family is important

3 John 1:3  NLT

Some of the traveling teachers recently returned and made me very happy by telling me about your faithfulness and that you are living according to the truth.

It is Tuesday or after as you read this, and I am spending some time thinking through events of recent days.  And I feel the need to spend today’s post talking a little about my family.  I am grateful that you will allow me a little personal.

Before I get to the family you might know this already but I cherish relationships.  Relationships mean a lot to me.  When my friends or family hurt, I hurt.  When someone special to me is living and doing well, I get a lot of joy and even excitement by seeing how good things are or how good God has been.  I’ve seen that often including this week.  Now on to the family…

The last many months have brought changes to our lives.  Going back about 15 months was my mother’s death.  That one event continues to shake me to this day.  At the strangest times I want to call and talk with her, and I get that real gut-wrenching reality that I won’t see her again until I get to heaven.  That happened yesterday.

This past weekend we got a huge blessing to watch our middle school son play the tuba in his very first all-district band concert.  Ryan did great.  I am proud that band has become so important to him, and we often talk about what the years and seasons ahead are to going to bring.  I pray his faith grows by leaps and bounds too.  This boy of ours amazes me.

Also this past weekend our oldest child and her husband packed a trailer of furniture that will be taken to their home at Fort Campbell, Kentucky this coming weekend.  Of all the items placed in the trailer was our daughter’s bed that will make it’s way to their guest bedroom in their new home.  Now her bedroom in our house looks empty.  She is growing up and making all kinds of adult decisions.  I am proud of her and her husband, and we look forward to all the great days they have ahead.

Several weeks ago our middle child returned to the college she attends for her second semester away.  Not long after she arrived she got very sick.  Very early the next morning Ruth had to go to the hospital because she was so sick.  Remember that is 4 hours away.  It was the middle of the night.  Her mother and I felt helpless.  The next couple of weeks were a struggle.  Since then Ruth has gotten a great job and is working toward plans for next semester and has a great prospect for a summer job.

This has been Julie’s first year as a 1st grade teacher as the primary school closest to our home.  It has been a tough year, but as I watch her and listen to her work through all that she much do I could not be more proud of my special wife.  She is making a difference.  I pray for many more days that are balanced and strong for her as the year moves forward.

We really are blessed.  Family is important, and the stronger we are together is amazing.  Seems like yesterday the kids were so little.  Time moves by rather quickly.  God is working in my family.  I pray for more!

3 John 1:4  NLT

I could have no greater joy than to hear that my children are following the truth.