today’s instant vacation…

I’m posting “off schedule” because I want to share some of my favorite humor about dads. As scary as it is now to look in the mirror and see my dad, it was scarier yet when I first started hearing my dad when I interacted with my kids as they grew up. I would say something and think afterwards how unoriginal or recylced it was - I was unintentionally quoting or paraphrasing my own dad! I lost my dad 34 years ago (massive heart attack at age 42), and I still miss him a lot. There’s so much I would love to be sharing with him. I know he would absolutely love my kids and be as proud of them as I am. And my kids would love him as much as I do.

Many of us have favorite quotations from our fathers and/or grandfathers. The list below is a list of favorite “dadisms” and also some things you would never hear your dad say.

How many of the following have you heard coming from a father?

Don’t ask me, ask your mother.

Close the door. Were you born in a barn?

You didn’t beat me. I let you win.

Big boys don’t cry.

Don’t worry. It’s only blood.

Now you listen to ME, Buster!

A little dirt never hurt anyone - just wipe it off.

I told you, keep your eye on the ball.

Who said life was supposed to be fair? Life is not fair.

Always say please and thank you.

If you forget, you’ll be grounded till the end of the world.

“Hey” is for horses.

This will hurt me a lot more than it hurts you.

Turn off those lights.

Don’t give me any of your lip, young lady.

We’re not lost. I’m just not sure where we are.

Do you think I am made of money?

No, we’re not there yet.

Shake it off. It’s only pain.

When I was your age , I….

As long as you live under my roof, you’ll live by my rules.

I’ll tell you why. Because I said so. That’s why.

Do what I say, not what I do.

Sit up straight!

So you think you’re smart , do you?

What’s so funny? Wipe that smile off your face.

Young ladies perspire; they do not sweat.

If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a thousand times….

You want something to do? I’ll give you something to do.

If you fall and break your leg, don’t come running to me.

You should visit/call/write more often. Your mother worries.

I’m not sleeping - I was watching that channel.

I’m not just talking to hear my own voice!

Don’t believe anything you hear and only half of what you see.

What do you think I am, a bank?

What part of NO don’t you understand?

I don’t care what other people are doing! I’m not everybody else’s father!

You’re not leaving my house dressed like that!

Hurt much? I didn’t feel a thing.

If you’re gonna be dumb, you’ve gotta be tough.

Didn’t your teacher learn you anything?!

Do you think I’m made of money?

It’s hard to be good and easy to be bad.

I got my tongue wrapped around my eye-tooth and couldn’t see what I was saying.

Hey, did you hear me talking to you?

You know you’re always gonna be Daddy’s little girl.

I’m not sleeping while I watch television. I’m just resting my eyes.

Don’t use that tone with me!

Am I talking to a brick wall?

If you do that one more time, I’ll….

Act your age.

Two wrongs do not make a right.

Wipe your feet!

Enough is enough! Don’t make me stop the car!

What did I just get finished telling you?

Here are some things you’ll never hear a dad say:

Leave the lights on. I don’t care about the power bill.

You know … I am made of money. Money really does grow on trees; of course, you can have that toy, book, car, etc. Whatever you want is yours

In my day, we had it much easier than you do. My parents drove me to school even though it was just next door.

Don’t save for a rainy day. Your mom and I will always be here to bail you out.

You know, Honey, now that you’re thirteen, you’re ready for unchaperoned dates.

I noticed that all your friends have a certain hostile attitude. I like that.

What do I want for my birthday? Aahh, don’t worry about that. It’s no big deal.

What do you mean you wanna play football? Figure skating’s not good enough for you, son?

Your mother and I are going away for the weekend. You might want to consider throwing a party.

Well, I don’t know what’s wrong with your car. Probably one of those doo-hickey thingies–ya know–that makes it run or something. Just have it towed to a mechanic and pay whatever he asks.

No son of mine is going to live under this roof without an earring. Now quit your belly-aching, and let’s go to the mall.

Whaddya wanna go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend.

Well, how ’bout that? I’m lost! Looks like we’ll have to stop and ask for directions.

Here’s a credit card and the keys to my new car. Have fun!

Father’s Day? aahh - don’t worry about that — it’s no big deal to me.

This is Rob again. I hope that all you dads have a great Father’s Day!

quotation…

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” III John 4

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Rob

It rarely occurs to teenagers that the day will come when they’ll know as little as their parents.

Today’s iv is something I ran across in my files as I began to look for material for upcoming Father’s Day posts. This was so nice, I couldn’t resist sharing it now.

