How Can A Young Man Keep His Way Pure?

Posted on August 21, 2011 by admin

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

As fathers, mothers, and leaders of our family it is our responsibility to train our children to make good choices and know truth.  At Baylor University I pledged a fraternity where each member had a page of information about them that we were to memorize.  It included their hometown, major, fraternity family tree, and anything else that they wanted us to know.  We were constantly quizzed on these pages and had to know every word on every members page.  It so happened that most of the members also listed their favorite Bible verses and I learned more than 100 verses during my pledgeship.  What I found was these verses stuck.  They were at the front of my mind and impacted my thoughts, my decisions, and my actions every day.  Following my pledgeship I wrote my favorite verses into a notebook, added the many new verses that I had learned, and added new verses that I was finding each day that impacted me.  I began reviewing and repeating these to myself each morning so that they stayed in my mind.  Of all the things I learned during my pledgeship, memorizing scripture changed my life and continues to make a difference today.  As a member I had new pledges memorize Psalms 119:9 and verse 11.  Psalms 119:9 says “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to your word.”  Verse 11 says “Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you.”  As I met with pledges I would encourage them to use this opportunity to allow God’s word to penetrate their minds and change their lives. 

As parents we should model and encourage the same with our children.  There are many programs that your churches offer to help in this area.  I was particularly impressed with the Awana’s programs at our church and was amazed at the number of Bible verses our children knew before they even went to school.  We also had a verse for the day that we could simply read and review with our kids before bed.  As part of our rites of passage along with our families vision, mission and core values, I have our children memorize verses that led to these statements of direction and truth.  These are examples of a few ways that you can help your children to treasure God’s word.  These practices and not just for kids, but are even more important for us.  We need our minds to be saturated in God’s word to encourage, inspire, convict, and guide us in truth as we lead our lives in our businesses, community and families.  We must first attend to and protect our own minds so that we can lead our family. 

How can a young man keep his way pure?  Thy word I have treasured in my heart so that I may not sin against thee. Psalms 119 – 9,11

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How To Destroy a Nation

Posted on August 14, 2011 by admin
2 Chronicles 7:14 My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

In recent weeks we continue to experience the result of unchecked greed, poor policy, and inability to manage our finances as a nation.  This combined with a moral decline and diverging social culture have challenged America’s leadership position.  We only need to look across the Atlantic to England to see the future, yet we continue in our ways.  Last week I went to Rick Perry’s event, The Response.  It was well done and the content was presented well.  I was glad to see Rick Perry take a personal stand and am proud of him for that stand even though I recognize his role as Governor and representative of all in the state that may confuse his personal stand with the position of the State of Texas.  The real “elephant in the room” was the fact that half of the stadium was blocked off and the other half was only 60 – 70% full.  This tells me that as bad as it may be, our churches, cities and state are not mentally ready for change.  There is a remnant that is charged and ready to repent and turn toward God, but only a few.   If there was a genuine desire for change the stadium would have overflowed and been directed to overflow venues to accommodate all desperate for a change.  Unfortunately, most of us remain content to stay at home.

Over lunch this week I had the privilege of discussing the state of America with my boss who is 85 years old and is one of the Great Generation that fought to protect our nation and was responsible for building this great nation.  How quickly their efforts fade away.  The following are a few observations and points discussed that have lead our nation
to this point in history.  They are also a formula repeated in history as to how to destroy a nation.

