The day I didn’t say “I do”

Even out of focus that girl is good lookin!

Eight years ago today, I didn’t say “I do.”  The funny thing is, Keelie and I didn’t even realize it until a few days into the honeymoon.  I did something that irked Keelie, and I retorted with something along the lines of “Hey! You said ‘I do,’ so now you’re stuck with me!”  Then I stopped and thought back on the service and realized “Hey wait! I didn’t say ‘I do.’ Did you say ‘I do?” I never did!”

Awkward…

Well, in fact, we are legally married, there was no “Woops! We forgot the important part!”  I never said “I do,” because there was no question to respond to.  Dale, the pastor who did our wedding, didn’t ask me if I would take this woman to be my wife; to love, honor, and cherish etc.  Instead, he had me say the vows after him.  So, I never said “I do.”  What I said was

I, Austin, take thee, Keelie, to be my wedded wife; to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part according to God’s holy ordinance. With this ring, I thee wed, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

I take those vows very seriously.  Keelie and I have always had a long view on marriage.  We were more interested in having a lasting marriage than an awesome wedding.  Granted, we had an awesome wedding, but that wasn’t the goal.  The wedding was not the destination, it was actually the launch pad.

Over the last few months, there has been a lot in the news about the final voyages of NASA’s space shuttles.  There is a lot of noise about the launches, lots of emphasis on the last launch of this shuttle or that.  What I haven’t heard much about is what the astronauts are doing up there after the launch.  But I can guarantee one thing: NASA knows what they’re doing!  NASA knew what they were going to be doing a couple of years ago.  They weren’t doing all that training for the “big day” in front of all the cameras.  The launch was important, and it was great to celebrate, but the launch isn’t the goal, it’s the starting point.

Pastor Mark Driscoll said in a sermon one time that the most important day of your marriage is not the first day, but the last day.  Will the last day of your marriage come as it falls apart in adultery or divorce?  Or will it come instead when one or both of you dies, after years of strong marital commitment?  I pray for the latter for my marriage.  I pray that by God’s grace, my marriage will continue to grow in understanding, commitment, and passion.

Interestingly, this weekend, I sat down for the first session of the first pre-marital counseling for the first couple I will ever be able to marry.  My prayer for this couple, as well as any couple I have the privilege of marrying – indeed for every couple I meet – is that they will have this long view of marriage.  That they would not worry about just getting through that special day and saying “I do.”  Rather, I pray that they will live out their vows daily, and seek to honor Christ with their marriage.

We need a Hero

This weekend is all about heroes – American men and women who sacrificed their lives to protect the vulnerable.  We love heroes.  We write stories about them, and we sing about them.

Hannah was a woman in need of a hero.  Her story is found in 1 Samuel.  If you read verses 1-20, you’ll see that she’s a godly woman who is in a vulnerable position, in need of a hero.  As a woman without a son, she was in a dangerous position in her culture.  If her husband, Elkanah, died, she would have no one to care for her.  This was especially true in a time period where “everyone did what was right in their own eyes.”

So, who might step up to the challenge of being the hero in Hannah’s story?  Well, there was a woman in Hannah’s life…

Peninnah – The Thanksgiving Trasher

Peninnah was the rival wife of Elkanah.  You see, v. 2 tells us of the troubling situation – Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.  Hannah was most likely the first wife of Elkanah, but the Lord closed her womb, and so Elkanah set about finding a child-bearing wife.  This puts Peninnah in an awful spot.  Hannah obviously gets all the love and attention, while Peninnah gets to deliver children.  So, she naturally takes out her pain on Hannah.  She irritates and provokes her non-stop, especially at the annual holiday trip to Shiloh.  She is so good at her poking and prodding that she ruins Hannah’s appetite every year.

An interesting statement is made in v. 6.  It says that Peninnah would provoke Hannah because the Lord had closed her womb.  Be careful what you mock and belittle in someone else’s life.  You might find yourself mocking the very work of God in their life.

