Rick's Articles
Create Great Stories
“Carve your name on hearts, not on tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” — Shannon L. Alder
“Tell me a story, Daddy!” “Read it just one more time, please, Daddy!” “Daddy, this is my favorite part in the book! Can you read it again?”
Oh, how I miss those words!
I loved the times when I would read to my kids. It was such a special time, a time of connecting, a time when they were snuggled up to me while we were caught up in the story we were reading. It was our time.
Mud Puddles & Dandelions
I Wish You Mud Puddles & Dandelions:
When I look at a patch of dandelions,
I see a bunch of weeds that are going to take over my yard.
My kids see
Flowers for Mom and blowing white fluff you can wish on.
When I look at an old drunk and he smiles at me,
I see a smelly, dirty person who probably wants money, and I look away.
My kids see
Someone smiling at them and they smile back.
Marriage Commandments
“Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” --Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12
Show Your Love
"I have this complaint against you: You stopped doing what you once did to show your love." Revelation 2:4
When Jesus would speak to the churches, He often would speak in relational terms. This is reflected in the verse above when Jesus was speaking to the church of Ephesus. The same complaint voiced above can be directed at us when it comes to our marital relationships. When we were dating, we would do all sorts of acts to show our love for one another. We would talk for hours about nothing, send flowers and cards, go for walks, write love letters or poems, go places with each other--even if we didn’t care about the places we were going! The important thing was being with each other. We would do anything for each other! But then, we got married, and most or all of those loving acts we once did when we dated went the way of the dinosaur! We stopped doing what we once did to show our love to one another.