God With Us

I took this picture last summer at our family’s favorite beach town – Ocean Grove, NJ.  This town was hit pretty hard by Superstorm Sandy which destroyed the town’s boardwalk and fishing pier.  It also damaged many of the town’s homes and buildings.  I’ve been following the rebuilding process through regular updates on Blogfinger, and our family is looking forward to returning there this summer.

This sign and the town’s response reminds me that God is with us all the time – in the ups and downs of life.  I have no idea what you may be going through today, but I remain convinced that God is there with you.

 How have you experienced Emmanuel (God With Us) this week?

Today, I’m hooking up with The Sunday Community, The Weekend Brew, and Sunday Stillness.  Hop on over here, here, and here to see what I’m talking about.

Hurry Up – Parenting Thoughts From A Day At Ocean Grove

Yesterday, we took time to head to Ocean Grove, NJ with the kids who just came home from a missions trip to Johnstown, PA.  If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may remember that this has become one of our favorite places to spend time enjoying the beach (or the shore as we called it when I lived in New Jersey).  It was an absolutely beautiful day.  We arrived in town just in time to catch the Independence Day Parade as it marched through the narrow streets of Ocean Grove.  We managed to find a parking spot just one block from the beach.

Before I got too settled into my beach chair, I ventured out for a 4 mile run that took me up and down the boardwalk between Asbury Park and Avon By the Sea.  It was an exhilarating run.  I felt as though I could run for another hour.

Back at the beach in between wave surfing and jellyfish dodging, I enjoyed time in the beach chair.  It’s here where I relaxed – watching the kids, reading, eating lunch, and talking to Leanne.  I also watched and listed those around me.  It was amazing to see all the different people.  I was amused as I watched kids playing in the sand.  I was also amused by some of the conversations going on around us.  As I listened to one set of parents trying to get their child to comply with their request to pose for a picture, I was struck by how often we as parents ask our kids to do something quickly.  “Get dressed quickly.”  “Hurry up and take the dog out.”  “Snap to it.”

Now, I agree that our kids need to be quick to listen (like it says in James 1), but I think we sometimes rush them along for no other reason than we just don’t want to wait for them.  I’m guilty of this like any other parent.  Do we leave time in our busy schedules for our kids to take their time?  Does everything have to be done in a hurry?  I’m not so sure.  It’s definitely something to think about.

What do you think?  When was the last time you rushed your kids?  Was there a good reason for this?

A Day At Ocean Grove

Yesterday, we decided to take advantage of the warm weather and a rare free weekend to take a day trip to Ocean Grove, NJ. Ocean Grove is due east of our own home, and we can get there in under two hours without any traffic. We discovered the place a few years ago when Leanne and I were looking for a place to get away for an overnight. Somehow, we fumbled upon this place, and now Ocean Grove comes with our highest recommendations.