Running

This morning I was pulling out of the driveway heading to work. I had already gone through the morning ritual of kissing the kids (the ones that were awake, which would be my girls because my son was still sleeping as I left), kissing the wife, and giving Gabriel (the family Westi) a scratch between the ears. As I was rolling down the drivers side front window to get rid of the morning dew that had accumulated just enough to block the view, I noticed from the corner of my eye a red streak with a cotton top come flying out of the back door. When he hit the drive way he began to wave frantically with a look in his eyes of hope that I would turn around and give him a hug and not just wave goodbye.

Now, it is at this point that I have to be entirely honest. There are days, because of the bad attitude I can have from time to time, that I would have been so worried about being "on-time" that I would have just waved and felt that I had done my part as a father because I had acknowledge my son at all. Thank God (and I mean that literally) that this was not one of those days.

I stopped the car, reversed it just a little and pulled back into the driveway. With my window already being down, I looked at my son with a smile on my face and said, "I can't make it through my day without a Braden hug!!!" You would have thought that I had just given him the greatest gift that he had ever received. And as I think while I type these words, maybe I did. With a grin from ear to ear we embraced each other as only a child and parent can. He leaned a little and gave me an ever so soft kiss on the cheek (because he is 6 now and that kissing thing is beginning to be to much for him as a "big man") and sent my heart into the upper atmosphere. I asked him to be a good boy today and with a nod of the head the streak went back inside.

As I began to drive to work, the traffic did not seem as bad today. When people cut me off, and they always do, it did not seem to bother me as much. My son running out to catch me before I left today brought me to a different place. A place where the things that really matter in life were very clear.

I began to wonder, how does God feel when one of His children run as fast as they can to try to catch up with Him. Does the joy overflow in His heart when we embrace Him and then lean every so softly to give Him a kiss on the cheek. The beauty of this picture is that when we run out of the door to try to catch God, there will never be a chance that He will be in a bad mood and just wave a little wave as He drives away. We can, with confidence, know that every time our red (or whatever color we may be wearing at the time) streak comes flying out of the back door of our house we will always be met with an excitement and joy of a Father that truly loves us more than we could ever imagine. God will always change direction to come back. No, what we really find out is that He was already driving in our direction with a hope that we would come bolting from the door.

Oh God, thank you for today!

Free

I feel like the weight of the world is, Crashing down on me
some how I just don’t believe, This how it is suppose to be
All this expectation on, the way I’m suppose to live
Becomes my minds distraction, with nothing left to give

You said your burden is light & Your load is no more
You said your ways are right & in you I will soar
I want to be free, Free to dance & free to sing
Free to live & learn & free oh, free to be me

I feel like my Heart is being Beat, down into the ground,
In you I’m longing for some peace, to be found
I know the heaviness that’s, making me cold
Is stealing my youthful soul & making me old

You said your burden is light & Your load is no more
You said your ways are right & in you I will soar

I want to be free, Free to dance & free to sing
Free to live & learn & free oh, free to be me

These words were written by a great Christian songwriter and singer named Shawn McDonald. I just wanted to share this artist with those that may venture across this path. I think we all can say that we are seeking to be Free!

The Beginning

I actually began this journey to start a blog by doing research for work. This research has lead me to an understanding that there are many people out there in the world today that could want or even need to hear what I have to say. Imagine that, someone (even if it were just one)being interested in my ramblings about this journey I call life. This may never take hold for me. This may even be the only posting I ever put up. But one thing I can say to whom ever may be gliding their eyes across these words: You will see through the postings here a human being doing the best he can to live this life in a way that will one day honor his heritage, his family, and his God. Do I know in what form that hope will come in, No. Do I have all the answers to the many questions I hope to lay at your feet through this medium, No. But, one thing I do know is that no one ever needs to feel like they are alone or are not listened to, and I believe that is what draws people to begin to participate in this form of communication. People want to feel that the words they say matter to someone. And as people sit at a computer keyboard and begin to press the keys, either softly in reverence or with a banging motion that comes from anger or fear, they begin to find peace. Not because they know that millions will read their words and be moved to action, but because with a click of the mouse there is a chance that they will be heard even if only by one. God bless, and Keep Looking Up!