The Children Grow Up

Today Michelle and Andrew sang a duet in church.  "Lord, I Need You" is a contemporary Christian song based on the old hymn "I Need Thee Every Hour" (I wonder if Michelle and Andrew know that).  Their voices soared in harmony and their sincerity increased the song's impact on all of us.  But the quality of their "performance" astounded me.  "I didn't know they were that good!!" I thought as I listened to the blend, the tone, the pitch, and their musicality.

This sort of thing keeps happening to us as the children grow up.  Whether Michelle chatters away in Spanish on the phone to her friends in Mexico, or David informs us of chemical formulas and properties of elements, or Joel snags a rocketing softball and completes the throw to first base, and Sarah grabs his throw to get the runner out, I can't believe it.  When Daniel (or Sarah!) (or Philip!!) hits a home run, I'm in awe.  When Andrew lifts heavy weights, I gape.  How can these little whippersnappers accomplish feats that I've never dreamed of?

As our children spread their wings, they prove themselves capable of entering new spheres, reaching new people, and achieving success in new fields.  Our family isn't limited to following in Mom's or Dad's footsteps.  This is a good thing.  Apparently the author Hodding Carter Jr. is the source of the quote:  "There are two lasting bequests we can give our children; one is roots, the other wings."  The roots we trust we've given our children are faith in the Lord and in His Word, security and stability in our family, an ability to overlook offenses and to forgive, and numerous good values and morals.  We see their wings spreading now with all sorts of variety and emphases.  Praise be to God for His many gifts!

The Value of Tentmakers Training

Today we met with three other couples to discuss possibilities for expanding the reach of Tentmakers training in the future. In reminiscing about the value of training, I was reminded of the various areas from which I benefited:

1. When we had to compliment the speaker at our table, I realized how foreign the concept of "looking for the good in others" was to me. I was used to criticizing the errors, scorning the blunders, despising the ineptitude of speakers. Tentmakers training taught me to find good qualities in everyone. I have often fallen back into my old habits, but at least I occasionally think about and get back to complimenting.

2. An ever-flowing fountain of questions to ask people, and an understanding of how very interesting most people are, have resulted in many fascinating conversations through the years.

3. "Compliment in writing; criticize only in person, and cushion with compliments."

4. Dreaming, setting goals, and implementing a Personal Management Plan have helped me think of the future in a purposeful way.

5. Understanding the value of an environment of encouragement has improved my directing skills.

There are more, but these are sufficient to explain my enthusiasm for bringing training to more people in the coming years.