The house was strangely quiet last night. Oh, there were four adults there. We chatted away. We “pontificated.” We chuckled. We giggled. But the house was strangely quiet. The energy was gone. Let me restate that: the energy from the past week was gone. Jo and I took Braden, our grandson, back home yesterday. I drove the 4 hours one way and with barely a 15 minute turnaround drove the 4 hours back. Jo needed to be back by 5:30 for a 6:00 appointment. We made it at 5:25. But I digress. The energy, namely Braden, was gone. Amazing how an 8 1/2 year old can charge an atmosphere. His constant motion, constant activity, constant laughter, constant banter, lightened the room. I had never heard of LabRats before this week. He’s watched all episodes at least 5 times his mom says. We saw AntMan together Friday night and his description of it was video worthy. Tami (who didn’t go) was laughing so hard she was crying. He is certainly all boy. WOW the testosterone will have to work hard to keep up when he gets to that age. We will miss him for sure. (He also likes ice cream, which makes him ok in my book). 🙂
Sad #2: We drove by a church with this sign:
“He pleases God best who loves Him most.”
Say what? I had to do a double take on that. I think Prestonwood Baptist Church just went from Grace to Law. I believe they got it wrong. Maybe there is something there I am missing. I can see it now: “What do you mean? My love for God is more than yours. He likes me best!” Somehow I think Prestonwood got it wrong. What do you think?
My online presence has taken a hit over the past week. I apologize for reading but not commenting on too many of your blogs. I hope to get back to a more normal (whatever that is) schedule.
I sometimes feel the vacuum that steals my laughter and energy after my daughter has gone. I can relate to what you wrote about your grandson.
The one big difference is she was all you have had. A giant hole will be there when she moves to college and beyond. But you will make it.
That quote would for sure make me wonder, what in the world do they really mean. Know that quiet feeling after our 4 and 6 year old grandchildren are gone. They are here now with us for a few nights because their little brother came into this world early early this morning. Reedly Doc Draper…the Doc is our son part of the name…where in the world did it come from…maybe he got it from the same sign…hehe. A couple more days of constant talking from the 4 year old, noise…thank God I am getting a little hard hearing. Action, thank God the apartments we live in has a pool…they would swim all day if we let them but it’s wonderful for making them hungry enough to eat veggies and ready before their normal bedtime. Isn’t it great you live close enough to have your grandson often…nothing better.
Congrats grandma! As for the other, you will miss the silence even though she wears you out now. We tried to keep him busy while he was here but no pool
We’re recovering from a week at camp with 6 kids and their parents.
Need I say more?
😉
Need CPR?
That sure sets up a ranking system, doesn’t it?
yes it does and it fries me.
Pleasing Him is indeed important, loving Him deeper…so necessary for life and freedom but because I’m His, I believe I have His approval and His trust.
Loving Him is NOT a competition but an invitation.
But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:4
I have no qualms about pleasing Him and loving Him deeper. But I don’t like the idea of the competition it can start.
I’ll say it again: Grandchildren are the best! Virginia does zap my energy, but the joy she gives me more than makes up for it. I know you all will miss having Braden around.
As for God’s love? I like what Jay said above – “Loving Him is NOT a competition but an invitation.”
Blessings, Bill!
Yeah, we miss him.
I think a lot of church signs fail in the effort to be clever. I drove by a sign this morning on the way to a job site, and I cringed to see how the sign could possibly help attract people far from God.
I think that is the real problem Jon. They try to be clever. Epic fail in many cases.
Yea Grandkids are special. As for Prestonwood I wouldn’t be able to judge their sign without a few more facts. It may be exactly what they preach and what their members want to hear. I bet their theology is closer to yours than to mine. I certainly have heard Protestant preachers with a lot crazier ideas than that. If he gets them to church and they pay the bills it’s all good.
Good call, Bill. As if any of us are qualified to say which ones of us please Him most… Sheesh. They missed the whole point of the perfect sacrifice of God Himself…