7 Quick Takes (Volume 32)

1) We attended Field Day this week to watch our youngest compete in a track meet with all the 4th and 5th graders in our town. At one point, my husband leaned over to me and said,

"I would have hated this day as a kid."

To which I responded,

"I'm sure I would have been sick."

We decided there is some sort of athlete gene that is passed down in families and ours must have been missed. Whatever. We can't run worth a darn, but we can sing. That's something, I guess.

2) The boy is home. Our oldest is home from college for the summer. We survived the first year. There were even enjoyable times for both of us. God is good.

3) You ever feel like God is giving you opportunity to practice what you preach?

After a week of discussing in Bible study how the resurrection is relevant to our daily lives, giving us the gumption to push through this earth knowing something better is coming, I had one of those nights where sleep is disrupted by anxiousness.

Too bad my human emotions can't catch up to what I know to be true. I'm working on it.

4) My Kevin gets the Super Husband award this week. In twenty-four hours he bought a car for our daughter, got new tires put on, got the oil changed in our van, settled some insurance issues, planned a Mother's Day get together (complete with buying the groceries and presents), fixed our grill and drove five hours to help our son move home.

I'll say it again, honey. When we got married, you got gypped. Thanks for taking good care of us. You settle my spirit. What would I do without you? Muah.

5) My daughter has wheels again. We may all go on with our lives.

6) I'm attending a funeral today for the pastor who opened my eyes to how a relationship with Jesus could change my life. As a kid, his demeanor reminded me of Billy Graham. He had the stature, the authority and even that tone of voice. Can you tell he was big in my eyes? I'm so thankful he put stakes down in a little town called Hickman, Nebraska. I will always have a special fondness for he and his wife. I hope he sits in heaven today, whole and strong, witnessing the ripples of his labor. Thank you, Pastor Jeambey.

7) Lord, help us, I never saw this one coming. We're out at dinner celebrating our older son's birthday when our thirteen-year-old son pops an unusual question.

"I was wondering if it would be okay if I went to a movie with my friend and these two girls."

"Like a date?" I ask.

"Well, kinda."

"It sounds like a double date," my husband pipes in.

"Yeah."

"Uh, no," we answer in unison. No consultation needed.

"Why not?"

"You're too young to date. It would be okay if you got some other kids to join you," I suggested.

"But why can't we go with just the four of us?"

"Then it's a double date."

"Yeah, so?"

"We don't do that." Haven't we already covered this ground?

"I never got to do that," his older sister says.

"Yeah, but it's different. I'm a boy," he answers, earning an eye roll from her and me both.

"Your brother didn't do it either," my husband reminds him.

"But what if my friend's parents say it's okay?"

"Then I hope he has a lovely time without you." Needless to say my answer was not appreciated.

"But it's not really a date."

"You just said it was."

"Well, when CAN I do that?"

"When you're sixteen."

"What? That's not fair. . .yada yada yada." You can imagine.

Our conversation was cut short as we left the restaurant in separate cars, all four kids in one, adults in the other. Once we joined back up, the hopeful thirteen-year-old dater smiled and said, "I respect your authority," then let it go.

His older brother caught my surprise and whispered, "Yeah, he got in the car and we told him he was stupid."

Don't you love it when years of parenting finally pay off?


Enjoy your weekend, friends. Catch more Quick Takes at Conversion Diary.