taking advantage

i loved college. initially i admit it was a little tough. insecure would describe how i felt at first. (after lunch with my dad the first day, he drove up to my dorm and said, "see you later!" i got out and he drove home). then the midterm of my first quarter came and it took off. i still talk about it today. so many things happened in my college days that have formed me into the man (and even, husband and father) i am today. those days were defining to such a point that the decisions i made then and the people i surrounded myself with continue to impact me today. that amazes me. but college was a great time filled not just with book learning and valuable life lessons, but also a fabulous time to create memories. i learned to ski in college, i perfected the chinese fire drill, set the sled record on legion field with my roommate robbie on a bent construction sign, dropped a girl on her chin, watched hershel walker set records, got rejected by women, got accepted by women, went to a friends debutante, hiked a lot of the appalachian trail, shared my faith, took a ton of great photos, developed deeply in my faith, sensed my calling to be a missionary, and most important of all, i met my wife. of course, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. but all the depth and color of my college career is something i really want my kids to experience. and now i have my first child, taylor, in his first semester of school. he is following in the steps of his father's experience and i thank God for it.

it seems he is grabbing the bull by the horns and is experiencing college as i would dream for him. and i see a new depth in him. in some ways it difficult to realize that he has his own life, mostly without me in it, but it is also very exciting to see him establish himself as an adult. of course, i don't need to be in all of his life. i have had that role and experience for the last 19 years. it's his turn. he has leapt from the nest and is using his own wings. and doing well. he's a good flyer and i'm proud of him for what he is doing. he is choosing well and making vital foundational decisions that will serve him the rest of his life. from this vantage point i can see a great deal to be thankful for and i bow before God in gratefulness and utter my praise to him for his many fingerprints in our family's life and for his face turned toward taylor. i pray that taylor (and all of my kids) will see how satisfying Christ is and how utterly disappointing life without him is.

yea. i loved college. I love taylor. and now i see he loves college too. how fun is that. very.

God exists.

tomorrow morning i take my middle child, philip, to the airport for his senior trip to costa rica. it's hard to believe that he's the same child that had a major studdering problem when he was a toddler. today he told me that he called all the guys together who are going on the trip to talk about how to make this a great trip. he mentioned being authentic with each other. starting fresh and serving one another. he talked about keeping an eye on the girls who outnumber the guys 2 to 1. wow. my son has turned into a man. and a remarkably authentic one at that. he's not perfect (neither is his dad), but he has learned well from his mistakes and is moving forward in significant ways. the difference between last year and this is remarkable and he seems to be using his senior year well and seems to be growing deep in his faith. no doubt i am proud of him. and i'm excited for what is ahead for him. God has gotten a major grip on his heart and it is something i have prayed for all three of my kids. that they would see and sense their deep need for Christ. i want them to see how dissatisfying life is without Christ and yet, how full life is with him at the helm. yes. amazing. tomorrow my boy heads to costa rica on a ministry trip. if i had nothing else but my kids and my wife to prove to me that God exists, then i would have all i need to convince my heart and mind that he does indeed exist. and better yet, he loves me.