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[Driving in the car and eating a donut.]

Me: Sophia, do you remember the story we read last night?

Sophia: What?

Me: The story about the fiery furnace. Do you remember that?

Sophia. Yeah! But, daddy, are you taking care of me?

Me: Of course! And, better yet, God is taking care of you just like he took care of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace.

Sophia: Is God gonna take care of me in the fiery furnace?

Me: Yup! And, he’s also going to take care of you when bad things happen or you have to do something really hard.

Sophia: Daddy, when I have to do a really hard puzzle, God is taking care of me.

Look what Sophia made at VBS. She’s got some craft skills! They were learning about Jesus and his disciples in the boat.

VBS is good. Not just because it’s fun for the kids and a break for parents.

VBS is good food for little minds that are literally soaking up everything to which they are exposed.

I heard a guy tell the story of when he was six-years-old and he watched a horror movie with his uncle. The kid couldn’t sleep after that. The movie literally haunted him. As each day wore on, he would get a sense of dread knowing that it would be dark soon and he would have to go to bed. Sadly, this did not last a few days or even a week. He was scared for years.

One movie. An hour and 30 minutes. It completely transformed the way he saw the world. It became a very real part of who he was and is.

VBS is other side. Kids learn about the love and power and grace of Jesus. They color pictures, sing songs, and listen to stories.

Here’s the important part: It changes them.

No kidding. It’s true. What kids (and adults for that matter) experience molds them.

Little Rock to Memphis.

Just long enough to be . . . well . . . long.

For entertainment, Sophia chews on her big toe.

For entertainment, Samuel watches Sophia chew on her big toe.

For entertainment, I take pictures of Sophia chewing on her big toe.

We had two gloriously warm days in January. They couldn’t have come at a better time.

Kazoobie Kazoo did a show at River Fest. It was pretty sweet. Everyone got a Kazoo. He knew I could rock out on the Kazoo so Kazoobie called me on stage to have a Kazoo-off. I won. Just barely, but I got him on Fur Elise.

That’s him on the left. He’s trying to Kazaam me. But, I lay the smack down with a crazy E minor blues riff.

Click on the picture below. This is good stuff. I just wish we were going!

I love this organization. I’m sold on it. Read more about my experience with Compassion International here and here.

I’m a dad now.  And questions about sheltering and protecting and maturity are things with which we now struggle.  Should Sophia play with Barbies (no)?  Can she watch The Simpsons (no)?  Should she be able to listen to Johnny Cash (depends)?

Anyway, the Krusty Sage, over at “Letters from Kamp Krusty” pretty much nailed it. Here’s a sample. Follow the link to read the post in its entirety.

It’s your job to shelter, pops.  And if you think the mindless entertainment/consumption lifestyle is somehow “the real world”, the Krusty Sage is going to get out of his big, awesome, wooden chair and hit you with it.

Interested? Read it here.

Want to do something amazing? Go here. You’re just a few clicks away from making Jesus smile. No, really. Helping lift kids out of poverty is probably in the top 5 of Jesus’ “What I Want My Followers To Do Today” list. Heck! Maybe top 3! Compassion International is the bridge between you and those kids. It’s a great organization. I know first hand. I’ve visited 2 Compassion projects in Lima, Peru multiple times. We sponsor a little girl in Lima and have seen with our own eyes the incredible impact $32 dollars a month has had on her and her family. Need more reasons? Here are a few:

- You will fall in love.

- You will change a child’s life forever.

- Tax deduction.

- The thrill of sacrifice.

- You’ll be obeying the two most important commands. (Mk. 12:29)

- You will make a new friend (I have a notebook full of letters our compassion kids have sent us).

- You will learn about a new culture.

- You will teach your kids (or roommate or whoever) to love God by loving people.

- One less kid will go to bed hungry tonite.

And if that’s not enough, maybe a picture of our beautiful girl in Lima will do the trick . . . Actually, I’m just a proud sponsor who wants to show off his kid.

Do you sponsor a kid?

This weekend the Promise House will join all the other Arkansas Baptist Children Homes at Shepherd of the Ozarks for the annual retreat.

Three years ago Amanda and I attended this retreat. I had been asked to lead worship for the houseparent part. Dave Hughey was the speaker. The second day I was asked to lead a few games for one of the homes. They couldn’t participate in the more strenuous activities. “Why can’t they?” I asked. “Because they are pregnant.” I was told.

So, here I went to play games with pregnant teenagers. They were, of course, girls from the Promise House. I had never heard of the Promise House at that point. Now, I live at the Promise House! How crazy is that. Just thinking about my awkwardness in leading those games three years ago and the fact that now I work here full-time makes me laugh. I’m pretty sure God got a kick out of that one. I can just imagine him being there as I led those games . . . “You just wait!”

I was minding my own business. Seriously. I wasn’t looking for trouble or commitment. I was just jogging around Baptist Hospital. I’m supposed to run a 10k with my dad this weekend in Fayetteville, so I was getting myself ready for it.

Unfortunately, trouble found me. As I was turning from Kanis to Emergency Dr. I saw it. There it was, hair matted, wide-eyed, and shivering. A kitten. “Oh crap!” I said out loud, “It’s a cat.” I didn’t stop. I just kept right on running.

“I don’t need to be messing with that.” I told myself. It’s too much trouble, too much commitment. Then, the other side. “But, shouldn’t I? It’s shivering for crying out loud!” I was thinking all this as I made the 1 mile loop around the hospital. I wondered if it was my duty as a follower of Christ to do something. Would Jesus help a homeless kitten? I wasn’t convinced. I don’t personally believe that animal rescue is what I’m called to. “It’s just a cat. And it probably has flees or leprosy.”

Then came the fatal blow. “What would Sophia think of me if I didn’t do anything?” I knew that right now she can’t understand it, but what if she could? “What would she think?” I wondered. I knew exactly what she would think. She would see me as a hard-hearted, merciless, puppy-kicking, kitten abandoning, jerk. “Ok.” I told myself, “If it’s still there when I go back around I’ll get it.”

It was. So, I wrapped it up in my shirt and high tailed it back to the Promise House. I gave it some milk and a bath. And I put it in a cardboard box. Except, it doesn’t like to be in the box. It wants to be where it can see me. If it can’t see me it meows really loudly and obnoxiously.

Amanda and Sophia are in Crossett until tomorrow. So, she doesn’t know yet. It’s just me and the kitten hanging out. Bonding.

We won’t be keeping the kitten. The Promise House doesn’t allow it. So, I’m in search of a good home. Here’s a picture of him/her (I can’t tell). Please email me if you want it (thefamilybush[at]yahoo.com). You can come and get it today if you’d like.