Teddy Bear Revival

This is a family memory from 2010…Hubby had been deployed for a year in Iraq and had recently come home.

 Recently, Third Son has told us he is going to be a preacher. Of course, my first thought was “Boy, that is going to be one interesting church!”… but what if he really does become a preacher? Third Son decided he wanted to hold a preaching service. He asked me if he could have some “alone time” in his room to prepare for his service. I told him he could and his brothers kindly accommodated him.

 

Since Daddy has been home, the children have had their indoctrination (aka brainwashing) of bluegrass music reinstated. Well, one song on a new CD of Daddy’s has really become a hit with all the children. It’s called “Teddy Bear Revival” and is about a little boy who would line up his stuffed animals and preach to them. Later, the little boy grows up to be a preacher.

Third Son used his alone time in his bedroom to get all of the stuffed animals lined up on his bed. He then told Daddy he was ready to begin, but he only wanted Daddy to be his congregation. Maybe that shows discernment to exclude the rest of us? We are a rowdy bunch.

 

Third Son held an opening song, even though he said it was a  baby song, he sang “Jesus Loves Me”. Personally, that’s a favorite. I tell the kids in junior church they might think of it as a “baby song” but it really boils down the whole reason why we’re at church.  Third Son also included a “meet and greet” time in the church service. He had a rooster and pig greet each other with accompanying oinks and crowing. I do feel compelled to point out here he is NOT imitating what he sees at our own church.

In preparation for the service, Third Son had collected Daddy’s Bible prior to the service and had leafed through till he had found a picture of Daniel. He decided to commence his service with the story of Daniel. So here is the story of Daniel as according to Third Son.

 

There was a king and these guys told him that there should be a law that people could only pray to the king. But Daniel kept praying to God anyway. Those guys told on Daniel. So the king had Daniel thrown in the lions’ den but an angel came and made it to where the lions didn’t touch him. The king said to those guys, “You tricked me!” The king went to the den and asked Daniel if the lions had hurt them and Daniel said, “Not a scratch!”. So the king had those guys thrown into the lions’ den, and well, they ate those guys.

Third Son also preached about the Lord’s Supper as well.

 Jesus had told his disciples that one of them would betray Him. They all asked, “Is it I, Lord?” And then Judas asked, “Is it I, Lord?” and Jesus said, “Yes”.

Just picturing Third Son saying that with his usual deadpan face cracks me up.

The men came and arrested Jesus. They beat Him up and put a crown of thorns on His head, which really hurts if you’re bald!

Most likely a reference to poor Hubby.

 While on the cross, one of the guys who was on one of the other crosses told Jesus he had done a lot of bad things but he wanted to go to Heaven with Jesus. Jesus told him, “Yes, you will go to Heaven with me.”

 

Now that Third Son had delivered his message, he decided to hold a time of invitation for his stuffed animal congregation. A troubled stuffed soul, a Minnesota Wolf given to the kids from Jon and Tammy Huju, was convicted of his many dastardly sins. This is in no way an implication of the spiritual state of Jon and Tammy, by the way. Third Son counseled with the wolf and physically assisted the wolf in kneeling and thus the angels rejoiced in another saved soul. (I’m guessing there is a chorus of stuffed animal angels somewhere???)

 

Completing his divine work, his calling, Third Son was now ready to leave the fellowship of

his stuffed animal congregation to join his real family in a gourmet meal of cheap pizza.

A Father’s Legacy

I wrote this back in 2010, after we suffered the loss of my husband’s father. With Father’s Day being this past weekend, my husband was missing his dad.

