Disneyland, Christmas, and God

Christmas gives me a picture of how God views us.

So did our recent trip to Disneyland.

In both cases, I was in a position of a father who wanted to do everything I could to love my kids by giving them special things and special experiences.

Here are some thoughts that have occurred to me about how there might be some important parallels between how God wants to love us as our Father, and how we want to love our kids:

1. Giving special things and special experiences is costly and stressful at times.

Christ's incarnation, suffering and crucifixion was extremely costly to Him.
So is organizing and paying for a family Disneyland trip.

2. It is a tremendous joy to see my kids delight in the gifts and experiences that my wife and I provide for them.

God gives us gifts and experiences every day that are easy to overlook...or at least forget to acknowledge as coming from Him:

It can be an act of worship to admire a sunset, rainbow, or any other part of creation that brings us amazement. 

I feel God's presence when I enjoy sounds like a baby's laughter, birds chirping, or beautiful music.

A warm blanket on a cold winter night is definitely a gift. Many tastes and smells bring smiles and pleasure, as well.

Much of our sensory input is really a gift from God. If avoiding danger was their only purpose, then all of our senses, and the stimuli available in this world, would be much simpler. But take a moment to think about all the complexity and multi-sensory beauty that God has given us.

We can feel the gift of God's presence when we enjoy mature, healthy, enriching relationships.

God loves it when we enjoy His creation, and His involvement in our lives. 

Even if we don't choose to attribute these gifts as coming from Him, I choose to believe that He delights in our enjoyment of them, nonetheless. 

3. Not everything is appreciated by my kids as I intended and hoped.

If you have attempted to provide something special to your kids that, well, just didn't pan out, you know what I'm talking about here!
Many, many of God's children have chosen not to accept His gift of relationship with Him, and of salvation.

When we went to Disneyland over Thanksgiving break a few weeks ago, these two verses came to mind, as my wife and I were structuring the day to bring maximum fun and joy to our boys. They come to mind today, also, as I think about the physical gifts that they received.

So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him.

Matthew 7:11 NLT

Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? 

Romans 8:32 NLT

iOS App Recommendations

This vacation, I've been able to spend some time pursuing a dream I've had for quite a while: having an "App Night" for parents. I have noticed that the percentage of homes of my students that have iOS devices is increasing. When, at award assemblies or Christmas programs, it is time for parents to take pictures, out come the iPhones (and even a couple iPads this year). I asked my rural, low socio-economic students how many of their parents have iPhones, iPads, or iPod Touches, and the number is more and more encouraging every year.

Because of this, I have wanted to somehow have a conversation where I recommend quality apps. There are many apps that merely improve "twitch" speed, and so nothing for literacy, math skills, or critical thinking, etc. Knowing how much time my own children like to spend on our family's iOS devices, I know that there is an incredible potential for learning here.

So here is a Google Presentation that I've been working on, with recommendations for apps. I hope that during this season where many of you (or your children) potentially got new iOS devices, iTunes/App Store gift cards, or both, that this might be helpful.

1. This is a list for parents, not teachers. Many have done this, and I hope to prepare a list for teachers, at some point, too.

2. Obviously, keeping up with all the incredible apps out there, and truly picking out the best, is an impossible task. There are many apps that you would probably like to add to this list. Please add them to the comments here!

3. Since I am now teaching 2nd grade, and my children are in K and 4th grade, this is primarily (ha! "primarily" - get it?) where I'm coming from. As this project continues to grow, I hope to provide more recommendations that include higher grade levels. However, many of my Science and History / Social Studies app recommendations are relevant to all ages/grades.

4. This does not attempt to be an "iPad list". Many of the apps recommended either a) have an iPad version, or b) are "universal", which means they work on both. Here is a list of apps that are specifically about iPad apps.

Merry Christmas!

Fatherhood teaches me about God

At our small group meeting (aka Bible study) last night, I shared that my boys have been teaching me about God lately. Not necessarily by their behavior, but more by what words I hear coming out of my own mouth (or at least my thoughts).
Statement #1: Trust me. Just obey.
We were working on a project together (don't remember what it was, but I think it was something for him), and he had several questions about how or why something needed to be done a certain way. What made it more difficult was that his hands weren't still as he asked the questions. He didn't seem to be be ready to be patient enough to hear the answers before he went with my plan (the order and speed that were necessary for that particular project). What's more, this project would have been very difficult to verbally explain to him...just too complicated to understand by hearing about it (at least for a 9 year old!)

So I needed to pause, look him in the eye, and say "Trust me. Just obey. You'll see."

Once I uttered those words, I realized that this is what God says to us. We don't understand HIS plans, or his timing, and since His ways and thoughts are far above ours, there's no way that we could comprehend His plan before we just Trust Him and Obey. Also, I realized that as I said these words to my son, it wasn't that I was wanting to shut him up or demand obedience for my own ego. It was just the best advice for getting the project done. It just made sense. It was out of love for him that I said it.

Statement #2: If you love me, obey me
One of my boys had been having a terrible day, with respect to appropriate, obedient behavior. Breaking rules, doing immature, disrespectful, frustrating things more often than usual. Then, later in the day, he hugged me and said, "I love you, Dad."
On one hand, that's precious and I need to accept it as genuine and say, "I love you, too." (which I did this time)

On the other hand, I feel like saying (and have at times), "If you love me, obey me." Wow...
This is exactly what Jesus said to his disciples.

Do I love Jesus? (Yes. I claim to be a Christ-follower.)
Then do I obey him? (The more I walk with Christ, the more I realize that I don't obey Him nearly as often as I could/should...)

Conviction with grace and love, not condemnation with guilt and shame
As I continue to be a dad, teaching my sons about God, about the world, about wisdom and maturity, the more I seem to hear God's voice in my own head...saying things like:

That's what I'VE been saying to YOU!
Exactly! That's what I'M like!
Right! That's how YOU need to treat ___, too!

And yet, these echoes of my own voice in my head from the Holy Spirit are never filled with guilt and shame. Just conviction. Maybe this is because I don't ever want my sons to feel like I don't love them, or that they have to EARN my love for them. I don't want to break their spirit.
Well, that's how God operates, too. He doesn't want to break our spirits, laying on us a load of guilt and shame. He desperately wants us to know how much He loves us.

These are just some of the things that being a father helps me learn about my heavenly Father.