Well, Peninnah certainly isn’t going to stand up for Hannah, but there was a man in Hannah’s life…

Elkanah – The Huxtable Dad

You remember The Cosby Show right?  If not, here.  You’re welcome.  Dr. Huxtable was a great husband and father who occasionally put his foot in his mouth.  This is Elkanah.  He’s a godly dad who takes his family to worship God and learn about Him.  He keeps the Old Testament sacrifices.  He provides for his family.  He obviously loves Hannah, and even is in tune somewhat with her emotions.  He see she’s upset, and asks her, “Hannah, why are you crying? Why won’t you eat? Why are you troubled?”

Good man, Elkanah!  Way to look out for your wife.  You’ve taken an interest in her well-being and you’re seeking her comfort!  Should have stopped there!

He goes on, “Am I not better to you than 10 sons?”  Ya know, maybe he was even right, but it was the wrong time to be right!  Thankfully, there was a spiritual leader in Hannah’s life…

Eli – The Short-sighted Priest

Hannah’s had a rough day.  She’s pouring her heart out to God, in God’s temple, and here comes the priest, Eli, to save the day.  Wait, what did he say?  Sorry Hannah!  He thinks you’re sloppy drunk!  Instead of reaching out in love and concern for this obviously broken woman, Eli jumps to conclusions and condemns her instead.  Commentator Robert Bergen says Eli “was a man who watched lips instead of perceiving hearts.”

Folks, we have to be careful how we treat people.  You never know, you might be seeing someone on the worst day of their life.  Instead of sizing up someone’s appearance, putting them into one of our preconceived boxes, and declaring ourselves better, we can reach out in love and concern.

Thankfully, Hannah went straight to the only one who could truly help her in her time of need…

The Lord – The True Hero

God heard her prayer!  Hannah knew this, because she got up from that intense time of pouring out her soul to God and she was no longer sad.  The next day, she got up and worshiped the Lord, before the answer to the prayer came!  She found her comfort in God’s presence and listening ear, not just in getting what she asked for.  Hannah knew by the end of her prayer that God was her Hero and would provide for and protect her.

Today, in life after the Cross, Jesus is our True Hero.  He steps up to defend us.  In our natural state, we are absolutely vulnerable.  We are dead in our sin.  We are completely unable to help ourselves, and yet Jesus came and sacrificed Himself for us.  He defends the vulnerable, He protects the weak, He is our Hero!

Passing through

I was born in Richmond, came to life in Chesapeake, went to college in Lynchburg, served in Bassett & Crewe. Virginia born and bred, I’m now North Carolina bound. I love this Commonwealth, AND it’s weather. To all the fair-weather Virginians loving the warmth who were cursing the fickle weather last week I say- love all of her. After all, she is an Old Dominion…

I posted this on my Facebook status earlier today because I saw all the people celebrating the 70-80° weather we’re experiencing today.  The old saying here in Virginia is “Welcome to Virginia! Don’t like the weather? Wait five minutes!”  So naturally, the same folks who have been touting the wonderful southern weather of Virginia were also cursing the hot flashes our commonwealth was going through last week.  We were in the 60’s one day -wearing short sleeves, and in the 30’s the next – back in our coats.

So, I thought I would declare my love for the Old Dominion state, and her fickle weather, for all to see on Facebook.  (Didn’t I just say yesterday this wasn’t going to be “bash Facebook” week?)  As I was writing that simple status update though, I got a bit misty because I realized that within the next few weeks, I will no longer be a resident of Virginia.

For those who aren’t connected to me on Facebook, I just announced that I will be taking a new position at Hillmon Grove Baptist in Cameron, North Carolina.  I’m excited about the things God has in store, but it’s dawning on me, perhaps for the first time, that I will no longer live in my home state.  This struck me as odd, because I’ve moved around all my life.  I went to three different schools the first three years I went to school!  I’ve forgotten more phone numbers than most people have ever had.  But, no matter where I’ve lived, it’s always been in Virginia.  Not anymore…

My beautiful wife once told me while we were dating that if we were to be married, her home would be wherever I am.  She was so right!  We’ve been married almost 8 years now, and we’ve lived in a spare bedroom, an apartment at a children’s camp, a four-plex apartment, our first purchased home, and a parsonage!  Keelie is my constant.