A man’s daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.

“I guess you were expecting me,” he said.

“No, who are you?” said the father.

“I’m the new minister at your church,” he replied. “When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up.”

“Oh yeah, the chair,” said the bedridden man. “Would you mind closing the door?”

Puzzled, the minister shut the door. “I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,” said the man. “But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head.” “I abandoned any attempt at prayer,” the old man continued, “until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, ‘Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest: Sit down in a chair. Place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It’s not spooky because he promised He would always be with us. Then just speak to him in the same way you’re doing with me right now.’”

“So, I tried it and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I’m careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.”

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him and returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon.

“Did he die in peace?” he asked.

“Yes, when I left the house about two o’ clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead.

“But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?”

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, “I wish we could all go like that.”

2 Corinthians 5:7 reminds us that “we walk by faith, not by sight.”

quotation…

“Today you and I are walking billboards, declaring either that the gospel is powerful and true or that it is weak and false. … Am I really part of what Jesus does in people’s lives, or am I part of some kind of culture?” - Dr. Drew Conley

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Rob

Do you ever feel like you’re diagonally parked in a parallel universe?

We have friends whose daughter in Kindergarten has been giving them fits lately with things she should not even be using. One day recently she painted her legs with nail polish, getting some on the carpet. Today she wrote on the wall of her bedroom with lipstick. As I was looking through my files recently, I ran across something I hadn’t read in years. It came to mind when I heard about our friends’ daughter’s misdeeds. I pass it along for your amusement.

Household Principles For Children - from Lamentations of the Father, by Ian Frazier

LAWS OF FORBIDDEN PLACES

Of the beasts of the field, and of the fishes of the sea, and of all foods that are acceptable in my sight you may eat, but not in the living room.

Of the hoofed animals, broiled or ground into burgers, you may eat, but not in the living room.

Of the cloven-hoofed animal, plain or with cheese, you may eat, but not in the living room.

Of the cereal grains, of the corn and of the wheat and of the oats, and of all the cereals that are of bright color and unknown provenance you may eat, but not in the living room.

Of quiescently frozen dessert and of all frozen after-meal treats you may eat, but absolutely not in the living room.

Of the juices and other beverages, yes, even of those in sippy-cups, you may drink, but not in the living room, neither may you carry such therein.

Indeed, when you reach the place where the living room carpet begins, of any food or beverage there you may not eat, neither may you drink. But if you are sick, and are lying down and watching something, then may you eat in the living room.

LAWS WHEN AT TABLE

And if you are seated in your high chair, or in a chair such as a greater person might use, keep your legs and feet below you as they were. Neither raise up your knees, nor place your feet upon the table, for that is an abomination to me.

Yes, even when you have an interesting bandage to show, your feet upon the table are an abomination, and worthy of rebuke.

Drink your milk as it is given you, neither use on it any utensils, nor fork, nor knife, nor spoon, for that is not what they are for; if you will dip your blocks in the milk, and lick it off, you will be sent away.

When you have drunk, let the empty cup then remain upon the table, and do not bite it upon its edge and by your teeth hold it to your face in order to make noises in it sounding like a duck: for you will be sent away.

When you chew your food, keep your mouth closed until you have swallowed, and do not open it to show your brother or your sister what is within; I say to you, do not so, even if your brother or your sister has done the same to you.

Eat your food only; do not eat that which is not food; neither seize the table between your jaws, nor use the raiment of the table to wipe your lips. I say again to you, do not touch it, but leave it as it is.

And though your stick of carrot does indeed resemble a marker, draw not with it upon the table, even in pretend, for we do not do that, that is why.

And though the pieces of broccoli are very like small trees, do not stand them upright to make a forest, because we do not do that, that is why.

Sit just as I have told you, and do not lean to one side or the other, nor slide down until you are nearly slid away. Heed me; for if you sit like that, your hair will go into the syrup. And now behold, even as I have said, it has come to pass.

LAWS PERTAINING TO DESSERTS

For we judge between the plate that is unclean and the plate that is clean, saying first, if the plate is clean, then you shall have dessert.

But of the unclean plate, the laws are these: If you have eaten most of your meat, and two bites of your peas with each bite consisting of not less than three peas each, or in total six peas, eaten where I can see, and you have also eaten enough of your potatoes to fill two forks, both forkfuls eaten where I can see, then you shall have dessert.

But if you eat a lesser number of peas, and yet you eat the potatoes, still you shall not have dessert; and if you eat the peas, yet leave the potatoes uneaten, you shall not have dessert, no, not even a small portion thereof.

