Open Attachment

It's that place we all have, that place of safety, of comfort, of peace. We find rest there. How long we depend on that place I suppose is entirely up to us. Sometimes the place may not seem safe anymore, we might out grow it's spaces, or we begin to find nothing but restlessness as time goes on.

Yet, there is always a place we can find rest for our weary souls. A place where safety is never an issue. A place where comfort can be found in the most uncomfortable places or positions. A place that isn't always peaceful, but peacefilled.

That place is in our Abba's arms. A place of refuge strength and rest. Why is it that we think we grow up so quick spiritually and yet we forget this place as a babe in Christ we ran to?

Are you running or resting?

Learning to Climb

Climbing Mount Everest, Trekking the sands of the Sierra, Sailing across the Pacific, and diving to the depths of hidden worlds; all notable feats.

For some of us, the curve for adventure begins at an early age. We begin taking risks and reaping benefits of our achievements or the consequences of our failures. Either way, it's about meeting the challenge and defying the odds.

Yet still, there is something much larger at risk...

Light for a Dark Night

Tucked away, safely asleep. After long and exhausting days, where do you find the comfort and peace to rest?

God's word is the lamp unto our feet, a light unto our path, and not always the Que beam into our dark nights. Sometimes we are given just enough light to take one more step of faith. The only question is; is that enough for you? Can you find rest one step at a time or does fear overcome when the steps ahead are uncertain and out of sight?

Why?...Why?...Why?

It has started! The inevitable and unending question "Why" of a two year old. "Why Daddy?... Why?....Why?....Why?" Every answer is met with the same question, and the band marches on.

Why the question why? What makes us so inquisitive? Even at the early age of two, we want the scientific answer for everything. Where does that leave us in the faith world? What happens when God doesn't answer our "Why"?

Why We Get Burned

George burns his hand on the 4th of July

Insanity

 "Doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results!"

Can you relate? You know you have been there. Name your poison and I'll take it to the bank you've drank it more than once. Some of us are filled with the poison we consume and we wonder why we are experiencing death (relational, emotional, spiritual, and physical).

How do we stop the insanity? The solution may be simpler than we realize, it just depends on our perspective...

Godisnowhere

Resting in the Father's Robes

In all of life's uncertainty, where do we find our comfort? Our peace? Our safety? If we fearlessly look deep with in ourselves, we may be surprised at all the fallible idols we have in life.

We try desperately to work for our comforts, peace and safety. A lifetime of plans and pressures go into making sure, one day, our lives will be in such a place. Some call it the "good life". Others call it the "made life". Even more call it retirement! But what does God call it?

Are you tired of coming up short in the areas of comfort, peace, and safety? Do you see those living the "good life", the "made life" and the "retirement life" still trying to fill a desperate void? Do your plans seem frail and fractured?

So where do we go from here?

His Garment

Security? Protection? Comfort? Healing? That one thing as a child you couldn't do without. Was it a blanket? A teddy bear? Your favorite Transformer?

From an early age, in a world of chaos, uncertainty, and fear we reach out trying to find what fills the void. Whether it's being afraid of the dark, monsters under the bed, or night terrors; if we are without our precious relic our world becomes bleak.

Is our world that much different as adults? What have you grabbed a hold of looking for security, protection and comfort?

Lynch Father Legacy

Gail & George Lynch III with Children Stephanie & George IV

A happy family of the 1980s. A businessman, Yacht Club Commodore, and proud father. George Alfred Lynch III, my Dad.

Carrying on the family name-sake, my father named me George Alfred Lynch IV. I was also the first grandson for both sides of grandparents. My future was planned way before I was even born.

Father's Day 2012, 30 years after this photo was taken. That cute little bundle of smiles in his daddy's arms... me! Now a father of two and continuing the name-sake with my son, George Alfred Lynch V.

Out of everything a father has to give to his child, his legacy is the only thing that lasts.

Hanging Onto Hurt

"Hurt, Hurt!", our son says pointing to his teeth. So sad are his cries that mommy and daddy give him medicine. As this becomes a reoccurring event we begin to wonder " As bed time is approaching do the bag of tricks come out?"

A trip to the dentist reveals the truth. It's time to face the pain, but there is one problem. Is the pain actual or is George holding onto his hurt out of habit and routine?  

The Doctor's results are in...

Sometimes We Just Need To Be Held

Have you ever had one of "those days"? No matter how hard you try, what tricks you do, or what tantrums are thrown there seems to be no comfort. Those days full of whining, pity and foot stomping. Deep inside there is a yearning for something, we just can't put our finger on it.

I came home last night to find my little guy at his door (gated) crying. I asked my wife what was wrong. It was just one of those days. George isn't always the best at telling us what is wrong with him. If he can't explain it he gets even more frustrated and cranky. As I walked in, came the cries from his doorway...

Daddy, Daddy, Up, UUUUUP 

Little did he know that Daddy needed to be held....

