Category Archives: Family

Window sale tags

Family, Life

When you enter the front of our house, you walk into a two story foyer and see the steps on your left that go to the second floor. There is a set of three windows on the second floor that overlook the foyer and unless you focus on the second story windows, you really forget they are there.

The other night I was up on the second floor landing working on the air conditioner vent and while thinking about the vent, I was staring at these windows on the second floor. I don’t remember ever really looking at the windows except in passing. Well, as I was looking at the windows and the blinds, I noticed that there are big price tags hanging on each of the three window blinds. I don’t mean a little sticker. I am talking about a 3 inch by 2 inch hanging tag.

I started to laugh and called Elaine to come see. We have lived in this house for 16 years and never knew the tags were still hanging on 3 windows in our foyer. We have had countless parties, Christmas gathering and guests over the 16 years The funny thing is that once we saw the tags, now we see the tags every time we walk by the windows.

I started wondering how many things in my life and in other people’s lives have we walked by and just not seen what was in front of us. It could be tags on the windows or it could be something much more serious like a loved one who needs attention, help and connection.

It’s just a thought, but just maybe we all need to really pay attention to those around us and see the tags in our lives that have the words printed on it that says “look at me.” KT

Friday nights

Family, Life

Every family has one day of the week that is more special to them because of fond memories. My day is Friday.

When our girls were little, Friday was always the day we went out to eat as a family. There were other days but the Friday night dinner together seemed to be the constant weekly event for our family. It almost makes me tear up thinking about all those Friday nights with my bride and my babies and how we all looked forward to that evening. After dinner there was usually a movie and ice cream when we got home and even on occasion there was wrestling in floor before the movie started. Ha

Friday night was the night when daddy was always home and we always looked forward to Saturday morning pancakes. Friday nights were special and today they still are. Friday night is still date night for me and Elaine.

When the girls were small we were so in debt and so broke that Friday night was the one night where I was able put aside the stress of the world. I have vivid memories of saying prayers with the girls and maybe even singing this special little song we would always sing at bedtime. Those are the memories of a life time that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

To many people Sunday is that special day. Don’t get me wrong, it is a good day but for me, Sunday evenings always meant that Monday was coming and all the things I had to do would start again the next morning.

Elaine’s family always set aside Friday night as the family night as well. There were six children in her family and they would usually go eat at this one restaurant that had a big table in the back. I think those family memories are very special to Elaine and her siblings. They had this big station wagon that all the family could fit in and on Friday nights, they would all load up and go out to eat together.

Finding a time of the week to set aside for your family is a very important thing to do. It gives children structure, stability and helps them create memories that they will carry into the next generation. In that time of week, turn off Facebook, email, text and the cell phone and build memories that will last a life time. KT

Laying it in God’s hands

Career, Family, Life

This is a tough thing to do. For me it is but maybe not for you. We want to control the outcome and be in charge and make all the decisions.

At some point with our personal lives and our professional lives we need to learn how to lay it in God’s hands. That doesn’t mean you stop doing what you should be doing. It just means that once you have done all you can do, that’s really all you can do. It’s really not complicated. Difficult, but not complicated.

It is like the guy that prays for a job, lays it in God’s hands and then stops trying to find a job. That’s not how it works. There is a term called “putting feet to your prayer.” This means that just because you prayed over something and laid it in God’s hands that you can quit. It is more than that. It means that you try harder and believe harder that God will let his favor go before you and that his anointing will be on you.

I have often said that besides our salvation, all you need is his favor to get you there and then his anointing once you do.

It is like driving through the mountains around all the curves. You can’t see what is around the curve but you have the peace to know that you are in the right vehicle and on the right road. What is around the curve is God’s responsibility. Driving the car on the right road is your responsibility.

Jack Nicklaus is and was the greatest professional golfer of all time. He was being interviewed and he said that he never let himself believe how good he was. He always believed he was not doing the best he could and that he could do better. He said that once people start to believe that they have arrived, they quit trying to improve. He never let himself believe all the reporters and news articles that were written about him. And oh by the way, he held his life together and keep his principles and is and was a great family man and he didn’t let ego have a place in his life. That is a pretty good example.

Whatever you are struggling with, get in a quiet place and lay it in God’s hands and then go out and put feet to your prayer. KT

The greatest lesson for children

Family, Life

I believe the greatest lesson we can teach a child is self-esteem. Yes, if you could only teach them one thing, I believe teaching them their self-worth and self-esteem is the greatest objective parents should have.