  1. Become prosperous.  For many who have reaped the benefits of hard
    work and financial rewards, success leads to a growing appetite for more.  I am reminded of John D Rockefeller’s famous quote when asked “How much is enough?”  He replied “Just a little bit more.”  We get sucked into a life that craves the next deal and indulges in work to refuel on the self-satisfaction and pride that comes with success.  The priorities of life become out of balance and relationships suffer.  For our family we justify our choices by trading time with our family for the responsibility of providing for our family.  If we are really successful we are pleased leave our children without a need to work.  This privilege is often wasted and destruction is soon to follow.
  2. Destroy the family.  If you cut off the head the body will die.  There are many ways to “cut off the head or remove the father as the head of the family.” The pursuit of success keeps him at work and is easily justified because he thinks he is meeting his families’ needs. Let him realize financial success and distract his attention to enjoy travel, golf, pursue hobbies, or chase the lusts of the flesh.  Give him easy access to drugs, alcohol, and pornography to provide a temporary escape on a path that is a slippery slope to a tragic addiction.  Confuse his role and responsibility as the leader of the family.  Make it easy and socially acceptable to abdicate his responsibility as spiritual leader, moral compass, and role model to others.  (media, culture, celebrity, athletes, school/government)
  3. Eliminate religion and moral standards.  Convince the society that there are no moral absolutes and that free thinking and expression is to be valued above all else.  No one person’s ideas or morals are above another’s.  The result is a society that lacks self-governance and requires more laws and justifies more government involvement to determine what is socially acceptable.
  4. Educate to the lowest common denominator.  We cannot leave any child behind so we will slow down the progress and restrict the learning of all to accommodate those that are the slowest.
  5. Remove the incentive to work.  Convince the society that it is only fair
    that all men shall have a equal standard of living and it is acceptable to take
    from those with more to give to those with less. Creating a society that penalizes
    hard work and entitles the masses to accept a mediocre security over the risk
    of failure in striving to achieve higher aspirations. Once you have removed the
    incentive to work, hope of a better future will disappear, creativity will die
    with hope, and financial ruin will soon follow.

If the first 5 have not ruined your country then leave the borders open and let foreign languages and cultures blend in with your own and call it diversity.  Simply forget or take for granted the sacrifice that our forefathers made to win and defend our homeland.

Sound familiar?  Certainly there are too many factors to list contributing to the fall of a nation, but this is a pretty good list and history has proven these to be true.  It was interesting to hear Britain’s prime minister’s comments regarding the recent riots in London.  He said “I have said before that there is a major problem in our society with
children growing up not knowing the difference between right and wrong.  This is not about poverty, it’s about culture. A culture that glorifies violence, shows disrespect to authority, and says everything about rights but nothing about responsibilities.”

So what are we to do?  Don’t give up.  There is too much at stake.  This took a couple of
generations to get to this point and can be corrected.  Seek the mercy, grace, direction, and blessing of the almighty God in prayer.  As leaders of your family and community take personal responsibility for standing up for truth and teaching truth to your children. Consider and write down a vision or picture of  what a successful family and community look like and begin making decisions and taking the actions to lead your family and
community to that vision.  Fathers take back the responsibility and commitment to lead your family and much of the rest will follow.  The enemy set his sights on the family and has targeted fathers.  It is the fathers that can restore peace and unity to the family.  It is the fathers of our families that can teach right from wrong and lead a community, city, state, and country.  We can learn from many nations before us that once America blesses God by obeying His instruction, God’s blessing will be on our land. So what are you to do?  Start today.  Get yourself on the right course and turn from your old ways, seek God and His truth.  Then begin being the leader that God called you to be at home.

2 Chronicles 7:14  “My people who are called by My name humble
themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I
will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

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Using Unmet Desires to Teach Your Kids Patience, Creativity, Work, and the Value of a Dollar

Posted on August 6, 2011 by admin

Teaching Kids the Value of Work and a Dollar

In the age of easy credit we live in a culture that has the ability to get whatever they want whenever they want it.  What happened to the old fashioned piggy bank where you saved your nickels, dimes, and quarters when you found something you really wanted.  It may take weeks or months to finally save up enough money to buy that “thing”.  I remember finding the frame of a go-cart in the buffalo bayou.  I had always wanted a go-cart, but could not afford one.  I remember cleaning it up, making a few parts, and scraping together what money I could earn to buy the parts I needed.  Following months of piecing the go-cart together I remember I needed a centrifugal clutch and chain to complete the project and it cost $30.00.  Without transportation I not only had to save up the money, but find a time where my parents could take me across town to the lawnmower shop where I purchased the clutch. 

There is nothing better than an unmet desire to teach your kids the value of working for a dollar and patience.  Inspired by YouTube my son downloaded a trial version of video editing software, Aftereffects.  He really enjoyed playing with the editing software, but the trial would soon be over and the price was more than $300.  Wanting to earn money we discussed various projects that he could do to earn the money.  I told him that I would match whatever he earned, but it could not include allowance or birthday money.  I suggested that he put flyers together to clean calcium stains that many of our neighbors have around their swimming pools.  He put a really nice flyer together and offered to do free demonstrations.  While housesitting he noticed the calcium stains on a neighbors tile and took the initiative to clean a small section.  Upon their return he was hired to do the project.  The project will cover more than the value of the software and teach a valuable lesson.   Desire motivated creativity and effort to create work where he could earn money.  There are lots of valuable life lessons here.  Motivation, Creativity, Effort, Work, and Earning money.  Many of the things our kids need to learn. 