All that to say this: North Carolina is not my home.

But ya know what?  Virginia is not my home either.  As emotional as this time might be, it’s not devastating because I know that ultimately I’m just passing through.  I’ve spent just shy of thirty years in Virginia as a sojourner, a foreigner, a stranger in a strange land.  Like Abraham of old, I’m looking ahead.

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. ~Hebrews 11:8-10

I named my second son Tripp, to remind him and our whole family that this world is not our home.  We’re just on a trip.  We are passing through this dying world, and our citizenship lies in the New Jerusalem.

We live in this world.  We serve here.  We love the people here.  We seek the good of the city in which we live.  But ultimately, we are ambassadors of a Great King, and one day we will go home to His great Kingdom.  Just as Keelie said that I am her home, so it is true the where God is, that must be our home. Heaven is not great because the streets are golden and the gates are pearly. Heaven is great because Jesus is there!

Because of this, we do not hold to this world’s standards.  We subscribe to the values of our King.  We do not hold too tightly to anything that cannot make the journey home with us, for we are just passing through.

If you deny Him on Facebook…

“I believe in Jesus Christ. One Facebooker has challenged all believers to put this on their wall. The Bible says, if you deny Me in front of your peers, I will deny you in front of my Father. If you love God and you are not afraid to show it, re-post this. I proudly did, will you?”

“Can anyone tell me why it is so hard for people to pray, but easy to swear? Why it is so hard to re-post a Christian status, but easy to post gossip? Why we can worship a celebrity, but not Jesus? Gonna ignore this? Most of you won’t re-post this. The Lord said, “If you deny me in front of your friends, I will deny you…in front of my father.” I posted. Will you?”

Alright, I promise this is not going to turn into a “bash Facebook” week or anything, but it just so happens that another pet-peeve of mine popped up on my feed again today.  This post has been a long time coming, and I’ve actually begun writing it several times.  I’ve hit around this issue before (see: Keeping the Christ in X-mas and Tithe If You Love Jesus), and the pet-peeve is that we as Christians sometimes think that by simply copying and pasting something into our Facebook status or forwarding on an email we are somehow proving our allegiance to Jesus.

This is completely absurd, and totally wrong.

I suppose if we can have Christian music, Christian fiction, Christian mints, and Christian phone books, why not Christian slacktivism?  (By the way, don’t get me started on all the other categories I just mentioned!  Hmmm… mental note about future posts…)  You see, here’s the problem: we’ve somehow gotten the mistaken idea that just because someone gives the digital equivalent of a triple-dog-dare to re-post a Christian status update that we are now somehow denying Jesus if we don’t!  So, feeling guilty, we go ahead and re-post and mentally claim a victory for the Lord.  We think that this somehow counts as serving Jesus.

Let me put it in another light – If you didn’t re-post the status, would your friends have no idea that you’re a Christian?  If you have to re-post a cliche, trite Christian status update in order to prove to your friends that you are a Christian, you need to re-evaluate your words and conduct on the days you don’t copy and paste.  More importantly, if your friends would be surprised to see such a claim to be a follower of Jesus in your status based on your usual updates and pics, it’s time to repent.

You know what might speak louder to our Facebook friends about our relationship with Jesus Christ?  If our everyday updates, pics, notes, and links declared our faith.  And I’m not talking about inserting a Bible verse or a pro-Jesus statement just to show off our faith.  I’m talking about a relationship with Jesus that is so vital and vibrant that it simply gushes out of us.

Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.  Matthew 12:34

Let’s not try to make up for a lukewarm life with a few strokes of the keys and clicks of the mouse.  Let’s live lives that declare our Christian faith so boldly that we don’t have to worry about defending it.