And if you try to deceive by moving the potatoes or peas around with a fork, that it may appear you have eaten what you have not, you will fall into iniquity. And I will know, and you shall have no dessert.

ON SCREAMING

Do not scream; for it is as if you scream all the time. If you are given a plate on which two foods you do not wish to touch each other are touching each other, your voice rises up even to the ceiling, while you point to the offense with the finger of your right hand; but I say to you, scream not, only remonstrate gently with the server, that the server may correct the fault.

Likewise if you receive a portion of fish from which every piece of herbal seasoning has not been scraped off, and the herbal seasoning is loathsome to you and steeped in vileness, again I say, refrain from screaming.

Though the vileness overwhelm you, and cause you a faint unto death, make not that sound from within your throat, neither cover your face, nor press your fingers to your nose. For even I have made the fish as it should be; behold, I eat it myself, yet do not die.

CONCERNING FACE AND HANDS

Cast your countenance upward to the light, and lift your eyes to the hills, that I may more easily wash you off. For the stains are upon you; even to the very back of your head, there is rice thereon.

And in the breast pocket of your garment, and upon the tie of your shoe, rice and other fragments are distributed in a manner wonderful to see.

Only hold yourself still; hold still, I say. Give each finger in its turn for my examination thereof, and also each thumb. Lo, how iniquitous they appear. What I do is as it must be; and you shall not go hence until I have done.

VARIOUS OTHER LAWS, STATUTES, AND ORDINANCES

Bite not, lest you be cast into quiet time.

Neither drink of your own bath water, nor of the bath water of any kind; nor rub your feet on bread, even if it be in the package; nor rub yourself against cars, not against any building; nor eat sand.

Leave the cat alone, for what has the cat done, that you should so afflict it with tape?

And hum not the humming in your nose as I read, nor stand between the light and the book. Indeed, you will drive me to madness.

Nor forget what I said about the tape.

COMPLAINTS AND LAMENTATIONS

O my children, you are disobedient. For when I tell you what you must do, you argue and dispute hotly even to the littlest detail; and when I do not accede, you cry out, and hit and kick. Yes, and even sometime do you spit, and shout and do other blasphemies, and hit and kick the wall and the molding thereof when you are sent to the corner.

And though the law teaches that no one shall be sent to the corner for more minutes than he has years of age, you may be an exception!

quotation…

“My obedience to God is not based on my level of comfort with what God has told me to do.” - Steve Ridge

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Rob

If we are to better the future, we must disturb the present.

Grandma and I are enjoying seeing our grandson Drew on webcam over the internet as we talk by Skype to Megan. He’s cooing and smiling more and more, just like his grandfather. At Drew’s check up last week the doctor said he’s now passed the 8 pound mark and is doing very well. Yippee! For those who can’t get enough baby pictures, here’s another one of our little guy:

As a final installment for Father’s Day, here’s an article by Dave Barry I found in my files. I chuckled and LOL often while reading this one - it’s so exaggeratedly true!

Miracle of Birth: That Dads Survive
by Dave Barry
Sunday, January 23, 2000

So my wife and I are preparing for childbirth. When I say “my wife and I,” I of course mean “my wife.” She will be the most directly involved. On behalf of all men, I just want to take a moment here to get down on my knees and thank whoever invented our current biological system, under which the woman’s job is to have the baby somehow go from the inside of her body to the outside of her body, in clear violation of every known law of physics, and the man’s job is to stand around looking supportive and upbeat and periodically no matter what is actually happening to the woman, say, in an upbeat and perky voice, “You’re doing great!”

My wife thinks the only fair system would be, every time the woman had a contraction, she got to hit her husband on the body part of her choice with a ball-peen hammer. Of course she is kidding. But only because her contractions have not yet started.

We’ve been going to Childbirth Classes, which involve sitting in a classroom filled with expectant couples and a mounting sense of dread. The teacher usually starts with a scientific discussion of childbirth, in which she shows us various models and diagrams to give us an idea of what will be happening when the Big Moment arrives. In my opinion, the most informative way to do this would be to hold up a bowling ball and a drinking straw, and say: “Basically, this has to go through this. Ha Ha!”

But our teacher keeps fairly technical. After a while, we’re starting to feel confident about this childbirth thing. We’re thinking, “OK, all that has to happen is the cervix has to dilate to 10 centimeters! How hard can that be? I wonder what a cervix is? Also, centimeter.”

