Daddy Land

Dear Faithful Bloggy Friends,

Sorry I haven't posted much this week nor been able to read all of your TSMS post from yesterday. This week has been especially busy with Vacation Bible Camp and Epilepsy Advocate Trips tacked on both weekends. Spencer and I are off today to another event in TN to speak at an Epilepsy Camp. Please pray for safe travels and for a seizure free trip. 

We actually had a pretty significant seizure last night lasting 17 minutes and requiring Diastat and a call to 911. (Which is why I haven't had a chance to read TSMS). Spencer bounces back pretty quickly and still wants to make the trip, so we are heading out today until Wednesday.

Mary Lyndsey had her first dance recital yesterday and she was just darling. I promise to post pictures when I return. In the meantime, I'd like to share a post I wrote a while back but never published. It's in honor of Father's Day also. It was written the week we went to Chicago for the press conference about receiving the seizure dog.

Saturday morning, my wonderful husband let me sleep in. We were all pretty exhausted after such a long, busy week. A quick trip to Chicago right in the middle made it especially crazy. The kids however, still managed to wake up by 6:30am. They don't normally even get up that early during the week... so why I ask you, on Saturday morning, when it was raining and still dark and overcast outside, would they decide to wake up this early? I have no idea. It was perfect sleeping weather.

They both were up and at em' early. Greg got up with them and let me stay in bed. When I finally woke up around 10am, he came into our bedroom and we just laid in bed talking. This is a magnet for our kids. As soon as they figured out where we were... they came running. They both hopped in and we proceeded to make a tent out of the sheets. We all got under the "tent" and snuggled and laughed and talked about our week.

After playing for awhile, Greg and I wanted to finish our conversation, so we sent the kids out of our room to read or watch TV. It was then that Greg did something that amazed me. He proclaimed our bedroom "Daddy Land." His conversation with the kids went something like this:

"Hear ye, Hear ye... this room has now been proclaimed Daddy Land. All children should vacate immediately or they will suffer the consequences. You must vacate the room by the time I reach 0. 10, 9, 8, 7... " This was of course delivered in a loud, thunderous voice with just a hint of play in it.

You have never seen two kids scramble so fast in your life. They were both out of the bed and the room by the time he reached 6. I couldn't believe it. When I tell them to do something... let's just say they don't move that fast. It usually requires several requests, lots of whining, and my voice being raised (without any play in it) before I get any action. Do all kids react this differently to moms than they do to dads?

Anyway, I asked Greg about it and he said this is something they do when I am not here and he is keeping the kids. If he needs peace and quiet to have a phone conversation or get something completed... he just proclaims "Daddy Land" and sends them to another room until he is finished. And they comply. Unbelievable.

OK... here is the cutest part that I really wanted to share with you. After they left the room, Mary Lyndsey was the first to come back. She came into the room holding a bowl from her tea set full of money. Pennies, nickles, dimes and quarters were overflowing. She came to the side of the bed and in her sweetest voice said... "Daddy, can I pay you to enter 'Daddy Land'? I have lots of money... I promise I will clean my room today... how about a kiss. What if I give you a kiss... will that get me into 'Daddy Land'?"

Greg, always being a kidder, told her he would take the money and the kiss. She quickly placed the money on the bedside table, kissed her daddy on the cheek and ran from the room to get her brother. I could hear her calling to him "Spencer, quick get your money. You need to pay Daddy and give him a kiss then you can get into 'Daddy Land'. Hurry."

Of course we were both rolling laughing by now. Spencer went to his baseball bank, retrieved some money and came trailing back into the room behind his sister. Greg took their money (just temporarily of course) and they climbed back into the bed under the "tent" where we once again began to play, giggle and receive lots of kisses.

As we were snuggling and talking, I began to think how much we are like Mary Lyndsey at times. We want to be near our heavenly Father. We want to be in His kingdom - "Daddy Land." 

Some think we can buy our way in, so we pay tithes or give to the poor. Some think we can earn favor by deeds... so we work really hard in lots of service areas. Some think just saying we love God and sending some affection His way will take care of everything.

While these things worked for Mary Lyndsey and Spencer to gain admission into "Daddy Land" at our house, they don't work with God. The only way to gain admission to His Kingdom is to believe on the name of His son Jesus Christ, that He died for our sins and was raised to life on the third day."

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

When we believe, the tables are turned. We are freely welcomed into "Daddy Land" We are the ones who receive riches untold (much more than a tea set bowl full of money). We are taken care of and God is thrilled to do so many things for us. And we receive more love than we could ever imagine.

Don't you want to secure your spot in "Daddy Land" today?