To Jarret. From Daddy.

Today my wife and I helped our oldest son (9) set up his first email account. He's excited to get to converse back and forth with some of his friends. Personally, it's a bit scary because of all the online dangers. This moment brings new challenges to our faith and his innocence. Mindful of these thoughts I wrote him an inaugural email.

Below I've pasted the email I sent to him. He's a great kid and I want to share him with you (if you don't mind a proud father).

Please pray for him, but not just him; please pray for all of our children in today's world who face new monsters creeping out from the closet every day. We can't know how many more dark foes may emerge from the shadows of our culture. Anymore, it's not just what's under the bed that children need to worry about. So pray all the more. We have a war to fight.

Jarret,

You make me so proud. I love your honesty and the fact that you love people—you want to be around them, play with friends. Don’t ever give up your genuine concern for others. Even though sometimes your questions fly at me to the point of exhaustion, don’t stop asking them.

I know you’re excited about your new email account. But, I hope that you will use the internet as a tool to think, study and research. Watch out, though, because it can present some very serious dangers. That’s why mom and I want you to only go to those specific sites we have given you. Don’t press on a link if you don’t know what it is about.

Son, about Christianity, always strive to follow Jesus and not me, momma, or anyone else. Give people the respect and attention they deserve, but only follow them if they follow Jesus. I don’t have all the answers. I’m still learning, but that is what God expects. The focus of Christianity isn’t a know-it-all attitude. Your father in heaven wants you to love him and love people—to try everyday to live out his will. God will be fair, honest and the judge of all. We need to stay satisfied with pointing the way to him and not pointing our finger in everyone’s faces. If people do something you don’t personally feel is right, think about it, look at their point of view and perhaps present your side of it too. But don’t write them off. Try to work with them and understand that we’re all struggling to bring honor to God.

However, there will come times when people do things that are wrong. Love them and help them. Those things that God calls wrong are those things which keep us from becoming the people he wants us to be. So when you realize that someone is being destroyed by sin, firmly and lovingly “restore” him (read Galatians 6:1-10 after you read this email).

You may not understand everything I’m trying to say and that’s ok. Just know that I love you no matter what. I don’t care what you decide to do with your life as long as you present yourself to God completely. I also want you to know that I’m sorry for those times that, as a parent, I mess up. I make some bad mistakes in how I handle you sometimes, but I can rest at ease knowing that your heart is bigger than my stupidity. It’s so wonderful that I have a son that is in many respects a better person than I. Thank you for bringing me such happiness and hope.

Daddy

Where Did the Last Month Go?

I'm sitting here thinking how it's been nearly a month since I've posted anything. Here's my reaction. It's a shame when I don't have time to write down a few thoughts of reflection on a regular basis. I mean, that's the idea of a blog, right?

My thought for this post points tothe amazing ability we have to make ourselves so busy. We have the ease and quickness of modern convenience (faster food, quick pass gas cards, instant everything, etc.), but we've managed to make ourselves the busiest people in the world. We've defied time with our speedy solutions and, yet, it still masters us. I'm the world's worst at losing the battle to time, at least, from my perspective.

Will you join with me in an attempt to slow down? Focus on eternal matters? Pay attention to important things? Cherish the time God grants? Push the pause button of life?

If we won't, then, I fear our time will run out and we'll be too busy to notice.