Meatballs…

Leigh-Ann is a very good cook and recently she made meatballs for dinner. Most of us thought they tasted great. There was one of our boys, however, that did not like them. He took an initial bite and within a few moments, made a sour face and a very bold statement, “I hate this.”

Well, if you know Leigh-Ann and me, you may guess that telling us that you hate dinner is not healthy…at all. And that is certainly not a way to negotiate out of eating what is on the table.

At first, we gave him the benefit of the doubt. We thought that maybe he had too many snacks before dinner and simply was not hungry. However, as Leigh-Ann and I began to raise the threat level, we could tell he had made up his mind that he flat out hated the meatballs.

Dinner time drama…

Not to be deterred, we made it clear that these meatballs were the only option, so if he didn’t finish them, he couldn’t attend soccer practice or eat anything else and he certainly wouldn’t get ice cream before bed.

Eventually, he ate parts of the meatballs and then spread the other parts out over the plate (potentially scraping a few off into the salivating mouth of our dog Zoe) so that our food boundaries were fulfilled for the evening.

He was able to go to practice and even have some snacks before bed, but not without shedding a few tears while forcing down bites of his meatballs. I would have to say that if Dallas is faced with eating those meatballs again, he will immediately look for ways to get out of it.

Hate is a strong emotion that is extremely difficult and at times impossible to overcome.
So I understand hating food or even certain activities, but what do we do if God hates something?

This Sunday, we will wrap up our sermon series, Wisdom for everyday life, with a sermon from Proverbs 6:16-19 entitled, “Things God hates.”

In case you are wondering, it will include a simple application, don’t do what God hates. Seems easy enough…however if you are interested in hearing more about what God hates and how to steer clear of these sins, you should join us for our service on Sunday at 10:45 am.

And now it’s time to head home for dinner….hmmm…I wonder what’s on the menu tonight :)…

Have a great weekend,
Troy

Announcements: This Sunday we are hosting our New to New Life class for anyone interested in learning more about church membership. If you would like to attend, you can RSVP HERE.

Baptism – Also, everyone is invited to our Baptism celebration on Sunday at 5:00 pm at Lake Quivira. You can RSVP HERE.

Kickball proficiency…

Our boys love to play kickball and once they get started, it seems like they can play forever.

Last night after a soccer practice, they talked several of their teammates into sticking around for a pickup game.

I helped them set up the field and then they divided and started to play. All but one of the boys knew how to kick the ball and then go to first base and then to second and then to third and finally to home plate.

One little guy, however, seemed to think you could go from first to third…and he paid for it until he learned. He was thrown out every time with no mercy.

Our boys, on the other hand, are aggressive in a different sort of way. They like to take extra bases whenever possible. Whether they stretch a single into a double or triple; or simply steal a base, they are always looking to outwit and outrun the defense.

Their skill as base runners has improved in proportion to their experience. I remember times when they ran to third base after kicking the ball. When they were younger, they simply did not understand the game.

Through a mix of coaching and learning by experience, they have become quite proficient…which makes me smile.

Much of life requires coaching and experience…and parenting is no exception.

Looking back on our early years of parenting, we made plenty of mistakes…and we still do. However, with good coaching and life experience our proficiency has improved.

This Sunday, I am really looking forward to hearing Pastor Dave bring a sermon from Proverbs 22:6 entitled, “A parents aim and hope.” This is part of our sermon series from Proverbs entitled, Wisdom for everyday life. No matter what stage of life you are in, this sermon will provide practical and challenging teaching that will apply to you as a child, parent, future parent, grandparent, etc. There may even be some humor along the way :).

I hope you have a great weekend,

Troy