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Labor day afternoon, I pulled our 9-year old son aside, “You impressed me this morning”.

Three 9-year olds, the day before, took turns ganging up on each other in our pool. Playfully wrestling and fighting the way puppies or kittens do.

However, the next morning (Labor Day), it was 2-against-1 the entire morning.  The other two boys are very athletic.  Our son hasn’t played any sports yet.

But you would have never known.  Not only did he have strength, he had endurance too.  It would have been hard to take pick of the litter.

As we cuddled in bed that night, I purposefully asked him if he remembered our earlier conversation.  He did.

It was the last thing I wanted.

Why?  One of life’s most important questions.

We readily ask, but most don’t wait to hear the answer.

Why?

You tell me.  Speculation says it’s because of three simple truths:

1. We are afraid of the answer
2. We are easily distracted
3. Both

Why?

Not sure.  Oh look, shiny.

Carpe diem, jeff noel

Yesterday a fellow public speaker asked an excellent question.  By the way, great professional speakers ask great questions.

“What about volunteering with your family”? It was not clear in yesterday’s post, so here it is now.

All our volunteer efforts start with, “Can we do this as a Family”?

Not only is being visible important to setting a good example, but so is involvement.

My wife serves as a Minister of Holy Communion on the days I Lector. Afterwards, our son helps me carry the Gospel (a very large, heavy book) back to the Sacristy.  Been doing this since he could walk.

It was cute the first few years because it was only symbolic.  He was not strong enough to actually help. But children don’t care. He actually believed he was lifting it.

You know, in a weird sort of way, he actually was.  Carpe diem, jeff noel

Didn’t consciously think about this until our son was born in 2000.

In studying human nature, I concluded there were several choices:

1. Volunteering for things that take you away from your Family
2. Volunteering for things that do not take you away from your Family
3. Volunteering for a little of both
4. Not volunteering

This morning, I’m a Lector at our Church. Once or twice a month I have the privilege to read from the Old Testament or the New Testament.

The (two) Lectors act as God’s voice, and read critical pieces of scripture to the congregation.

Our son sees this every time I volunteer.  Visible is good.  Carpe diem, jeff noel

My wife and I share an invisible disability. We spent our entire life savings to overcome it.  And while spending, we were never guaranteed success.

I asked a friend of mine, just yesterday, “May I talk about our relationship in my blogs”? He said yes.  I figured he would.

His disability can be seen a mile away.

I was at Golds Gym earlier this year when another friend said, “You’re gifted”.

I argued back that I wasn’t.  I said, “The only gift I have is that Jesus is my Lord and Savior”.

It’s almost 7:00AM and I have one more blog to write.  Carpe diem, jeff noel

Labor Day Weekend 2009.

Most likely our plans revolve around traditional American activities.

Get togethers with family or friends.  Food.  Drink.  Music.  Fun. Games. Sports. Yard work.  Car repairs. Chores.  Errands.  Rest. Relaxation.  Prayer.

Since I wasn’t 100% certain what Labor Day stood for, I Googled it.

I hope while I’m engaging in the traditional American activities, there will be significant chunks of time where I can give thanks for the countless blessings we all enjoy as American Citizens.

One of the biggest blessings is being able to walk around in public and not worry about a bomb exploding.

Carpe diem, jeff noel

“To me the Lord’s coming is not a question of prophecy, but my present hope…  There is no event between me and Heaven”.    – John Nelson Darby

Gonna leave this one up for individual interpretation.

Carpe diem, jeff noel

It feels a bit selfish to ask you to do this, yet it also feels, oddly enough, not selfish.  Ok, so I’m a little confused.

Anyway, a prayer petition today for my very good friend from work, Bob and his wife Renae.  A scheduled c-section at noon today, for their second child.

These are fairly routine, even when they are not planned, like for our son’s birth.

And also please, if you have a moment extra, another good friend from Church, Ralph, that his niece Bella will get through her cancer scans with a clean report.

And for the rest of us, having our own challenges ahead of us today, let us rely on God’s Grace, Mercy and Never Ending Love.

Carpe diem, jeff noel

Two Big Prayers?  Pray that I can achieve the following two impossible goals:

1. To become the kind of person my dog thinks I am.
2. That when our son goes looking for Jesus, he’ll only have to look across the dining room table.

Do you have a few really BIG goals in your life?  Are you comfortable posting them in the comments section?

Carpe diem, jeff noel

Playdate?  Sometimes. Usually on the weekends.  Almost exclusively on the weekends.

After Church yesterday, we called a couple of our son’s “cousins”. One couldn’t come over for a playdate simply because the Family was exhausted from the week’s activities. Been there, done that. Completely understand.

The other friend couldn’t come over because he was busy too.  He was attending a school function of sorts.

Many of his classmates would be gathering together to honor one of their teachers.

Just six days earlier, school started and it is an exciting time for third graders across Central Florida.

But not today.  Not by a long shot.

Their third grade teacher passed away in her sleep after the first day of school.

I can not fathom their sense of loss, the heartache, the confusion. Can’t begin to understand what the teacher’s family must be going through.

All I can do is humble myself and pray.  Pray for them.  And pray we don’t squander this day.  Carpe diem, jeff noel