February 27, 2011

Anna Rose, Dave Dave, and I were on a run. Nothing too unusual about that. We have been on hundreds of runs together the last couple of years.

Anna Rose as usual was trying to carry on a conversation with me. We were turning onto Hertford when she said, "Is Kristiana's Grandma in Tell?" (Her way of saying the H word) I said, "I don't know. I never had a conversation with her. Jesus says we can't know for sure if anyone is going there because nobody can know what's really going on inside another person. But, if you ask Jesus in your heart, then you can be sure that you are going there."

She thought a moment. I turned onto Doncaster. She said, "Really bad people go to Tell. If you're bad a little you go to Heaven." I said, "That's not true. Really, bad people can go to Heaven if they ask Jesus into their hearts. He can forgive them if they ask for it. What gets you into Heaven is not whether you are good or bad but whether you have Jesus in your heart or not."

She had to think about that. We turned onto Yorkshire. She asked, "How do I ask Jesus in my heart?"

I said, "Well, it's sort of like inviting people to your birthday party. We can write Jesus an invitation if you want when we get back home."

She sat there and started talking so I couldn't hear her.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Asking Jesus in my heart," she said.

I stopped the jog stroller. "Did you really just ask Jesus in your heart?"

"Well, I talked to him in my mind." She stopped. "Jesus, please come into my heart," she said. She giggled.

I gave her a huge hug. "That's awesome Anna Rose. I asked Jesus in my heart too. We'll be in heaven together!"

We ran over to the Craig's house. (It's not exactly their house, long story, for the sake of this one I won't get into it). And Anna Rose told her friend Mac. Turns out, he asked Jesus into his heart too! It's going to be a party!

Last night, I asked Anna Rose if it was OK if I told some friends about her decision. She said, "Yes." I put it on video for her. That's what's above.

You should have seen her face this morning when she saw all those people cheering for her...

The Bible says there's a million angels up in heaven doing the same.

For Mom with Love

Here is a talk I gave a couple weeks ago. It is actually a re-recording because I forgot to record it the first time and I promised my mother that she didn't need to fly down for it because I would record it...and then I didn't! So a week later I re-recorded it in my office. A lesson learned the hard way. Anyway, here you go mom. I love you.

Cut and paste the link below or go to hopepresws.com and navigate through.

http://www.hopepresws.com/components/com_sermonspeaker/media/sermons/2011/20110213.mp3

True Grit

On July 9, 2006, Anna Rose took over my world. We have spent a lot of time together the last four and a half years. And I wouldn't necessarily say that I have loved every minute of it, but I can say that I have loved her every minute of it.

She is sensitive and sweet and fun and funny and creative and smart and pretty and thoughtful and caring and obsessive compulsive and intense and emotional and cute and precise and dainty and into princesses and ponies and dolls and jewelry and tutus.

I had in mind that since I was going to spend a lot time with her that I could nurture her into something more gritty. I planned on a tomboy. I got a ballerina. And I've gotten over it. I'm getting over it. There is something that happens to a father when their daughter dresses up for the first time that makes never watching a football game with her all right.

But I think yesterday we might have had a breakthrough. Hope is not lost. It started with the soccer uniform. We signed A-Ro up for U5 soccer this spring. She put on that jersey and something happened. It was like a transformation. We got home and all she wanted to do was kick things. She did wear her draw string around her neck, but hey, in a way that was part of the coolness. She didn't care how she looked. We held off on her afternoon quiet time and played two halves a soccer in the back yard. She wore that jersey until bath time.

But I knew something changed when Anna Rose ran up to me later and told me with pride: "Daddy, I just skimmed both knees and I didn't cry!" It was unbelievable. She normally cries over the thought of mosquito bites. She said, pointing to her legs: "My one knee's green and my other knee's brown." I said, "That's awesome!" We high-fived and ran back to playing.

Later that night, I performed minor surgery on her hand. She had gotten two splinters on Wednesday and had been hiding the fact until I noticed last night. She had not wanted me to see them because she was afraid it would hurt when I pulled them out. Yesterday, she said, "Daddy, it's OK. We can leave them. They don't hurt very much any more." Poor girl.

I said, "Well, whether they hurt or not, I'm taking them out tomorrow." (Part of what I've learned about myself is that I struggle with watching my little girl cry. I've realized and fully admit, that my actions have been part of the girliness problem. By my behavior, I have aided and abetted my daughter's pretty princess of a personality.) I confess I prayed before I went to bed that those splinters might find their way out for themselves over night.

They didn't. So last night I put A-Ro on the counter and set to work. And to my utter astonishment, not only did Anna Rose not cry, she watched! She was proud of the hole in her hand that remained. And when the second one required some digging, she didn't squirm. It was a clear a change had taken place. My little girl...my beautiful little girl was tough. I have never been more proud.

Watch out world. Here comes A-Ro.

DAVE DAVE

February 9, 2009

February 10, 2009

Late February 2009

March 2009

April 2009

May 2009

June 2009

July 2009

August 2009

September 2009

Late September 2009

Early October 2009

October 2009

Halloween 2009

November 2009

December 2009

January 2010

Birthday 1

February 9, 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

Late June 2010

August 2010

September 2010

October 2010

Halloween 2010

November 2010

December 2010

Christmas 2010

January 2010

Birthday 2

February 9, 2011

Happy Birthday Dave Dave. I love you!

R U Ready 4 Dis?

The short answer, No.

She used to be a baby. She used to be a toddler. Now, she is...well, the scary thing is she is going to be a woman and there is nothing I can do to stop it.

This weekend I took her to Chick-fil-a for their daddy daughter date night. The food was chick-fil-a, in other words fried/delightful. We had a cute daddy/daughter kind of conversation. I got her flowers. We went to the mall and road the merry-go-round afterwards. We stayed out past bedtime.

But I made one mistake. The day before we got some perfume samples in the newspaper. I was like, hey, I'll let A-Ro put it on for our daddy/daughter date. She thought that was a great idea. But I'll tell you I was not prepared for a little girl to smell like that. She came running up to me with a hug and I almost fell over.

Not from the velocity but the fragrance. It was WAY to grown up. I'm not ready for a fragrance like that. To tell you the truth, I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready for a fragrance like that.

It was a slow down moment if I ever had one.

I've got to savor this while it lasts.

The pink and the cartoons and the costumes and the stuffed animals and the hugs and the kisses and the fact she thinks I'm a great dad, the fact she still calls me daddy...

I was reminded by that whiff, it'll be over too soon and before I know it.

I love you A-Ro. Always have, always will. Let's leave the future in the future and keep the perfume on the shelf, a little longer, for my sake. Please. I'm not ready.