I know you love your kids and want to give them their every want.  Next time they have this “thing” they can’t live without resist the temptations to buy and use it as an opportunity to teach them life lessons of patience, creativity, work, and the satisfaction of earning the money to buy that “thing”.

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You Are Building Your Legacy Everyday

Posted on July 30, 2011 by admin

Building Family Memories

What is the legacy that you wish to leave your children?  Is it a good education, a nice home, a good work ethic, a prestigious name, money, or something else?  Have you ever thought to consider the legacy you are building for your children?  There are many legacies that you can leave, but the most powerful and influential will be the accumulated experiences you share together and memories of how you lived your life.  Reflecting on your life and legacy you are building for your children will keep you grounded and is a thought that sometimes scares me.  What am I teaching my kids by leaving our home to exercise at 5:00 a.m. and not returning from work until 6:30 – 7:00 p.m.?  What does that teach them about what is most important to me?  Our kids watch everything we do and in many cases will model or pick up our habits both good and bad.  How many have justified their dedicated pursuit of career success saying that they wanted to provide good things to their families.  How many dads work all week and feel they need to be rewarded by playing golf on Saturday or Sunday leaving the family to their own activities.  Our careers, our debts, our homes, our hobbies, our service activities, and our selfish desires all compete with our family for our attention and affection.  God has given us a very brief period in time to raise our children.  What we do with our time will absolutely set the course for their lives and communicate what is of highest importance to us. 

 What do you want to your kids to think of when they remember you?  Think about where you spend your time and where you spend your money.  As the leaders of our family where we invest our time and money is the foundation of the legacy that we are leaving our children.  For me the most valuable treasures that I can leave our children is lasting family memories.  Memories that are created through daily interaction, focused time, or family vacations.  When my kids were in the 3 to 7 year range Thursday night was “dad night”.  I would do simple activities that lasted 30 minutes to an hour with each of our three children and rotated each week.  We went out for frozen yogurt, a bike ride, roller skating, or Funny Face Pancakes at the I-Hop.  It didn’t really matter what we did, but it was one on one time that each kid got with dad.  We lived in our home for 15 years and still had a plastic slide in our dining room.  Each year we made decisions as to where we were going to spend our money.  Dining room furniture…or…family trip to Disney?  Dining room furniture…or…teach our kids to snow ski in Colorado?  In my book Good to Great Families I ask the reader to list all the adventures, major milestones to celebrate, and memories to create with their family.  Then create a list of years that your kids are in your home and begin to fill in the schedule.  It’s amazing how quickly you fill up the time when planning with a limited budget and limited time.  This simple exercise can help guide your plans to create a legacy of memories and experiences and reveal how short the time we have. 

So, what is the legacy you are leaving with your children?  Don’t put it off and wait until tomorrow to begin creating your legacy.  Make your time reflect the priorities that are truly important to you.  Spend your money on the things that reflect the priorities of your heart.  In the end your family, friends, co-workers and employees will recognize and respect your choices and commitment to the things you hold dear.  There is nothing wrong with working hard and pursuing the rewards that you can share with your family, but remember what they value most is time with you.  Take a moment and think about the legacy you are building.  Make a list of things you want to be remembered for, the adventures you want to share and memories to create, go and create your legacy!

p.s.  I would love to hear from you regarding this or any other post. 

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The Light of the World that Darkness Cannot Overcome

Posted on July 17, 2011 by admin
 

John 1:4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men

 

Light is used throughout the Bible to illustrate the characteristics of God and symbolize truth.  Light is used to contrast darkness or evil.  It is used to guide His chosen people and inspire us to become as lights.  In John:1-9, John the Baptist describes Jesus as the “light of all mankind” and as the light shining in the darkness that the darkness does not overcome.  In John 12:46 Jesus says of Himself “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.”

