My Trip To California

My brother was gracious to pay for my plane ticket to California to see him and the family. My friend John was nice enough to take me to the airport early Tuesday. My brother picked me up from the airport where we immediately ate lunch at In & Out Hamburger; yummy! The next day we had lunch at Tommies where my stomach tried to digest a hamburger slathered in chili and cheese; yummy, at least going down. Oh, and it rained hard that day. That night we met my whole family at Rattlers BBQ (mom, dad, step dad, step mom, grandma, niece, nephew, brother and sister in law). My brother arranged the whole thing not telling any of the family that I flew in. When they saw me in the lobby of Rattlers, all of them nearly had a heart attack. We gorged ourselves and had great laughs. I was blessed to have my family together.

 Thursday was the "big ride." My brother took me on a 30 mile bike ride with 15 miles straight up hill. I was set to kick my brother's bottom, but I miserably failed. I got a great work out and saw one of the cool smogless Southern California days.

Friday was jammed packed with a great coffee date with my step dad, visiting Emily White and her 2 kids, sushi with Emily's husband Eric, time talking family history with my grandma, coffee again with both my step dad and dad and fries and shake at In & Out Burger with my dad.

On the airplane ride home I had time to retrospect. I missed Amber and the kids so much. I wanted to talk to them, ask them how their days were going. As much as it was nice to see my family in California, I was excited to see my family in Oregon. I thought how I can be a better husband and father. I want to teach my family things of God. Deuteronomy 6 comes to mind: (Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.)

I want to love God more than I do. I want my family to see me as a man of God, not a man of this world. I want my children to love the LORD their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their strength and see me doing the same. God has given me the privilege to be their father and I need to do what He has required of me. My prayer is that the Lord continues to give me wisdom on how to teach my children.

It is good to be home with a new vigor to serve the Lord even more.