentioned in that same post to think about the Latin phrase, "Coram Deo", which means, "Before the face of God."

We say thousands of words a day, but what do we say with those words? How do we use our words?
What do others hear when they are around us? Uplifting words? Clean words? Kind words? Dirty words? Unkind words? What words do we speak before the face of God?

The words we say can heal wounds, but our words can also tear others down. Just yesterday someone said something to my husband about his weight. Something very rude, actually! And even worse, this is the 2nd time someone has said something like this to him. Yes, he could loose some weight, but he knows that without anyone having to tell him, just like we all do if we need to loose some weight! Things like that are hurtful and what this person must not realize is that men have feelings, too. Would these men say something like this to a woman? Why say something like that to anyone?

I have to say that it was VERY hard for me to have self control about this yesterday. In fact, I would have called the person right then! But, my husband asked me not to and I won't. I did go for a long walk and prayed about it, of course. Now I'm writing about it because it goes so well with this topic and it makes my point so well!! I kept thinking yesterday of a momma bear trying to protect her cubs, although my husband's not one of my "cubs"....he's the daddy bear!

Yes, the words we say are so important. Our words can encourage and build people up; however, our words can discourage and even destroy people, as well. Within families we can build each other up (in an honest, truthful, and uplifting way - not with false flattery) like no one else can, and we can also destroy each other like no one else can.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Proverbs 12:18

So, how should we use our words to God's glory and before His face? These verses tell us:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone. Colossians 4:6

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. Hebrews 13:15

In the Bible, James talks about the tongue and how it is hard to control, but let's think of the tongue in a positive way. We can use our tongues for good. We can tell others about God. We can tell them about Jesus. We can share with them God's Word and tell them about salvation through Jesus. We can also use our mouths to speak kind and encouraging words to others who need to hear them.

So, how do you use your mouth and your words?

Before the face of God, we use our mouths.

"Oh, Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say. "

The Chronicles of Biscuit - Gum and Discipline

The Chronicles of Biscuit - Stories about our youngest son, Biscuit, who is 7 years old.

Yesterday Biscuit broke a gum-chewing rule.  When spitting out their gum in the van, we've made a rule that our children must first wrap the gum in a tissue.  This rule is to prevent the gum from getting stuck in the carpet, on the seat, or even in the little trash section we have in the van.  Hot chewed gum is a recipe for disaster!

Well, just as I glanced in the mirror on the way home yesterday, I noticed Biscuit putting his gum in a piece of a plastic JCPenney sack.  He was tearing the sack, had the gum stuck to it, but wasn't being successful getting it torn.  There were clothes in the sack, too, so that was a big concern for me.  I asked Biscuit what he was supposed to do with the gum, and why he was not doing what he was supposed to do.  Of course, he didn't have a good answer because he wasn't doing the right thing. As punishment, I told Biscuit he couldn't have gum for a week.  He understood.

Today we were again driving in the van.  Biscuit said he wished he could have gum.  Do you ever forget a punishment you've given?  I do - quite often, actually!!  But Biscuit remembered.  In fact, he said that while visiting his sister at church camp the evening before, she had offered him a piece of gum.  He told her that he was in trouble and that he couldn't have a piece.

I was so proud of Biscuit for telling his sister that he was in trouble and for him even remembering.  I would have understood if he had forgotten (since I, myself had forgotten), but he didn't.  I told Biscuit how great it was that he chose to do the right thing and didn't take the gum.  I told him how proud I was of him for telling his sister about the punishment.

Sometimes we think we may not be getting through to our children when it comes to discipline.  Sometimes it seems like it's not worth the effort - that it's easier to just give in, but in reality, it's not.  Discipline is hard sometimes and many times it makes it harder on the parent than it is for the children, doesn't it?  But, it's for their own good.  It helps them learn self-control  It helps teach them the difference between right and wrong.

Way to go, Biscuit!  I love you and I am so proud of you.   (In case you're wondering, though, Biscuit still isn't getting gum until next week.  I want him to remember the rule and not break it again!)  And, this time - I won't forget!