What is most amazing is that in Matthew 5:14 Jesus tells us as His disciples that “You are the light of the world.”  We, as His disciples, become the representation of the light God and Jesus in the world that we operate.  We are His ambassador and representative to shine in the darkness.  It is we that are charged to work by the power of the Holy Spirit to illuminate the hearts and minds of men.  It is we that, by representing Truth, become the light to the world that overcomes darkness and glorifies our Father in heaven.  We(you and me) are charged to continue the very work of Jesus. 

What a powerful charge and  a w e s o m e  responsibility!  As a follower of Jesus do you recognize the power of the light within you?  When you enter a room, Jesus is there.  When you make contact with a friend or stranger, Jesus is there.  When you pray for the sick, call out evil, or teach of His Truth, Jesus is in you and with you.  If this realization does not inspire you to be a better father, mother, friend, boss, employee, servant or leader nothing will.  Think about the contacts, relationships and opportunities that you have to be light in your family, community or workplace.  Jesus tells his disciples

John 10:7-8 “And as you go, preach, saying, ”The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.  Freely you received, freely give.”   

I am reminded of the WWJD bracelets of years ago and am challenged again to think on What Would Jesus Do because that is EXACTLY what He charges us to do as followers of Him.  Jesus says in Matthew 28:18  “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations”.  ALL AUTHORITY is given to Jesus and Jesus commands us as His disciple to go, preach, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons. 

 If we live to be obedient this command given with “all authority”, how does it change your life?  How does it change your actions as a leader in your family or business?  How does it change your actions as you relate to friends and strangers? 

 May the Light and Love of Christ go with you always.

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Small Adventures To Create Lasting Family Memories

Posted on July 4, 2011 by admin

Teaching Kids To Try New Things

Have you ever been pulled in by one of the mall kiosk vendors to try some miracle product?  Normally I would simply walk past the invitations without eye contact.  However this time I was engaged by Rico, the kiosk salesman offering to heal all my pains.  I couldn’t resist, I stopped and he promptly put an electronic massager on my shoulders and asked me if I had a sore back or other injuries.  According to Rico, this massager could heal anything.  I told him 3 times I was not going to buy the product and before I could escape he cut the price in half and added in a second unit for free and I was hustled  for a gimmicky product that I did not need.  

I have an interest in small businesses and during my visit asked about the kiosk lease, sales, margins, staffing, and challenges to reel in customers.  There was a time I encouraged Drew to practice his street magic at the mall for tips and suggested that Rico add a street magician or have my other son Ben bring his sugar glider come help draw in and hustle mall shoppers.  So with Rico’s invitation and offer to teach my boys the finer art of capturing and hustling mall shoppers Drew packed up his magic, Ben put his sugar glider in his pocket and we were off to the mall.  I don’t know that either Drew or Ben would have done this solo, but as a team they could overcome their nervousness and anxiety of this new experience.  I promised we would not stay more than an hour and that if it was a bomb we could leave early.  So what happened?

Jasper Goes to the Mall

The sugar glider was a hit with the mall shoppers until he glided to the floor and scampered across the mall causing brief terror for those who thought they were watching a rat run at them.  Both men and women screamed and hid for cover in the nearby Express store.  I would have never imagined the scene of a grown man cowering in terror over such a little animal.  After that scare we were careful and could bring in lots of curious mall shoppers by keeping him crawling on our arms and shoulders.  Drew’s magic was a hit with Rico and the surrounding kiosk sales people, but not so much with the mall shoppers as he was not comfortable recruiting them to come watch a trick.  Drew did attempt to do a trick where he puts a cell phone in a balloon for a boy waiting on his father and the trick failed to work the first two times.  He did get it to work on a smaller phone, but the trick was ruined.  Drew was a little embarrassed, but was able to shrug it off.

All in all the trip was a success!  I was so proud to see them try something new, conquer their fears, and create a memory that we will share for a lifetime.  We could have passed another day playing video games or hanging around the house.  Instead we had a fun adventure together, got out of our comfort zone, learned it was not the end of the world when a trick did not work, and found we do not want to be a kiosk vendor in the mall.  Find the everyday opportunities to expose your kids to new adventures and experiences where they can stretch their courage, take a safe risk, and create a memory that all will keep for a lifetime.

