Thursday, February 25, 2010

"I Had A Thought"

Really I did.

Well, I have many everyday,
most are worth nothing;
Like a 3-year-old who
wonders where dogs come from.
For which my lovely wife answered:
"from other dogs."

I'm guessing that's a good
answer for a 3-year-old.
Or maybe not.

But really, my thoughts usually
are a little deeper than that.
Or is it, I understand where
dogs come from and don't
need that answered for me.

Back to my point:
Thoughts.

Where do my thoughts dwell each day?
(which leads to this thought:
do we under-use the word
"dwell" in modern day speak?)

How much time do I spend thinking,
dwelling, on matters that matter
about as much as "where do dogs
come from"?

"Set your minds on things
above, not on earthly things."
Colossians 3:2 NIV

Do I think about, dwell, enough
each day on things above, or
do I just think about, dwell,
on the earthly things... the things
that will ultimately pass away.

Knowing me, as much as I do,
I think about, dwell, much to
much on things here... on this
earth... fleeting things... vaporous
things.

Just a thought.

Monday, February 22, 2010

"Quiet Week Ahead"

Some times busy is good.
It distracts.
It keeps you moving.
It helps you get things done.

Some times, busy is no good.
When your sick.
or some one you love is sick.
or when you've got too much to soon.

The horizon for the Trimble home looks quiet.
Nothing pressing.
Nothing major.
Time to recoup. Time to rest. Time to breath.

Refocus during the not so busy times is critical.

"Come to me, all you who are
weary and burdened, and I will
give you rest. Take my yoke upon
you and learn from me, for I am
gentle and humble in heart, and
you will find rest for your souls."
Matthew 11:28-29 NIV

Saturday, February 20, 2010

"8, Eight, VIII"

Happy Birthday, Son!

Noah turns 8 today. 8!
My first born is 8.
Unbelievable.

Oh how time slows for no one... not even a kid.

I remember that day very clearly.
I was working the 330am shift.
At 6am, I got the call. Got to go.

Got home in probably record time...
though I'd have to make the same trip
almost 2 years later to the day. (story)

We made it to the hospital just fine.
And @ 2:14pm, on 2/20/02
Noah David was born.

A rainy rainy day. Downpours!
Appropriate given his name.

Find out later when I get to the car:
yep, left the lights on, dead battery.
But at that point, who cared?
I was a new father.

8 years old.
8 years of new experiences.
Diapers, feedings, baseball, bike
riding, building, cleaning, trips, etc.

8 years of memories... 8 years
of joy, pain, happiness and sadness.

He's 8. Here's to a great 8th year!

Happy Birthday, Buddy. I love you.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

"Snow Part II"

My grandmothers 12X12 awning fell
under the weight of snow and ice today.
She's pretty banged up. Thankfully
where she was standing on the porch
didn't put her directly under the full
weight of it all, which would have
certainly crushed her to death.
Currently the Medical Center is
running all sorts of test to make sure
the only thing wrong is the 3 inch
gash she received was the worst of it.
Prayerfully, that's all.

To you whom read this: Take a
moment to consider those you know
who have similar constructions on
their property that could use a good
dose of snow removal.

Why do wait to use our common sense?

All I'm asking is to allow my situation
to motivate you to action.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

"Four"

I'm the father of 4.

1... 2... 3... 4...

Get it?

I do the best I can. I understand that in
many ways I fail them miserable. They
see too much of me.

HUH?

Yeah, really. All of the me that I
shouldn't be, they see. I'd like to
think if I was gainfully employed,
that some of the worst of me wouldn't
be seen.

Make sense?

But then again, I should be the same,
everywhere. Sure, I'll fail... but
hopefully those times would happen
when I'm not around my children.

To tell you the truth, I don't want
mini-mes... not even for one billion dollars!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

"The New 6"

My princess turns 6 today.

Apparently that's a big deal for girls.
Or at least that's what she tells me.

