Glass Coke Bottles

(Let me begin by explaining what I mean by coke... Being from south Arkansas, it can mean coca-cola, however, it can also refer to any carbonated beverage of the soda pop variety.)

A couple of years ago, Jason was telling Ethan about drinking cokes from glass bottles as a child. He explained that the cokes started out colder and stayed colder longer. He described to him the fizz that would come out when you first popped the top on the lid. He was very vivid in his details and Ethan hung on every word.

I am not sure why Jason was telling Ethan about it, but I do know that from that moment Ethan is obsessed with glass bottles. If we have ever been in a convenience store that stocked glass bottles, Ethan remembers where it is. He collects the bottles after he drinks them. He is just as convinced as his dad that cokes are better from a glass bottle. He has even asked for a six pack of glass coke bottles for Christmas.

As I was dusting the bottles in his room yesterday, I thought about what sharing one story about glass bottles has led to. Because of Jason's excitement, Ethan is excited about glass bottles.

I wonder, do I show that much excitement when I relay stories of God to my children? Can they see how exited I am over God that they become obsessed with seeking Him for themselves? Does my love of God shine through so brightly that others want to taste that for themselves?

Psalm 34:8 (Amplified Bible)
O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.

Making Plans

The kids and I often have to run errands around town, and occasionally out of town, for our family business. Before I leave, I always plot out all my stops. I like to plan my route so that there is no back tracking, and I try to avoid the road construction around Texarkana. (Those of you in T-town know what I am talking about.)I also try to plan my time, though this can be more difficult, I am usually pretty accurate on how long it will take me to do all that I have planned.

Most days everything runs smoothly. However, there are other days that it doesn't work quite the way I've planned. Occasionally, I arrive at a business that has not opened yet, or that has closed early. More than once, I have stopped by an office that is out for lunch. When these events happen, I either have to wait, or I have to come back at another time. Then there are the times when all is going smoothly, and Jason calls needing me to go somewhere else... inevitably through the worst traffic and construction areas. When my schedule does go awry, it is hard not to get frustrated. I have learned that frustration does not help. The only answer is to "go with the flow."

It seems that no matter how well I plot my course, there are times when that course gets re-routed. That is the same with life. We can plan our day, week, or even life in our minds, but it is God who directs our steps. No matter what your plans, watch for God's direction. He is the only One who can make yours steps sure.

A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure. Proverbs 16:9 (Amplified Bible)