Monday, June 28, 2010

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

A couple of weeks ago Michael got up early one morning and when he came back to bed I asked if there was anything wrong. He said no, pulled me close and went back to sleep. That night after we got into bed he told me about a dream he had that morning.

He dreamt he had died and came back to tell me that he missed me and for me to give a message to the church. In the dream he told me to write a message on a board at the front of the church that said "I love you". He wanted them to know how much he loved them.

It kind of surprised him that he wanted them to know he loved them, because at every funeral he tells the family that if their loved one could tell them anything it would be that "It is real". Whether they are with Jesus or not, they would want them to know it matters how they live and if they have trusted Jesus.

I was listening to him tell about the dream and was hesitant to tell him the one I had two nights before. In mine, our kids were walking in front of a stadium that was packed full of people. They were walking between the stadium and a fence. It was dark all around but I could see all the people crowded in as the kids were walking in a line from oldest to youngest. They were all crying and I was looking down on them. Adam was crying and said "But we're not supposed to be the daddy to these girls". It wasn't that he didn't want to do it, it was that Michael was still supposed to be here.

When I woke up from mine my chest felt heavy because I had been crying in my sleep and felt the heaviness for awhile afterward.

After we both shared our stuff we held each other tighter than ever. We feel so connected in life and in ministry that it is tough to think about doing it without the other. My prayer is that Jesus comes back and we get to go at the same time. Us and all our kids. That way we don't have to grieve over the loss of someone we love so much.

The good thing about dreams like that is that it makes you appreciate what you have. Who you have.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Boys Don't have Boobies

Michael was taking the girls to the lake to swim with some of the kids from the youth group. On the way there, he said "Girls, we need to have a talk." Hannah immediately tried to figure a way to open the door, fall to the inerstate while escaping death and walk the rest of the way to the lake. She doesn't really like "talks" so being critically injured seemed like the best option. She chose to stay in the truck and bear it.

I'm going to try to remember the conversation as it was told me in three different versions.

Michael - "Boys don't have boobies. Only girls have boobies."

Girls - "Daaaaad!!!"

Michael - without missing a beat - "and because boys don't have boobies, they have a very strange reaction when they are hugged by someone who has them."

Girls - "Daaaad!!!"

Michael - "You see, when you hug a boy front to front and it crushes your boobies, it does something weird to the boy's brain. Something in the back of his head is triggered and because his brain is affected that way - well . . . his hair falls out. Clean out. Leaves a patch on the top of his head that is completely bald."

Girls - "Daaaad!!!!"

Michael - "I know you don't want all your friends to go bald at a really young age, so you only need to 'side hug' from now on. If a hug crushes the boobies, it isn't acceptable. See this? (Takes off his hat to show the top of his balding head.) This is your mom's fault!"

Girls - "DAD!!"

The girls and I have talked about this kind of thing many times. This is the one they will remember for the rest of their lives!

Daddy I Love You



Hannah wrote this Friday evening for Michael for Father's Day. He loves getting notes or letters from the kids more than anything. And he keeps every one of them.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

JOURNEY FAITH

HERE SHE IS!!!!!!!! And she's BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Meet our newest blessing. They came in for the weekend and we set up a place and got her to sleep and she slept right through everything and every position we had her in. We are all crazy about her and can't hardly get enough.