It's not that big a deal for dads. Not like 13 or 16 might be.
At least that's what they tell me.

6 years.

That's really not a long time, yet, it seems so long ago.

I remember eating a sheetz mto
and doing... let's just say a high rate
of speed to get to the doctors office
where Samantha was.

I remember changing her name from...
let's just say something... to Abigail
after being sickened when the doctor
suggested a popular name sake of the time.

I remember a 2-year-old Noah wondering
aloud why the new baby girl in the house
didn't have... let's just say, the same
peeing apparatus as he did.

And now...

She's in K-grade.
Learning to read.
Learning all kinds of great things.

She's growing up. And she might not
be closer to leaving this house quite yet.
But my little girl is growing up.

God help us!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

"Sigh"

No school.

As a kid, fantastic!

As a parent, no so fantastic.

Not that I'm of the mindset that I can't wait to ship the kids off.
But sometimes, you need a lot less chaos to get things done.

Chaos.

Hmmm.

Put them to work... yeah, that's the ticket!

Monday, February 8, 2010

"Feblueary"

I was going to complain, but what good does it really do?

It's not like we shouldn't expect February to be
the worst month of the calendar year;
year in, year out.

And another thing.

Global warming? Really?
I think it time you greenie weenies remove your
head from the snowbank...

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

"Here We Go Again"

I've been reading Nehemiah. Not sure why.
God knows.

Nehemiah 8:10b "Do not grieve, for the
joy of the LORD is your strength."


The first 37 verses of Chapter 9
is an account of the history of the Israelite
people, the covenant God made with
Abraham, and the people's history of
wandering away from God and His
compassion on them as they repented.

Time and time again, the Israelites would
see God do amazing things, and promptly
turn from Him. And time and time again,
God in his great mercy would hear their
cries of forgiveness, and bless them again.

WHY?

I ask again, WHY!!!?

And then I look in the mirror and realize,
"that's me!"

We know that the law is spiritual;
but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
I do not understand what I do. For what
I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.
And if I do what I do not want to do,
I agree that the law is good.
As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it,
but it is sin living in me. I know that
nothing good lives in me, that is,
in my sinful nature. For I have the desire
to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
For what I do is not the good I want to do;
no, the evil I do not want to do --
this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I
do not want to do, it is no longer I who
do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

Romans 7:14-20 (NIV)

My selfishness... my lust of self...
my inclination to do what pleases me...
my sin.

Now, I guess I've got a built in excuse.
It's not really my fault. Sin keeps
me doing what I don't want to do.

And yet:
For we know that since Christ
was raised from the dead,
he cannot die again; death no
longer has mastery over him.
The death he died, he died to
sin once for all; but the life he lives,
he lives to God.
In the same way, count yourselves
dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Therefore do not let sin reign in your
mortal body so that you obey its evil desires.

Romans 6:9-12 (NIV)

No excuses. Jesus conquered my sin.
And I am no longer a slave to it.
I now have the power of God to overcome it.
And now this:
Nehemiah 8:10b "Do not grieve, for the
joy of the LORD is your strength."
means even more to me!

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

"Silly Groundhog"

Yep. It's time again for the hole-diggin',
clover-eatin' ground-rat to make
his "seerer of seers" prediction.
And as it happens, the shadow has been
cast (as if you can cast a shadow in
western PA anytime of the year).

6 more weeks of winter. DUH!

Only 15 times in his illustrious weather
predicting career has the hog actually
NOT seen his shadow.

15 times.

13% of his predictions
have been that of early spring.

Now, I assure you, it doesn't matter
really what that little ground piggy says.

It's February.
It's western PA.
And it's going to be "cold out there campers!"


Not that a prediction of an early spring
would have me jumping for joy. But really,
I need the sunshine. I need the warmer temperatures.
I need the children to get outside and burn their energy.

So, six more weeks of winter means to me:
six more weeks of cabin fever!