Poor eighth graders, you might think.
They went to Washington D.C. for a four-day spring break trip, but their flight home Friday was cancelled, and they can’t get out until tomorrow. So the four-day-trip became an eight-day trip.
Best we can tell from our son on the few times he’s borrowed someone’s cell phone, your sympathy would be misplaced. They’re having a blast. I feel sorry for the sponsors!
But those eighth graders aren’t the only ones who’ve had a great time. The past week makes me think that Diane and I will survive the empty nest in a few years.
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Still no grandbaby. We do have a growing list, however, of people who do NOT want to find out about it through the blog. I hadn’t really thought about how frustrating it must be to close friends and family members to have to find out about our lives through a blog.
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Most spiritual formation takes place inch by inch, day by day. Sometimes it isn’t even noticeable until a friend helps you look back over a period of years.
But, there are those rare occasions when your life takes a sudden turn. It’s a gift of God that jolts you, surprises you, and changes you. Your vision becomes — at least during this time of transformation — 20/20. Your understanding of what’s important in life is clear.
It’s unlikely that you’ll get to stay in a zone like that. But when they it happens, you know that life can never be the same again.
Nice comments on the spiritual formation. I’d like to think the inch by inch was as important foundationally as the epiphanies, and perhaps enabled them to happen.
Mike, it’s OK for me to find out about the grand baby through the blog. No pressure here.
It’s OK for me to find out about your grandbaby through the blog, too!
You’re in for one of life’s greatest blessings/joys.
Awww, Mike -
I’ve been eagerly checking here every morning to see the baby’s name lit across your blog post as the title, hoping each morning that I’d find her! Our baby (our newest granddaughter), who we thought was coming last week is now due tomorrow and I’m so excited. I visited with Mark and a very pregnant Lynn and little Zoe and Hannah Saturday afteroon and Zoe, who is 4, excitedly showed me the baby’s nursery all ready for the baby.
Hannah, who is 21 months and still in diapers, was more interested in turning the net “hamper” upside down on her head and playing with it!
As for those “aha!” moments - I had one just a couple of weeks ago that I’ve struggled over for nearly 30 years and it was a real “revelation.” I have to be totally honest about it, though, in that it was something I suddenly realized, as in “finally came to my senses” sort of feeling, about how I had always been to “churchy” and “preachy” and judgmental in my heart toward Tom, who I’ve known that many years and been married to for 16.
He was raised literally in a movie theater and led a completely, and somewhat opposite, childhood than I did yet I expected him to me just like ME? That was a rather dumb assertion on my part for 28 years! Duh! I just suddenly realized what all he IS and has been that I had been sorta overlooking. And I love him deeply and appreciate him for so many good and wonderful things, so it isn’t that I had discounted HIM - just HOW he is and that he is just as all right with God how he is as I am with God for how I am.
Anyway . . . how are we all going to find out about the baby unless you tell us? Who will and how long must we wait? I mean, that’s not fair either? Even my mom reads my blog and is always calling me to discuss what I’ve said and the rest of my family does, too, and would be hurt if I didn’t announce the baby tomorrow in my post, which you can be SURE I’m going to do! I mean - that’s glorious news for the world to know. A child has been born safely and healthly.
Make that healthy, not healthly! Good grief - I need more coffee!
After officially notifying family of the blessed event, please notify your blog family. I wondered about you and Diane all weekend.
Eagerly anticipating your good news of the little ones safe arrival.
I’m sure those 8th grade boys were very concerned about running out of clean underwear. To my knowledge none of the ACU Spring break campaigns were delayed - thank goodness.
Could you just kindly ask the “growing list of people who do NOT want to find out about the baby through the blog” to stop reading your blog until after they know she’s here?
Just kidding, sort of. Can’t wait to hear the great news!
Ah…to be in eigth grade and misssing school while stuck in WashingtonDC with good friends. Hope he is having a blast!
I’m fine with finding out about the new baby through the blog. A personal phone call really isn’t needed. Unless you just want to.
The “stranded” story reminds me of a Chapel announcement we had this morning. We had some prayer requests for various Spring Break campaigns that were stranded due to canceled flights…and one lone campaigner who had nobly offered to give up his seat on a flight out of Honolulu, leaving him with no choice but to remain at a Hilton in Hawaii at the airline’s expense. We were all overwhelmed with sympathy for him.
Oops, that should say “overbooked flight out of Honolulu.”
Stranded in DC! What a joy. One of my very favorite cities in these United States of America! May they continue to have a blast!
You and Diane need not worry. Your nest will never be completely empty. Your boys won’t let it be, and your grandbabies will be helping too.
Speaking of which - how in the world are we all going to find out about the babe child if you don’t make an announcement here. Maybe you need to set up a phone tree, so you and Diane don’t lose your voices repeating the joyful news. lol So phone and blog away with the new of grandbaby’s arrival!
It’s unlikely that you’ll get to stay in a zone like that. But when they it happens, you know that life can never be the same again.
And what joyous moments those are. They are, imho, the glue that holds us on course through the step-by-step, moment-by-moment more subtle formation.
I really would like to be in one of those 20/20 zones. But like you said, I reflect on the past 20 months, 2 weeks, and 3 days only to realize: I am closer than ever to God, I am closer than ever to my wife, I am a better father now than ever, and I am still sober. Maybe there really is something to this slow crawl, one day, one minute at a time stuff.
I’d have a heart attack if I found out about your grand-baby any way besides the blog!
Thanks for the comments near the end of this post. About life taking turns - the jolt, the 20/20, the transformation.
Our daughter Christine is married to Matt Pinson and as you know has been fighting health issues for years. She is pregnant with #2 and having some really serious health problems. Please add her to your prayer list!
And - we are praying for that granddaughter!
http://melindagayle.blogspot.com/
Mindy - I just left a note on your blog. Thanks for the update on your precious daughter. I’m in prayer for her this morning.
Alex - What a noble move by that brave student.