One Unto Another

Love One Unto Another

One of those adorable moments caught on camera. A picture that grandma's gawk at and friends awe over. For us, it's that one moment of eatable cuteness between all of the snatching, pushing, swatting, yelling and down right self-centeredness that comes along with brotherly/sisterly love.

Single moments of genuine love for another amid lives of self orientation. Sadly, that statement is true of a lot of God's children today. Too many of us are spiritually stuck at the maturity level of a two year old. Moments of love in the middle of chaos or moments of chaos in the midst of love? Which are you experiencing?

"YOLO Like a Boss"

Out of the gate. Off and running! Like a winner. Like a champ. Like a BOSS! No fear in those eyes, only the excitement of life. Lilly has gotten the two step down and is now interested in the tango of transportation. With that look of adventure she gets in her eyes as she races across the house, you can almost here her saying "You Only Live Once". (Y.O.L.O)

If you are anything like I am, you are the last to pick up on new internet chatter and slang words. The latest has been "YOLO" and "Like a Boss". By the time I get done writing this article they will likely be old news. These are the mantras of today's youth culture. "You Only Live Once" so do it like a pro or "Like a Boss". Sounds appealing with some serious truth to it. The more I watched my daughter "get her footing" learning to walk, the more I realized she isn't wasting any time learning to live and living to learn.

"Daddy Do It"

"Daddy Do It"

Our Son George, "Little Mr. Independent" is going through a stage where daddy has to do everything for him. Change diapers, "Daddy do it". Read stories, "Daddy do it". Give him a bath, "Daddy do it". Clean up his toys, "Daddy do it"!

Though I admired my son's tenacity for independence, his new found glory of "Daddy do it" reaches to the depths of my heart (and the ends of my strength!). Moments come and moments go for the need of dependence upon our parents. For some of us, those dependent years last too long and for others not long enough.

Learning to Communicate

Lilly talking on her toy phone

From the words "Let there be light" that spoke our world into order to the first words of our young children, communication has been at the center of our existence. Just about anywhere we look today communication is taking place between people. Yes, we have evolved our abilities, or has our evolution become our disability?

Just the other day Lilly picked up a toy phone and put it to her ear for the first time. We never instructed her to or showed her how... or did we? Attached at our hips and to our ears are our cell phones. All Lilly had to do is watch long enough and she got the idea. She was ready to pick up the phone and say "I just called to say I love you", from the bottom of her heart of course!

Memorial Day Memories

A cool drink given on a hot Memorial Day

Memorial day, when we gather together to remember and honor those who have served our country. It's amazing that so many memories can be made today while celebrating those of yesterday. Memorial Day is a perfect time to create those moments you will always remember with your family.

This photo will be a time I will always remember. George actually sharing something with his little sister! On this hot day, a cool drink is given from brother to sister. With all of the swatting, snatching, and screaming that goes on between these two, it's adorable interactions such as this one that make parenting worth it all.

Dreams and Promises

Daddy's Dream Car

I still remember the day I first laid eyes on it. My father owned a towing service & junk yard in New Jersey. Way in the back, with weeds and tall grass up to the windows, sat what would become my first big hope of connection with my dad. A 1980 Monte Carlo SS!

Like many hopes I had of getting to know and learn from my father, this one would only sit among the tall grass of my heart. Before we get there, let me share the abbreviated story of how this hope became just another weight in the already sinking ship of hopes.

The Beginning of Wisdom?

It's Starting!

Driving down the road, I looked in the rear view mirror and there it was. So noticeably nestled among the fertile flowing hair of my youth. White! One long flowing strand in a forest of healthy brown hair.

I'm thirty-one! Isn't that too young? Shouldn't I have another five years or so before this starts to happen? I know we are all headed in the same direction when it comes to age, but I'm not sure if I am ready for salt & pepper hair ( well, there is always the Clooney look!) or white hair (is that the Moses look?). Life has got it's stresses with family, work, ministry, and everything else, so what is gained?

Learning to Listen

Our son George in "time-out". Not to happy either!

"Are you going to listen to Daddy?" I ask my son. His reply? A rather distinguished "NOPE". Two years old and already trying to be boss. It is hard to get across to a two year old that you want them to listen because you love them and want what is best for them. You want them to listen to keep them safe and out of harms way.

Learning to listen for a two year old is a daunting task I am finding out. Not being sure if he understands when I tell him to listen to me can be difficult. Yet, with answers like "Nope!" sure makes me think he knows fine and well what daddy is saying!

Knowing and Being a Father

George, Stephanie, Robert

By all appearances, three children sit on their couch with the whole world ahead of them. Without a care in the world they smile at the camera knowing that life is good because mommy and daddy have everything in control . That is until the "D" word strikes this home with a vengeance. Disaster... maybe, Destruction... could be, Divorce.... it is.

This is a photo of me, my sister Stephanie, and my brother Robert. We were normal kids growing up in what should have been the normal American home in the 1980s. Yet, things are not always picture perfect. It was not long after this photo was taken that our lives were radically changed  forever.