So we’re pondering these abstract questions and maybe thinking about what we’re going to have for dinner, when suddenly, with no warning, the teacher turns out the lights and shows a horror movie. Oh, it starts out innocently enough: There is a nice couple consisting of a woman who is pregnant and a man who is supportive-looking and generally has a beard. They seem happy, but you just know she’s going to go into labor. You want to stop her. It’s exactly like those scary movies where the heroine goes down into the basement, and you want to shout, “Don’t go down into the basement!”, except in the childbirth class you want to shout, “Don’t go into labor!”

But she always does go into labor. It seems to last a lot longer than necessary. Hours turn into days, and still she is in labor. Outside her window, the seasons change. Her doctor grows old and gray and eventually is replaced by a new doctor, and still this poor woman is in labor. Her husband keeps telling her that she’s doing great, but you can tell from her expression that he’s very lucky she doesn’t have a ball-peen hammer. Eventually she becomes so deranged that she apparently does not even notice that there is a cameraperson shooting extreme close-up footage of…OK, let’s just say that it is not her most flattering angle.

When the woman gets approximately to her 15th year of labor, she begins making noises that you rarely hear outside of nature documentaries and her husband edges back a little bit in case she gets her hand on a scalpel. The movie now becomes very explicit, causing the entire childbirth class to go into a mass cringe, all of us hunched up and involuntarily protecting as many of our body parts as possible. I use this time to practice my squinting, which is the most important thing the husband learns in childbirth class. I use a special Lamaze squinting technique that enables me to prevent virually all rays of light from penetrating my eyeballs.

When the woman in the movie makes a noise identical to what you would hear if a live yak went through a garlic press, I unsquint my eyes just enough to see it happen, the Blessed Event, the timeless miracle that makes the whole thing worthwhile: An alien bursting out of the woman’s chest cavity. No seriously, what happens is that the woman has a baby, via a process that makes what happened in “Alien” look like a episode of “Teletubbies.” Then our childbirth-class teacher turns the light on, and the pregnant women all turn to face their husbands, and they all have the same facial expression, which says: “this is not fair.” We husbands respond supportively and pat their arms in a reassuring manner because we’re sure that they’re going to do great!

quotation…

“The task of Christian parents is to transmit their heritage to the next generation.” - Dr. Jim Deuink

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Grandpa Rob

People who say they sleep like a baby obviously don’t have one.

As Father’s Day approaches I want to post one or two things about dads. Today’s is a job description for the position of “Dad.” Hope y’all have a great weekend!

Subject: JOB DESCRIPTION
Position: DAD

Long-term team players needed for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic environment. Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in faraway cities. Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.

RESPONSIBILITIES
~ Must provide on-site training in basic life skills, such as nose blowing. Must have strong skills in negotiating, conflict resolution and crisis management. Ability to suture flesh wounds a plus.
~ Must be able to think out of the box but not lose track of the box, because you most likely will need it for a school project.
~ Must reconcile petty cash disbursements and be proficient in managing budgets and resources fairly, unless you want to hear, “He got more than me!” for the rest of your life.
~ Must be able to drive motor vehicles safely under loud and adverse conditions while simultaneously practicing above mentioned skills in conflict resolution.
~ Must be able to choose your battles wisely and then stick to your guns.
~ Must be able to withstand criticism, such as “You don’t know anything.”
~ Must be willing to be hated at least temporarily, until someone needs $5 to go skating.
~ Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
~ Must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat, in case this time the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
~ Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers.
~ Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys and battery-operated devices.
~ Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
~ Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
~ Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, an embarrassment the next.
~ Must have a highly energetic entrepreneurial spirit, because fund-raiser will be your middle name.
~ Must have a diverse knowledge base, so as to answer questions on the fly such as “What makes the wind move?” or “Why can’t we just stop all wars?”
~ Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
~ Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
~ Other responsibilities include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.

POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT AND PROMOTION
Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you. One possible promotion is to “Grandpa,” but that’s really a totally different job.

PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE
None required, unfortunately. On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.

WAGES AND COMPENSATION
You pay them, offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.

BENEFITS
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered, the job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth and free hugs for life, if you play your cards right.

***
Since the blog post earlier this week, seedlings are already beginning to appear in the flower box! Cool! More updates as they develop (we hope).

Three weeks from today is our son’s wedding. Time is flying by!

quotation…

“There are almost always human causes for what happens in history, but there are also hidden, divine causes working in it all.” - Andrew Franseen

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Rob

It rarely occurs to young people that the day will come when they’ll know as little as their parents.