I got to play football with my kids the other day! It is always amazing to watch and listen to them as they do anything fun. They are constantly giving me a running commentary on what is going on and what they just did. "Then the ball went up like this and I ran back for it but I tripped and then I rolled and then the ball hit me on the arm and then it bounced back up and then..." Well, you get the idea. What is so interesting about this, is that I'm standing there the whole time. I was the one who threw the ball. I saw it happen at the same time and speed they did. I thought this was kinda weird until I realized why they were doing it...they loved what they were doing and wanted to tell anyone who would listen. They wanted to say out loud what had just happened in the physical. They want these moments to be burned into their minds as well as mine. You know, we can learn a lot from kids. Like the fact that we should be shouting out the things that Jesus Christ is doing with us and for us. We should be giving people the play by play of what we are doing with Him. "And then Jesus reminded me through a friend that He is in control even when we see life as out of control and then Jesus gave me this calm that only He can give and then He reminded me of areas in the past when He has taken care of situations that seem unbearable and then Jesus let me know that what I am doing is for His glory not mine or anyone else and then Jesus..."

Today I got to do something that I haven't had a chance to do for a long time. I got to build fence. Yes...stringing barbed wire and pounding in posts. I actually love doing it. The sense of accomplishment. The sweat. The hard work. The sore muscles. I love all of it. Especially the alone time that it gives me. Today, as I was putting in an 'H' post it got me to thinking. Now an 'H' post is the wooden posts you put in at the high and low spots topographically. This is the key to a good fence. If you make it weak, your whole fence is weak. If you do it well...well, you have a good fence. I thought it interesting that the strong part of the fence is put at the high and low spots of the fence line. This is just like God. He is our source of strength, not just at the high times of life, but the low times as well. I actually took a moment today and thanked Him for being my strength...my strong part of life...my 'H' post. In all times of life...highs and lows.

Sorry about the long absence. I was in Indiana with the X-treme Team. Check us out at www.radicallysaved.com. Also, please feel free to leave comments on my blog. I will start commenting on more of your blogs. Please also feel free to link this blog or forward it on to anyone and everyone. I pray that God will use it somehow to deepen your relationship with Him.

Today is Father's Day. Of course, I'm writing this at 10:45pm, so most of you won't read this till after the day is over. But that's ok. The truth that lies here is still that, truth.

My dad used to wear this funky sweater that was blue with gold wavy stripes on it. He would wear it around the house when he was relaxing. It was kinda like having Mr. Rogers living in the house with you. I remember that sweater well. The feel of it. The look of it. And even the smell of it. It made an impression on me. I can still see dad wearing his sweater, drinking his coffee, and doing the crossword puzzle while sitting in his recliner. This sweater was a part of my dad.

This winter, as my mom was moving from her house to an apartment, I was over collecting my stuff that I had left there...for 15 years. When I was there, she asked me if I wanted that old sweater. Of course! I put that sweater on and was immediately overwhelmed by the flood of memories. Touch. Feel. Smell. I wear this sweater often around my house now. I think I look silly, but my wife and kids say I look great. My kids love it when I wear it. They say that when I hug them, it smells like me. Wow. It smells like me. I hope that's good. They say that I smell good. And they like the feel of it too. I get to tell them about the history of this great sweater. About the amazing man that used to wear it. To me, I can still smell my dad. To my kids, they smell their dad.

You know, I hope that as my kids hug me, they can smell even a greater aroma. I hope that the texture they feel is more wonderful than any piece of clothing I can wear. I pray that they smell God on me. That they can feel the presence of God around me. As I spend time around Him, I want to start to smell like Him. Feel like Him. Even look like Him. I want to be wrapped in His sweater. That way, when my kids see that 'sweater', I can tell them about the amazing God that gave it to me and what He is like.