SuperDad

Who...

Is quicker than a speeding tricycle,
Jumps cars (matchbox) in a single leap,

Can withstand toxic aromas of "#2s",

Endures long hours of Yo Gabba Gabba,
Hears sirens of toy cars from 100 ft,

Transforms into a human jungle gym,

 and only has one weakness

absentmomonite...

SUPERDAD 

O.K, true test of wits and power here! We are going to be without mommy for a whole week! That's right, Daddy, our two year old son, and one year old daughter. This is going to be interesting. Here I stand at the gates of uncharted territories with only three weapons of choice... food, toys, and diapers (which reminds me that I have to get some diapers before I find myself in a stinky situation!). I am really going to get a good taste of what Lisa does on a daily basis 24/7/365. 

Learning To Walk With Daddy

There comes a time when our children have to go from crawling to walking. These are exciting times as a parent. What a classic picture that most parents have the chance to snap! This is our daughter Lilly. Daddy is teaching her how to use her new mode of transportation. We see her clinging to daddy's fingers for balance as she navigates her terrain in a new way.
 
This process starts by the child learning how to crawl. Lilly started by rolling all over the place. She slowly  learned to crawl, but once she figured it out she was on the move! Next, we taught her to stand and balance herself. I remember getting excited at  just a couple of seconds of balance. Then, she started scaling the couch and other furniture with an adventuresome look in her eye to do what her older brother was so good at... walking! So daddy and mommy started the process in the picture and Lilly began learning to walk while holding tightly to daddy's fingers.

What Steers the Home

Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it 

will eat its fruit.

A teacher of mine shared a story about a boy named Stu. Stu's dad would yell and scream at him all the time. "Stu, you can't do anything right!", "Stu, you are an idiot!" "Stu, you are worthless!". When this story was being told I always cringed at the last statement Stu's dad would say; "I don't call you Stu because your name is Stuart... I call you Stu because you're STUPID!"
If my memory serves me correctly, this was a true story. Either way, the point really gets your attention... WORDS HURT! My teacher would always end this story with "What do you think Stu believed about himself as an adult?"

Rest for the Weary

"A mother's work is never done." The weight behind these words can only ring true to parents... and for some it is like sitting in the bell tower of a cathedral! As a man, a husband, a father, and the sole earner in our home I can tend to think my jobs and responsibilities are the most pressing.

After a "disagreement" with my wife over the most pressing jobs and responsibilities yesterday I came across this picture on FaceBook. I have to tell you that it was right on time. With all my frustration over my own selfish thinking and my need for my wife to understand my reasoning, this brought some much need laughter.

If I were truly honest with myself, that would be "Daddy" in the picture if he were home with the kids all day everyday. In our "disagreement" yesterday my wife said something that really hit home for me. "George, I don't get a sick day!" Imagine if you will, mommy just giving up even for just an hour. Just look, you have one kid in the fridge, one kid in the cabinets, one kid in the microwave and two plotting something on the floor! That frazzled look on mom we know too well. So, how do we get through it?

Jesus Take The Wheel!

This photo has been popping up all over the Internet. It is a great picture of our relationship to the Lord and the relationship we need to have with our children. The pure look of shock and fear upon this young child's face resembles my our first year as parents.
Now it has been quite some time since my last post on this site. We changed the name but the theme is still the same. So let us catch you up on what has changed on the road of life that has led us to yell "Jesus, Take the Wheel!"

A Child's Identitiy

Children's books amaze me sometimes. I have found great messages that parallel the Gospel in some of the most simplest stories. "If I Were A Jungle Animal" is one of those stories.
It's about a boy named Morton. Morton plays baseball, but is stuck way out in the outfield. Because the ball never comes to him he begins to day dream about being a jungle animal. With each animal he thinks about being there comes a problem. He goes through a list of wild and crazy animals and never sees a great fit. Then, "Wake Up Morton! Get The Ball!" Pop Fly into the outfield and Morton's moment has finally come. Does he catch it? I guess you will have to read to find out.

We got this book out of a cereal box! As I read it God began to place me in the story. I feel like I'm in the outfield sometimes, waiting on a pop fly that will never come. I have dreamed about being somebody or something else. A cat is one of the animals I have always thought had a nice life. We get so caught up in the day dream that we are missing the game.

God has designed us with a place and a purpose. Somebody has to play outfield. We can bicker and complain, but what happens when our moment comes? Even if it is only one moment... that moment can change the coarse of the game. Are we OK with the position God has placed us in or will we be caught up wishing we were something more exciting?

This is the kind of story I want my kids to read. This is a story that will let them know that there is a purpose for their lives. With all the stuff out there to distract our children from the purpose in life, found in a cereal box is the message of the Gospel. It's our job as parents to put the two together. With all the day dreaming that kids do, I want my children to be ready for their moment or moments. I want them to know that God created them to play a part in this game and no matter how big or small it may seem.

A huge thank you to Tom and Amanda Ellery for this inspiring book. It is a must have for any parents.