 

Update:

A commenter asked about the “if you deny me in front of your friends” passage quoted above. It is found in Matthew 10:26-33. It’s actually slightly misquoted (perhaps to make it fit Facebook all the better) in that it is about denying Jesus in front of “men” not “friends.”  As I mentioned in my response to that comment,  the issue Jesus is discussing is that following Him is a public act. It may cost me my reputation, my standing in society, or even my life to follow Jesus, but I cannot deny that He is my Lord no matter what the cost. To do so, would be to prove that He is, in fact, not my Lord, and therefore He would deny me as I have denied Him.

Which animal/storm/Disney character/shade of green/cheese are you?

Thanks to the wonders of modern psychology and technology, I can now stop wondering which Twilight character I am, how sexy my name is (by percentage), how many children I will have, when I’ll die and how, what my ideal job is, which supernatural animal I am, and yes even what I was born for!

Now, I can hear you clambering already, “Where can I access this amazing information?! Why have you held this all back from us?! How many of my first-born children and/or arms and legs can I have the privilege of giving to know the answer to these questions?!”  Well, look no further, for I will reveal to you the secret depository of this compendium of astounding knowledge and insight…

Facebook survey apps

Yes, with a few clicks (and the surrender of access to certain personal information) you too can know who you truly are.  But be warned!  Once you begin to peel back the onion layers of your deepest identity, you may be hooked!  You may decide to delve deeper into your psyche and even your very soul.  You never used to wonder which type of apple you are (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Fuji, or Steve Jobs), but now you do!  By George, your entire future may hinge on the insights revealed by knowing which hyena from The Lion King you are!

You may find yourself fifteen surveys in before you realize the irreparable damage you’ve done to your friends’ news feeds!

Obviously, these surveys are a pet-peeve of mine.  I’ve mocked them from my own status box before, but today I realized something deeper about these insidious little surveys.

We all want to know who we are.

Friend, let me tell you that your identity is not wrapped up in an eight-question survey written by a thirteen-year-old.  Your identity – who you truly are – is rooted in who God says you are.  He is your Maker, He is your King (whether you acknowledge it or not), and He is the source of your value and worth.  Look at what the Bible says about your value:

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

If you’re a human being, you’re created by God!  You are a work of art by a Master Craftsman.  Not only were you created by God, but you are thought of by God.  God thinks about you!

You are the way you are because God formed you and crafted you.  You have value and worth because God says you do.  Look to Him for your identity and worth.

Like a kid

Were you a jumper?

Were you the kid at the playground that jumped off the merry-go-round while it was whirling at top speed?  The kid who back flipped off the swing?  The kid who had to get on top of the monkey bars?

Did you ever have that moment where you had to just trust your dad when he said, “Jump! I’ll catch you!”  Whether it was off the monkey bars, or into the pool, there was that exhilaration you felt when you jumped out into the unknown, and the rush of security you felt when dad’s big strong hands caught your little body.

When we’re kids, we trust.  Now, I don’t know your dad, so I won’t assume anything.  However, we all had that one person in our lives that we put that absolute trust in as a kid.  If my dad said jump, I knew I could jump.  If my big brother said something was cool, it was cool with no questions asked.

Jesus spoke of this kind of truth in Mark 10:13-16.

¹³ People were bringing little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” ¹⁶ And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.

Kids trust.

There is a sense of pure wonder, love, and trust in the heart of child.  God wants this same kind of trust from us.  We can know that if our Father says, “Jump!” that He’ll catch us.  This is how we enter the Kingdom of God – not with our skills, our knowledge, our impressive contributions – but with simple child-like trust and faith.

Jesus comes to us, knowing we have nothing to offer, and offers us everything.  We respond with simple, pure faith… like a kid.

Looking for my fire and cloud

By day the LORD went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Exodus 13:21

I often wish that I was alive during various biblical times. I’d love to be able to see some of the amazing things that God’s people of old saw. I’d love to have a pillar of fire or smoke leading me and my family every step of the way.

But when reading these stories, we have to remember that not everyone in the Bible got this kind of guidance.  What about the parents and grandparents of the Exodus generation?  Those who suffered under Pharaoh without ever seeing God’s deliverance, without ever seeing the fire or cloud, without ever meeting Moses?

