At least that’s the short version I tell people to fulfill my part of the unspoken social contract. You know the one. You get that cheesy grin with a slap on the shoulder while they ask (not really caring about the answer;) “so, how do you like being a dad?”

This is the long answer.

Listening to your child scream its head off because it has gas is nerve-wracking. You do everything you can possibly think of: pats on the back, rocking, bouncing, bobbing, even interpretive dance routines until you finally give in to begging. Of course, the baby doesn’t understand begging, but sometimes the wife takes pity on you and uses her ultimate pacifier.

I promise this post is not about nursing.

Watching your child learn is fascinating. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly they pick up on things. This serves as a reminder that we’re always being watched in some form or fashion. We’re always going to be an example to someone in our lives. Every day someone is learning from the things you do and how you do them. It could be small, like using a sauce cup at a fast food restaurant properly. Or it could be huge, like how to treat each other with love and respect.

Having a child completely trust you and sleep with confidence on your chest is frightening, and at the same time peaceful and strengthening. Maybe it’s the oxytocin being emitted, but it’s easy to feel like you can (and would) do anything to protect that child. Plus the naps are awesome.

Walking hand in hand with your child during simple errands like getting the mail is eye-opening. They walk proudly, chest puffed out because they’re getting to do big kid errands with daddy. To you this is just another boring adult task. To them, it’s the world.

Your child settling into your lap while you’re reading the Bible to them is energizing. They are learning good habits at an early age, and you know you’re part of the reason they’re doing it.

Seeing your child fail at a task time after time and get upset is frustrating. You just want to step in and do it for them, but know that encouragement is better for them.

Finally having a second child is like a New Game+, unpredictable even though you’ve been through it all before. You’re starting the game over with more experience, but the game has changed and all that experience only helps you to survive instead of getting wiped out.

There you have it. Being a dad is nerve-wracking, fascinating, frightening, peaceful, strengthening, eye-opening, energizing, frustrating, and unpredictable. Plus about a thousand other adjectives that could fill the whole of the internet and not be completed.

In short, being a dad is amazing, and I love every minute of it.

I’ve never met someone that likes the sound of their own voice.

I’m not saying that there aren’t people that do, just that they’re few and far between.

I’m a special case, however, because not only do I hate the sound of my voice, (I feel like I sound like I’m a five year old with a really bad chest cold) I also hate the ‘sound’ of my own writing — most of the time that is. There are some days I hate it more than others.

Today is one of those days apparently. It seems that everything I type just falls flat when I go back and re-read it. I’ve actually started trying to write about two different topics in the span of the past hour, but deleted it because I felt I was just babbling on rather than getting to the point.

Because of this I decided if my writing kept coming out like babble, I’ll go ahead and babble. This is my blog after all. I’d rather write babble than cop out and not write anything. However, I won’t be addressing the two topics I’d started tonight because I want to do them justice. Instead I’ll just be writing about writing.

I’m only four days in and I’m discovering that while writing itself is hard work; coming up with topics is even harder. This doesn’t mean I’m giving up. Far from it. Instead it makes me more determined. I should probably spend an hour or so just brainstorming ideas for blog fodder later.

Alright I just gave myself a goal of 500 words tonight, so I’ve got about 200 to go.

I need to pick up writing on my book again soon. But first I need to get a rough outline of the events of the book or else none of the characters will get where they’re going. I have a good idea for the beginning and end, but the middle is questionable. Without a journey you’ll never get to your destination.

The journey IS the story anyway. Without it every story would be the same, and be extraordinarily short. “Once upon a time, they lived happily ever after.” How boring. Where’s the sports? Where’s the twue wuv and mawwiage?

Argyle, a good friend of mine that runs the XP bonus blog wrote a story once that began with the end and ended with the beginning. While the journey and destination were switched, there was still a journey involved. He did a great job with it and I’ll see if he doesn’t mind if I post it here later. (Does that get me out of posting for that day?)