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The 20 Rules Of This House

Posted on June 26, 2011 by admin

Deuteronomy 6:9 "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates"

A common theme to the most successful businesses and organizations is the use of Vision, Mission, and Core Values to guide the organization.  In Good to Great Families, I apply these proven business techniques to leading our families.   I also enjoy reading other business and family values, rules, or boundaries that are used to lead and provide boundaries for their business or family.  We have our family Core Values posted on the refrigerator for reference when making choices or using for instruction.  These are great tools to use and leaves no question as to how we are supposed to operate.  I prefer to keep the list to less than 10, but the important point is to create something that works for you and your family.  I don’t know the family that wrote the following list, but I thought I would share it with you. 

In this house…

  1. We obey our Lord Jesus Christ.
  2. We love, honor and pray for one another.
  3. We tell the truth.
  4. We consider one another’s interests ahead of our own.
  5. We speak quietly and respectfully to one another.
  6. We do not hurt one another with unkind words or deeds.
  7. When someone needs correction, we correct him with love.
  8. When someone is sorry, we forgive him.
  9. When someone is sad, we comfort him.
  10. When someone is happy, we rejoice with him.
  11. When we have something nice to share, we share it.
  12. When we have work to do, WE DO IT WITHOUT COMPLAINING.
  13. We take good care of everything that God has given us.
  14. We do not create unnecessary work for others.
  15. When we open something, we close it.
  16. When we turn something on, we turn it off.
  17. When we take something out, we put it up.
  18. When we make a mess, we clean it up.
  19. When we do not know what to do, we ask.
  20. When we go out, we act just as if we were in this house.

What a great tool to have around as a constant reminder and encouragement for our family.  God gave Moses the ten commandments to instruct His people with the promise that if they listen and followed they would be blessed.  He also encouraged families to diligently teach their children and write them on the doorposts of their homes.

Deuteronomy 6:7-9 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.  You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”

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What Makes You Cry? Understanding the Invitation to a Life of Satisfying Purpose

Posted on June 19, 2011 by admin

3 John 1:4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

What are the things that pull at your heart strings and move you emotionally to tears?  Pay attention for these emotions remind us of personal experiences that have deeply impacted our life and/or may reveal God given passions that bring life’s greatest fulfillment or satisfaction.  Each Sunday as I watch men, women, children and families respond to God’s Holy Spirit I am moved with tears of joy knowing that a life has been changed.  Without knowing the people, their circumstances, or story I know I have witnessed God move in a life to reveal His great love, mercy, and calling on their life to realize the miraculous life change coming as a result of responding to Him. 

I am also moved to see someone testify by public baptism to the life change they personally experienced through the blood sacrifice of Jesus.  To see a young man who turns from the selfish path of destruction to accept the Father’s forgiveness and grace is a powerful event.  I celebrate to see a man lead his family to join the church and make a statement to his family and the community that he is choosing to lead his family by the truths of Jesus.  To see a young child respond to the calling of the Holy Spirit or know the joy that a parent shares in seeing their child choose to testify to their saving grace by their public baptism.  Celebrate with me the changed lives and kids testimony through public baptism at our church beach retreat.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEbyVubKZk4

What makes you cry? 

  • Recognize the value of this emotion and how it identifies the passions in your life. 
  • Consider responding and explore the opportunity to develop this passion in your life.   
  • Pray for God to reveal how you can follow this passion to serve Him and help others. 
  • Surrender and follow God.

Mathew 9:9  As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.

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The Power of A Testimony

Posted on June 15, 2011 by admin

Revelation 12:11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony

As believers, moms, dads, professionals, and business people we are challenged to be salt and light in our community.  We shine best in dark places and are ambassadors for Christ in the communities that we live.  Julie and I seek to build our marriage and family on I Peter 2:5 “5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  We are to be living stones, like the stones placed by Joshua to testify to the great things God has done for the Israelites when rescuing the Jews.

