"All work and no play makes Dad a dull boy."

At least that's what my oldest son told me the other day. I think it's amusing to listen to the perspectives of a younger generation. He told me the other day that he doesn't envy me and said I do nothing but work. That it must be a drudgery for me. He said I should play more. That I don't have any fun.

Without life experiences, it's hard to comprehend older people. I find it hard to understand people older than myself, but to have a conversation with my son about how I should live my life was interesting. My son will soon be 20 years old. He basically has a life without responsibility. Sure, he has a couple of jobs and a class at a community college but in comparison, his life is free. So to hear him give me "sage" advice about what I should value was interesting. And from his view of the world, he's right.

Ok, I'll admit, he's right to a degree. Having too much house and too much yard takes away from your family. Sure, you're at home but your constantly working on something. I could have had a smaller house or lived in a neighborhood where I didn't have to do so much work. But I think on a larger perspective a son is never going to comprehend what a father can find enjoyable or relaxing or satisfying.

• There is satisfaction knowing that your children are living a life without wondering if they will eat tonight.
• There is joy when you drive up and your little kids open the car door to give you a big hug and a kiss. What's that worth?
• There is joy when your teenage daughter asks you if she can talk and ask for some advice. How much would you pay for that?
• Is there any satisfaction knowing that your kids want you to play with them? Even when they're 16? You betcha.

My son hasn't experience what it's like to have a wife, a lover and best friend. I don't blame him for having these ideas about me. It's just interesting that his perspective about my life is the way it is.

1 Cor. 13:11 says: When I was a little child I talked and felt and thought like a little child. Now that I am a man my childish speech and feeling and thought have no further significance for me.

So I wonder...What I am not seeing that my heavenly father is seeing? What is satisfying to Him? What brings him joy? Many times I think that I have been given the wonderful privilege of being the father of six children in order to get a glimpse of what He sees, feels and desires. It brings me satisfaction to have my children truly desire me and want to be around me and talk to me. It breaks my heart to see them disobey and avoid me. My heart is troubled until I know they are safe, etc.

While I will not stop being the father I think they need, I'll take my son's advice and loosen up a bit.

Note: I've not fully thought this out but would be curious if any of you have any thoughts.

I was just minding my own business when God appeared.

You never know when God is going to grab you, shake you, get your attention to tell you something. I was looking at some Christian T shirts on-line when I saw one that grabbed my attention. I began to read it. It had a scripture on it. Jeremiah 29: 11-13. It goes like this:

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Verse 12 had a profound impact on me. I literally stopped and cried. We all know that God is the creator of everything and sort of yawn at that statement. I really needed a friend this morning and I just became overwhelmed that my God says, "talk to me and I will listen." How many times have I heard that and took it for granted?

For various reasons, I have drifted from my relationship with him and when I was least expecting, he reaches out to me. Just like a father would do. I am so thankful he can love a sinner like me!

Hard lesson to learn on the baseball field

Sometimes life is not fair. I tell that to my kids but today, I had a dose of my own medicine. I love baseball. Always have. Since the age of six, I have played on baseball teams. Some good and some terrible. Today, my company, Cox Communications played in a co-ed, double-elimination tournament. We have really good players so it makes it difficult for the coach to get everyone involved on the team. Unfortunately, I did not see much playing time. In fact, out of three games I played only two innings and those were in game that was over in the second. Oh well, I had fun warming up. So life doesn't always go the way you want it to. What do you do? Forget about it or will eat at you. I write about it so others can do the same. Fairness is the enemy of right. If we try to be fair all the time, doing what's right may get dropped. Our society demands fairness and, in-turn, we get worse and worse. We teach to the lowest common denominator, we hire based on quotas and skin color and reward only if everyone gets something.

So, I didn't see the kind of playing time I wanted. Fair? No. Right? Probably. I can't hit left-handed, which is what all the men had to do... just to make it fair. ;)