I just officially nodded off while writing so I suppose I should close this out and go to bed. So here are your discussion questions for the day. Talk amongst yourselves.

Questions:

Do you like the sound of your voice?

What are some interesting blog topics you’d like to see me cover?

I’m SO excited about the upcoming release of the new X-Box!

…

Wait, should that be in sarcasm green?

Monday tragedy struck Moore, Oklahoma in the form of a massive tornado. Major news networks report that the death toll is around 24, 9 of which are children.

This disaster has affected a great number of people, and we as Christians should be one of the groups that are affected by it the most. After all one of the major threads in the Bible is growing during the struggles life throws at us.

1 Peter 1:6-7
New King James Version (NKJV)
6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

James 1:2-3
New King James Version (NKJV)
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

I’d like to think that Christians can learn from trials whether or not we’re directly associated with them. Lets take a moment and look at a few thoughts on what we can learn from tragedies like this.

1. Life is precious and very fragile.

Psalm 139:14
New King James Version (NKJV)
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.

I snagged the picture above from a Facebook post that happened to pop up on my feed. Whether this picture was staged Divinely or by the photographer, the simple message comes across loudly. Things aren’t important. Lives are.

God has created us in His image and He has a purpose for each person. We need to make sure we do not take for granted those around us. Everyone we come in contact is a precious soul and we need to see them as such. Their salvation is just as important to God as yours is.

2 Peter 3:9
New King James Version (NKJV)
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

That person that just cut you off in traffic and flipped you off, or that co-worker that spends his evenings soused and his days making you do his job because he’s too hung over to be coherent? God wants them in His fold. Despite their flaws we need to let them know just how much they mean to God. Despite their choices and problems in life God still sent Jesus for them as well as you.

Romans 5:8
New King James Version (NKJV)
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This is a lesson I have to keep telling myself every time I get frustrated with the people around me.

We never know when something like a tornado may take them, or us away from this life. That brings me to:

James 4:14
New King James Version (NKJV)
14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away

Life is short. Eternity is forever. We need to make certain that we have our lives right with Christ.

2. Don’t just pray, GIVE.

James 2:15-16
New King James Version (NKJV)
15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?

It can be difficult to see the needs of others around us. Whether it be through our own self-centered blindness, or due to others’ pride it’s easy to just throw a “we’re praying for you/pray for me” out there instead of actually addressing the problem.

I almost added “in this day and age” to that sentence but on reflection I imagine it was just as difficult in the time of the New Testament church. Nobody wants to have to ask for help. However, its just as important that we swallow our pride and ask for help as it is to provide it when we see the need.

Galatians 6:2
New King James Version (NKJV)
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

These tragedies brutally point out the elephant in the room. These people will need food, water, shelter, clothes, medical supplies, extra hands for clean up, etc. You name it, they will need it. Now thanks to modern technology we can easily see something we can do and we should be jumping at this chance to do so.

Here are a few of the sites that should be arranging disaster relief soon:

https://www.facebook.com/memorialroad
http://theministrysource.com
http://www.disasterassistancecoc.com/
http://www.disasterreliefeffort.org/
http://www.churchesofchristdrt.org/

But don’t get me wrong, prayers are still important!

James 5:16
New King James Version (NKJV)
16…The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

3. Be Ready

One could argue that this is the same point as “Life is precious and fragile” however Peter points out another way to be ready.

1 Peter 3:15
New King James Version (NKJV)
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

The common question asked during events like these is “Why?” Or, “why would a loving God allow children to die?” We need to be prepared to answer this question. This is an open door to planting the seed of the Word. If we cannot answer this question or any others we might encounter we’ll lose that opportunity. Be Ready.

Question:

There are many more lessons we can learn from these trials, but I have to stop this article somewhere or it’ll never get published, so now comes the time for the question.

What are some other lessons we can learn from this?