The Root of All Evil

At a truck stop last week we parked our RV for a moment. While I'm in the RV restroom some trucker knocks on the door and tells my wife to "Get the kids and come see! You won't believe what's goin' on over here!" Of course my wife stays in the RV. I get out to see what all the fuss is and between a bunch of trucks is a group of drivers standing around one guy sitting on the pavement. He has three playing cards face down on the ground and fist full of twenty dollar bills. The guy who first approached the RV waves his own fist full of twenty dollar bills while talking very excitedly: "You won't believe this - get in on it while you can - I just made a hundred bucks." Scam artists working together. It reminded me of a bunch of boys in elementary school pitching pennies.

After getting something at the office, I came back through and all the guys were gone - I snapped this photo of the place they were gathered and one lingering driver was very bothered that I was doing such a thing. Maybe it made them think twice about running the scam a second time.

Whenever my oldest son gets too thrilled over the money he has saved. (YES it is a good thing to save money - don't misunderstand!) I temper his excitement by repeating the phrase: "Love of money is the root of all evil."

A good thing for a man to remember - don't you agree? The hard part is that most of us are responsible for providing so it will always be a bit of balancing act. We don't love money - but we sure appreciate having it around. Better to have the phrase drilled into memory. Who knows? Without out it I could've been the guy sitting on the pavement between all those trucks.

Love the phrase a coffee shop owner shared: "The Lord loves me so much he will not give me a penny more than he can trust me with!"

In other news....
My occasional delays in posting are no measure of my interest in this soon-to-be-a-website-blog. I'm still waiting for your postings in the comment section. We are traveling full-time so expect my postings to be delayed. HHmmm I guess most of you men do not recall your early days of formation or you do not think you have any wisdom to share. I'll keep inviting you to add to this and eventually it will get into gear.

Once the web site is up and running we will send out a renewed invitation - meanwhile, keep passing this address along to the men you know.
Later!
MJP

Muscle and Brains

Yesterday we climbed the steps leading up to the highest observation level at Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona.
An old guy who works here said the crater is so large, you could hold 20 Super Bowl Games at the same time on the floor of the crater and have enough room to seat 40 million fans around the sides. Amazing to see this thing.

I told my boys (again) to notice the difference between falling and climbing. Our legs were a bit shakey - and since the altitude is higher than Denver, we were also a bit winded. "Constructive thoughts or words of encouragement will strengthen certain muscles. We have to work to climb - and the view is better. Complaining thoughts or words of discouragement will also strengthen certain muscles - but it is less work and not only are you going down, the view is also a 'downer'."

I'm sure my boys thought - "Oh no, there goes Dad, again!"
Even so I'm not giving up. I heard somewhere that a parent repeats instruction about 1,500 times before it begins to change the behavior of a child. I'm up for it.

The wind was so strong they closed down the 'rim tour' for fear someone might be blown off. While climbing the stairs we had rails on either side. The boys were amazed that they could lean so far into the wind and it was holding them up. One gust was so strong it blew us into the other rail on the path. My 2 year old daughter Therese began to cry and I wrapped her in my coat to calm her.

This, too, got me thinking...

You can see faith as a bunch or rules or clear markings to keep you alive. I'm sure some guy somewhere would boast how he is so strong he does not need any railings. Right. Without railings I can picture this same guy shouting the loudest, moving the fastest, covering the greatest distance, just before making the strongest impression on the bottom of the crater 570 feet below.

Work your muscles and use your brains. We men need to be praying for wisdom or we will be lacking in wisdom. We need to be strengthening the right set of muscles to be the best for our wives and children. This week I was a bit of a whiner - I hope to do better next week. I hope the same for you. (Dads AND Teens - test this out. See how when you work the right set of muscles you can lift up the mood of your family.)

Waiting and Praying

My friend Bob tells me this image always reminds him of the father waiting for his prodigal son.

I like that.

I also think of a farmer praying the Angelus or praying for rain...

When will I learn to wait on God?
God waits for us.

He offers wisdom and gives strength. He blesses the humble. Lifts up the lowly. Brings down the mighty from their thrones.

Which one are you?

Are you a Priest, Brother, Husband, or Father who puts yourself up on some kind of throne?
If so... I gotta tell you - you're coming down. Sooner or later.

You can humble yourself now or be humbled later.
Walk in humility or fall in humiliation.

God alone is worthy of the throne.