Jesus told Thomas that he believed because He had seen, but that there would come those later who would believe without seeing, and they would be blessed (John 20:29). I take heart in this because as  a New Testament believer, I walk by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

Of course I would like to have a clear tangible sign sometimes, but step by step I’m learning to trust in what I cannot see.

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see Hebrews 11:1

Coffee, coffee everywhere, but not a drop to drink!

But godliness with contentment is great gain. (1 Timothy 6:6)

I’m at home sick today for the third day in a row.  Now, Monday is usually my day off anyway, but to spend it sick is no fun.  To make matters worse, I went to make my second cup of coffee this morning, and remembered an important fact: I used the last of my sugar on my first cup.  So, I currently have a pot of warm coffee on a cold day, but I can’t drink any of it.

Isn’t it ironic?  Dontcha think?

But here’s the bright side: my beautiful wife is at the store right now doing the first-of-the-month shopping, and sugar is on the list!  The worst I have to bear is a few hours without sugar.  Let’s imagine the situation was worse, and I hadn’t budgeted my sugar usage to get to the end of the month.  Worst-case scenario, maybe I go a few days without sugar, and that’s if I don’t borrow some from a neighbor.

In the millisecond between realizing I was out of sugar and thus couldn’t have my beloved coffee and the ensuing pity party one might expect from a grown man who has the sickies, a reassuring thought hit me.

At least I’m only out of sugar.

You see, God has been teaching me a lot about thankfulness and contentment in the last couple of years.  He’s been showing me how much I truly have.  No matter how tight things have gotten, my family has not gone hungry.  We’ve had clothes to keep us warm, an amazing home to live in, great health and access to healthcare.  I may have pined away about being without ice cream on a given evening.  My kids may have whined about not having all the action figures they wanted.  But we have never gone without the real necessities.

I mentioned that I’m sick today.  The reason I’m sick is that my whole family has been sick since Wednesday.  One by one, we fell prey to some upper-respiratory villain.  My youngest son was the first.  He got it the worst: fever, throwing up, coughing, the whole thing.  After a few days of monitoring, my wife took him to the doctor.  They gave us some medicine, told us what to watch for, and we’ve been doing so with the whole family since then.  Many of us wouldn’t even think twice about something like this.

When I went to Romania, I met several people who were suffering with illnesses of varying severity who had little to no access to healthcare.  One of the great prayers I heard lifted up among the Țigani people was that God would give them enough branches.  I didn’t understand at first, until I realized that they were asking God to provide them with enough scrap wood to burn to keep their homes warm during the cold winter months.

There are those in other parts of the world – even in our own back yard – who have similar or even worse problems.  There are those who cannot even get clean water to drink, let alone coffee.

So, praise God that I’m out of sugar today.  Thank God that I still have a healthy family, a warm house, and food to eat!  Thank you, God for providing for my needs in such an abundant way that I might be able to be generous to others.  Help me, Lord, to help others.

Especially those who can’t help themselves.

As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever.”

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God. (2 Corinthians 9:9-11)

Rise up and call her blessed!

Psalm 128:1-4

¹ Blessed are all who fear the LORD,
who walk in obedience to him.
² You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
⁴ Yes, this will be the blessing
for the man who fears the LORD.

In an effort to instill in my boys a sense of love and respect for their mother, as well as a sense of security that their mommy and daddy love each other, I will occasionally break out into some kind of spontaneous public display of affection.  For example, I might say “Boys, isn’t your momma beautiful!”  Or if the misses and I are exchanging a quick kiss, I might decide to point it out – “Corbin, Tripp! I’m kissin your momma!”  Since my boys are five and four, they still find this amusing and sweet, brandishing those little smiles of theirs.  I’m sure one day, this same kind of display will elicit different reactions from my boys.

Gross dad!  Yall love each other, we get it!  Cut it out!

So, this morning I was sitting at the breakfast table with the family, and was reminded of something Mark Driscoll pointed out in the parenting section of his book Trial: 8 Witnesses from 1&2 Peter. He quotes the reference in Psalm 128 to wives and children, saying that this comes to his mind every time he sits down at the table to eat.  This morning, I was struck by my wife’s beauty, and decided to engage in some pastoral parenting.  Here’s the rundown:

Me: Tripp, you know what I love?