Every day we encounter people and circumstances that provide opportunities to participate in the work that God is doing by sharing the great works that God is doing in our lives.  In my business, I often have the opportunity to share the story of how I came to the plastics manufacturing industry.  In 2002 I was in between jobs and earnestly seeking to be obedient to Gods call in my vocation.  I had a number of opportunities that seemed to be a good fit, but for a variety of reasons did not have peace with them.  I decided to join the plastics manufacturing business.  Many of my friends said I was crazy to go into manufacturing and particularly plastics manufacturing.  The opportunity fit exactly the 5 criteria that I was looking for and I had a peace that God would provide.  (5 Criteria: meaningful relationships, control, entrepreneurial, an adventure to live, challenge to conquer)  Recall that Joshua asked the Jews to march around Jericho 7 times saying that God would deliver the city.  I am certain many thought Joshua was crazy, but obedience brings blessings.  We were trying to revive a historic company that had lost it major customer of 30 years and desperately needed to rebuild the business.  We were in the midst of a recession and business was very competitive.  Believing that God would provide for our needs and being obedient to His call what happened next was nothing short of miraculous.  Within 90 days we were flooded with new business from a number of new customers.  We were cranking up the machines and hiring people.  In all my career I have never seen anything like it.  In my sales and business development career it was not uncommon to have a pipeline of several opportunities that could impact the business and if we had 10 opportunities winning 2 or 3 was a home run.  In this situation we collected 10 impactful opportunities and they all fell.  May God be glorified!  I have the opportunity to share this story as part of our regular business conversation routinely.  Testifying to the things God is doing in your life should be a natural part of your conversation and is a powerful encouragement to those that hear.  The power of telling of your personal encounter with God and His blessing on your life is the most natural, genuine, and impactful way to share your faith with others.

Sharing your testimony encourages and inspires others to recognize God’s work in their life and be encouraged by your words.  Seek God daily and pray for Him to make Himself known to you.  I promise you that He will show up and He will do great things in your life that you can share with others and testify to his great truth and love.  Take a moment now to remember and reflect on the great things God has done in your life.  Share these with your friends, family, co-workers and others that you cross paths in your daily activities.  Ask God to make Himself known to you today and do a great work in your life.

Revelation 12:11 tells of the destruction of the dragon, Satan, that was accomplished through the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony

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Saying Goodbye To A Family Pet

Posted on June 5, 2011 by admin

Mason, Our Pet Rabbit

Friday was a rough day.  I woke up at 3:00 a.m. with my left eye on fire and watering like a fountain.  I made it through the night and was waiting at the Doctors office when they opened.  I had a small piece of fiberglass lodged in my eyelid that worked over my eye during the night.  The Doctor removed it and I was late to work on Friday.  I struggled through the day with lingering pain so that I could attend the funeral of one of our employees of 52 years.  By the time I got home all I wanted to do was close my eyes and go to bed.  It was my wife’s birthday and we planned to take her out for dinner.  I certainly was not much fun at dinner and promptly climbed into bed when we returned home.  Could it possibly get worse?  Sound asleep, I was awoken with crying and distress by the family telling me that Mason, our pet rabbit had died. 

Saturday morning we prepared a proper burial for our pet Mason.  The death of a family pet is a significant event in the life of a child.  In many cases it is the first time they have experienced death and mourning for the loss is a new emotion.  I had to think about what to say and how to use this experience to bring the family together and teach of God’s love for us.  The following are some of my thoughts and our experience in saying goodbye to our beloved pet, Mason.

Things to consider:

  1. Be sensitive – Crying and grieving over the loss is natural and is a natural reaction.  It is OK to be sad.  Some are more affected than others and it is important that we recognize their feelings and emotions.  We can comfort each other and support each other in the loss.  
  2. Talk about the experience – We talked about the good memories that we had with Mason and reminded each other of the stories of Mason as the runt of the litter that was irresitable, swimming in the pool, and playing chase in the yard. 
  3. Have a ceremony – We have lost other pets such as fish or birds that did not get the respectful burial.  Mason was different and burial was the right thing.  Pick a nice spot where you can remember your pet and you may even want to mark the grave in remembrance.  The act of preparing the grave and burial gives us a visible and final event to say goodbye and bring closure to the event.  
  4. Turn our attention to God – Genesis 2:19 tells us that God created all the animals.  God blesses us with good things including our pets that we learn to care for, love and enjoy.  We said a prayer of thanksgiving for Mason and prayed that we would treasure every life given to us, and asked God to comfort us in our loss.

The last word.  It is OK to have two birthday celebrations for your wife.  We will be celebrating my wife’s birthday again with family on Sunday as the chaos subsided and we can enjoy and celebrate the great blessing she is to us.

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