Of course there are all kinds of other lessons like, be safe, think it through, choose your friends wisely, learn how to walk away and say no and the list could go on for 20 pages. We have all heard of parents that tell their children that they are worthless, lazy, not pretty and not smart and that they will never amount to anything. I believe there is a special place in hell for these type parents.

I was with my two granddaughters yesterday and they are like little sponges and they believe you and the trust what you say. My little granddaughters just like my grown daughters are frequently told that they are loved and that they are wonderfully made and a gift from God and that they will grow up to be fine women and tremendous leaders. I am sure there were things I didn’t teach my daughters but one thing is for sure. They never had to wonder if their daddy loved them and if he would protect them. I would have laid my life down in a heartbeat and still would to this day to save my babies.

When you interact with children, even if they are not your children, let them know that what they say is important and respected. Show them the respect and the example of how to act around them.

My daughters have never looked at themselves as being better than others. They treated other people the way they want to be treated.

A short story about both of my daughters.

My oldest daughter when she was in the first or second grade had a friend in school that she knew was in need. Even as young as she was, she knew. That Christmas she wanted to buy the little some clothes and we of course did and she wrapped the gifts and we took her to the little girl’s house so she could give the little girl her present. I watched my baby girl sit down with the little girl as she opened her present and as the little girl’s parents watched. She spoke so kind and so innocent to her friend. I cannot tell you in words how I had to hold back from crying while watching my little girl show love to her friend. The ride back home was really quiet because I couldn’t talk.

My youngest daughter was in high school and was dating this boy and they were with some friends and were eating at a Steak and Shake and this little black girl about 9 years old came to the table asking for money for a bus fare. The kids she was with kind of made fun of the little girl in front of my daughter. My daughter bowed her back up and treated the little girl with kindness and didn’t care what her friends thought. When she got home a little later she was crying and then told me what happened. She said daddy, we have to go find the little girl and help her. 5 minutes later we were in the car heading back to find the little girl. We unable to find her but it was our hope that she got on the bus and got home safe. As a daddy I watched my baby girl show love for someone else’s little girl and again, it was all I could do not to cry on the way home. That ride back home was also quiet because I couldn’t talk.

Children learn how to love and trust by their home life and they learn self-esteem by how they are loved.

Showing love and respect to a child teaches them self-worth and self-esteem and it will be ingrained in their personality for the rest of their lives. Never underestimate the impressions you are making to your children and the children around you. KT

Happy days

Career, Family, Life

Are you too burdened down with life to be happy?

I remember the show “Happy Days” staring Opie (Ron Howard) in his teen years. The show centered on a small town where everyone knew each other and everyone’s mortgage was always paid on time, the car never broke down, they lived in a beautiful house, dad had a job, mom and dad were still married and in the show there seemed to be this euphoric safe feeling that centered around joy and hope. There was no major family drama, no one died, no one got their heart broken and even the hamburgers and ice cream shakes at Arnold’s were always good.

It would be great if real life was like that show but it is not. We deal with issues such as financial, emotional, job, health and family. To some there are never happy days. To others they always find something to worry about that prevents the day from being happy. They carry the baggage and the load from day to day, week to week and relationship to relationship. To some that are dealing with real health issues, it is very understandable, but to others that have it all and still can’t find happiness, it is to these that I write this blog.

I have had friends that died early and others that have heart issues, health issues like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, financial issues and the list can go on. I believe we all really need to step back and realize what the gift of time really means. It means that you have today and you have right now. Elaine and I just got back from Alaska on a land excursion and a 7 day cruise and I read last week about those 9 people on a cruise that died on a float plane excursion. We took a small airplane on our trip as well. I think of the families and friends that were left behind after those 9 people died. Obviously they expected to take off in that plane and come back safe with stories, pictures and memories to tell. They didn’t get any of those 3 things.

We were at church Sunday and there is this gentlemen that welcomes everyone and he is probably in his late 30’s and it in a wheelchair. He is always a joy to talk to and always seems upbeat and happy to be there. Many of us that go to church, go to church burdened with life to the point that we cannot find happiness. We go in with long faces and come out with long faces.

The point is this; God help us to find joy and happiness while we still have a choice. Take an inventory of your life and ask yourself “should I be happy?” or is there a real reason I should not. Many if not most of us, should be happy. By choice, we choose not to see the hope for the future that should be all of ours.

I don’t know what your future holds any more than I know what mine holds. I do know who holds our future and I do know that he tells us to live life abundantly. One could interpret this writing to say “live life abundantly while you can.” KT