Tripp: What?

Me: (putting my hand on Keelie’s arm) THIS GIRL!

Tripp: (pointing enthusiastically at his mommy) I love her TOO!

Corbin: (hugging his mommy) MOMMY!

Sometimes we’re loud at the table.

I’m sure all of this made Keelie feel appreciated and loved.  It also made me feel pretty good about my efforts to teach my boys to love and respect their mom.  Like the husband of Proverbs 31:28-29, I want to set the example in my home of praising my wife.  I want my children to grow up treasuring their mother, and aware of all that she does for them.

How about you, husband?  How about you, dad?  Have you told your wife lately how much you love and appreciate her?  Have you told her in front of the kids?  Why not send her an email or text right now?  Why not embarrass your teenagers when you get home tonight by kissing her in front of them?  Compliment her cooking, and ask the kids what they think.

Cherish your wife, and learn all you can about her, and honor her (1 Peter 3:7), and do so in front of the kids.

The Original Dirt Ball

image courtesy of Penny Mathews at sxc.hu/profile/ZoofyTheJi

So, yesterday I mentioned that one of my goals this year was to start a family worship time in my home.  We’re off to a great start so far, and I thought I’d share some of the experience we’ve had so, including what is probably going to go down as the funniest moment at our dinner table in 2011. I’ve wanted to start a family worship time for years, ever since my Marriage and Family course in seminary where my professor taught me about it for the first time.  You see, I didn’t grow up in a church-going home and had never even heard of such a thing as worshiping with your family in your home.  The problem, then, was that I didn’t know how to do a family worship time, so it kinda fell by the wayside.  A few weeks ago, I was listening to a sermon on Mark Driscoll’s podcast and he referenced a book that could be downloaded to accompany his 1&2 Peter series that included questions for use during family devotions.  I downloaded it, and thankfully it included a how-to section starting on page 68.  It seemed like a good pattern, so we’re using it. Now, one major change we made is the reading plan.  Obviously, we don’t attend Mars Hill Church and don’t listen to the sermons as a family, so some of the punch is lost.  I opted instead to use Zondervan’s 180 Day Guided Tour of the Bible.  This gives us a plan to our reading so we don’t sit down to dinner and say “What do you wanna do tonight?” “Oh, I dunno, what do you wanna do tonight?”

I like this plan because it will take us through the highlights of the Bible in six months.  After that, I’ll consider where we want to head next as a family and create a new plan.

Today was day 2 of our new habit, and we’re off to an amazing start.  I started out today, like I’ve done every Sunday for the last year or so, by asking the kids what they learned in Sunday School.  This helps me to know what my boys are learning, review it to help them retain it, and clear up any misunderstandings they may have had.  Then, we moved into our Bible reading for the day, which was Genesis 2.

I read the passage, and then started asking basic questions.

• What did we read about? Adam and Eve
• Where did Adam come from? God created Adam
• What did God make Adam out of? Dust/dirt

Here’s where it got fun.

I made a quick little quip that Adam was a dirtball, and my 5-year old fell apart!  He started laughing one of those laughs that only he can do, and he only laughs this way when he’s been particularly amused.  He laughed like this for a good thirty seconds!  I looked at my wife, and she lost it!  I couldn’t take it anymore, and started laughing hysterically.  Our 4-year old, of course, was already laughing quite loudly.  We all laughed for a couple of minutes, and it was the best fun we’ve had in a long time.

Now, it took some doing to get back to the point, and I was careful not to force it.  In fact, I almost gave up on any more attempts to be serious, but it eventually came back around, with some snickering and smiles sprinkled throughout.  It was great, we had fun and had a lot of biblical conversation as well.  I made the comment to Keelie that this is exactly as it should be, enjoying each other.

What do you do for family worship?  Have you done anything that worked particularly well?  Anything that bombed?  Do you have a fun story to share?  Leave your feedback in the comments below.