Tag: jungle jeff

It’s The Last Thing I Wanted

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? That’s What We Want To Know.

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 🙂

Volunteering – Involving Your Family?

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 🙂

Volunteering Is A Lifestyle

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 🙂

Invisible

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 🙂