Giles Lee

Recently my husband’s father passed away. During the visitation, it was obvious many had memories of Giles they wanted to share. At the funeral, my husband’s two brothers spoke; sharing things about their dad they felt led to share. As each of them spoke, I looked around, as much as I could from the family room, at the people gathered there. It was obvious those who knew Giles well were in agreement of the characteristics my brother-in-laws were extolling.
I was in a unique position. I was family, no doubt. I became family eleven years ago when I married the second son of Giles: my dear husband, Jeff. But I wasn’t able to nod my head in agreement as others were doing, in personally remembering the good qualities of my husband’s father. I didn’t really know my father-in-law well. In fact, I could probably count on one hand the number of conversations he and I had together.
Before one jumps to conclusions, let me assure it wasn’t because we didn’t get along. I thought he was a great guy, friendly as anyone could be. It was due to an illness that crept up on him. Giles began acting quite not as himself. We had only been married for a year when it became obvious something was dreadfully amiss with Giles. Medical help was sought and eventually, dementia became known as the culprit. Dementia stole our time with Giles. For the majority of our marriage Giles lived in a nursing home. We did not even live in the same town as my husband is military and was stationed elsewhere. His memory failed him and he didn’t know whom Jeff was, much less me, who had known him so briefly.
All this is to say that although I may not have known Giles personally for long, I did know of the characteristics my brother-in-laws were speaking. I get to see those characteristics in my husband. The man Giles raised.
Giles took the time to make sure his boys knew what they needed to know to be what a man needs to be. I’m sure if you’ve been a Christian for any length of time, the verse “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it”, Proverbs 22:6, has come to mind. Yes, that is exactly what Giles did. And I haven’t seen any of his sons depart from it either.
First and foremost, Giles emphasized the need to know Christ as Savior. He was the earthly father showing his sons the Heavenly Father. No other duty as a parent is more important. I wasn’t there for the conversations but I can imagine Giles incorporated Romans 3:23 in his talks with his sons. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” As a dad, he would have done them a grave and eternal disservice had he never explained their need for a Savior. My husband knew this, and recognized he needed Christ in his own life when he was a young adult. Although Jeff never was in trouble with the law or rebellious, Giles must have taught him that he, Jeff, would have to make the decision for himself. There’s no riding on Daddy’s deacon coattails. Jeff took his decision to follow Christ seriously. Jeff has always credited Giles for this.
By the time I met him, Jeff was grounded in Scriptures and his love for the Lord was obvious. The first time I heard him in prayer in our singles’ Sunday school class, I was floored by his humble and sincere approach to the Lord. After the prayer, I remember thinking what a prayer warrior he was and I resolved to get to know him as a friend.
Jeff’s younger brother, Greg, spoke of other qualities about their father. He mentioned that Giles was an affectionate father. Yes, I see that daily in Jeff. He is always hugging and kissing our children. People we know have mentioned how obvious it is Jeff loves his children. My children know there is always a hug waiting. It is as if that hug is coming indirectly from Gramps himself.
Giles’s strong work ethic was mentioned at the funeral. Boy, I can attest to that! There have been times I wanted to ask Giles if he really needed to instill such a strong work ethic in Jeff, (as I dearly like to be lazy). Over the years, Jeff used said work ethic and has ministered to people by working on their houses. He gained the know-how from Giles who saw his boys as free labor for the construction site. Undoubtedly, I’ve been so thankful for that work ethic many times. I don’t have to worry if my husband is going to be the provider.
I also know the job will be done well. I won’t delve into the little speech, or rant, Jeff gives about shoddy workmanship. Giles trained him to do the job right. This past year, I even saw this being passed to the next generation. I had acquired a free futon couch for Benjamin’s room. It needed a bit of fixing. Benjamin got right on it, repaired it in the manner that he referred to as “the Lee way”.
The sense of fairness Giles had was mentioned at the funeral. Being fair demands for accountability of one’s self. Admitting when one is wrong. I don’t know how many other fathers will admit to their children when they are in the wrong. I’ve observed Jeff do it and also apologize to the child.
Another attribute spoken of at the funeral was humility. Giles was talked of as a humble man. I knew as such from things Jeff had told me about his father. I knew that because Jeff is willing to humble himself. Giles was not one to brag about Giles Lee. He wanted any glory to go to God. Jeff has done likewise in his life whether it be about his talents or his earnest desire to share the Gospel with the Iraqis.
Giles taught Jeff not to sully the name he was given… not just Lee, but even more so, Child of God. Whether it was a job in construction or doing what is right, your name is going on it. It’s an integrity thing.
You may think it odd for me to mention humility earlier when I seem to be bragging on my husband and his father. Forgive me if bragging is how this comes across. I write this to demonstrate the difference God makes in a man’s life as he fulfills the role of father. How Giles fulfilled his role as a Christian father was a priceless component of my husband seeking his own relationship with Christ, and thus, becoming a Christian father as well.
So as I sat there in the funeral, I thought about these things and the unique perspective I had of Giles Lee: of knowing him mostly through what he instilled in my husband. Due to Giles’s diligence to follow Scripture in the raising of his sons, I have a husband who chose to turn to God. That husband led our own children to Christ. What a priceless legacy of Giles Lee.
At the funeral home, when I was by myself a bit and as I gazed upon Giles in the casket, these words came to mind:
thank you

 

My Toe

We had a church fellowship last night at the skating rink. We had a lot of fun! However, we came home with some aches and pains.

Only Daughter is complaining of a sore tail bone.

Youngest has a scraped ankle. It creates a severe amount of pain when it is time to do schoolwork or chores.

And I think I may have broken my toe.

I wrote about this recent incident in my other blog.

My Toe