Beyond Bringing Up Boys

A. Accept responsibility.  B. Budget  C. Consider others less fortunate than you. D. Deliver on your promises. E. Exercise F. Forgive  G. Grow relationships with grandparents H. Have fun, but not at the expense of someone else.  I. Invest in others. J. Jump in to help! Don't wait to be asked. K. Keep your language clean.  L. Laugh often.  M. Make eye contact when you're spoken to.  N. Nourish your soul.  O. Opportunity waits for no one. Don't waste your time. P. Plan. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Q.Question whether your behavior aligns with God's Word.  R. Read and reflect on a wide variety of subjects.  S. Season your words with kindness and grace. T. Think!  U. Use your talents. V. Valiantly defend the voiceless.  W. Wholeheartedly love others.  X. Y. Yesterday is in the past. Don't live in past victories or defeats.  Z. Zealously follow after Christ!...

David has a class he's in contract to finish writing for a university before he leaves for England, which is less than two weeks away. So, while we talked about doing something fun, like hiking or catching a Braves game, we decided that our responsibilities should keep us home.  David got up at 4:30 to start writing but told me to call him when I got up and he would come upstairs and have coffee with me. Drinking coffee with me is something new he's started because he knows I love coffee and he loves me. And, as much as I love coffee, I love it more when we're drinking it together.  I called him at eight and we went out on the porch. It was a lovely September morning here: low sixties, cool breeze with bright, cloudless sunshine, the plaintive cry of the mourning dove, and the cacophony of other birds singing their morning praises. We drank coffee and read the Bible together.  Within a short time, the boys were up and our solitude was disturbed.  David retreated to h...

From the day Samuel was born, my mom declared that he looked like me. I denied it over and over.  I already knew Zachary was a composite of his father and me , but  I really wanted one child that looked exactly like David. Samuel didn't have David's dimples and the turned up nose, well, I knew where he got that, but oh! I just wanted him to look like his dad.  As he grew, from the ground up, his body type was certainly like his dad's, so I ignored allll the other things. When someone would comment that he looked like his dad, I'd smile and nod.  Eventually, I dropped the "lying" to myself and just accepted the fact that he's my face on David's body. Creepy, huh? Except on him, it's so darn cute!  I found this picture of me recently, and knew I had a very similar one of him. There's no denying--that's my boy.