lightnin'

Twenty years ago, I practiced archery somewhat seriously. Though I never hunted, I spent lots of hours at archery ranges killing paper, tuning my bow, honing my skills. (Ewww... does that sound like Napoleon Dynamite??) The camp staff offered archery this weekend and both of my sons had a good time on the field. In this set, all the arrows landed in the gold. I think it was the best we saw that on that particular day. I have another photo with his partner, but here we're focusing on Levi (S1).

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What I like about the photo is that it says we show our loved ones in the best possible light. Are these shots representative of how he always does? Not necessarily, but it's how I present him, because I want to build him up and influence others to think the best of him.

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And now, did you know that the pros I used to shoot with gave me a nickname? They used to call me Lightnin'... something 'bout how lightnin' don't strike the same spot twice.

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Psalm 127:4 says, "Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth." For me, it is simpler to hit the little yellow spot on a piece of paper than to rightly "aim" my children. The idea is that we can compare a warrior's arrows and a parent's children in that they both are designed to have an impact to a place beyond our reach. We spend years straightening out the bends and discerning where to point them, so that when the time comes to release them, we hold our breath and watch them fly.

singin da blues

Poor Levi. This kid worked so hard to get to the point where he was going to lead worship at our church. His big day was to be December 30. But then, just before Christmas, he took a bad fall and ended up having his jaw wired shut. (See post from December 26.) Not only did he miss leading worship on that day, this also affected his Christmas and 18th birthday celebrations as well. So as a family, we decided to postpone our usual Christmas feasts until he could join us; I'm sure Jesus won't mind.

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Last Sunday would be his second chance. We were all set to go, but he came down with a 104 degree fever and was forced to stay home.

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Now, when somebody stands in front of the congregation to sing, it is not about him or for him. Nevertheless, it is a great privilege, and we hate to see that his plans were thwarted both times he was set to go. (Maybe they oughta quit asking him, as it seems to be bad for his health.)

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I have heard him practice and I have heard him "perform" in front of other people. He always does a little better when he has a microphone and an audience. Maybe he can write a song about all of this. If you're reading this Levi, keep strumming and singing Son; keep practicing.

grasping at straws

My son Levi does not chew with his mouth open. He does not chew at all. In fact, he doesn't even open his mouth.

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He was released from the hospital Saturday with his jaw wired shut after a wrestling accident. For the next four weeks, he is restricted to an all liquid diet.

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Poor kid. He has a teenager's metabolism and he can't even eat pizza! Well, he can eat anything he wants, but it must go through a straw first. We already liquefied a cheeseburger and fries. It wasn't bad, but so far, I think the peanut butter milkshake is the best.

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A buddy told me about a site where they show videos of what kind of crazy things can go in their blender. Glowsticks, golf balls... all kinds of things! It's called willitblend.com.

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...Has anybody seen the cat?

wishing wellness

Wow! People have been so kind and generous on account of my son. We are grateful for the hospital visits, your prayers, and the eight blenders that were offered.

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Last night, I asked S1 if he would like to receive email, and he said yes. (It's the least painful way for a person whose jaw is wired shut to have social interaction.) We have given him the Web handle of "Levi." So, if you feel inclined to send him a note, send it to my email (it's in my profile) with "for Levi" in the subject line.