Paolo Punzalan.com

A story is told about the Wright brothers after they successfully got their ‘flying machine’ off the ground…

In December 1903, after many attempts, the Wright brothers were successful in getting their “flying machine” off the ground.

Thrilled, they telegraphed this message to their sister Katherine:
“We have actually flown 120 feet. Will be home for Christmas.”

Katherine hurried to the editor of the local newspaper and showed him the message. He glanced at it and said, “How nice. The boys will be home for Christmas.” He totally missed the big news–man had flown!

It will be silly for us to go to a birthday party and miss greeting the celebrant much less not gift him a gift.

Just a tip for parents – we can get a birthday cake and sing a happy birthday song for Jesus to bring back to focus to who is the center of this celebration.

Click here for part 1

Because of the many parties, sometimes the last people we get to spend time with is our kids.  I know I’ve fallen into that trap.  But we have to be deliberate for this thing not to happen.

My wife is so good with this.  She prints out a December calendar and gets us all in a meeting to plan the whole month.  Remember if you don’t fill your calendar, someone else will.

For this month’s plans…

• Our own family Christmas dinner – this is a time when we usually spend Christmas dinner just for us.  We go to a restaurant we’ve gone back every December 23 for the past several years – Outback in C5.  We have our little celebration and do our gift giving there.  It’s always a highlight in our Christmas celebration.
• Watching the light show at Ayala
• Ornament making
• Visiting Real Life’s Feeding program

to be continued…

Ryan, our 6 year old, got home the other day after school very excited.

RYAN: “Mom, I got 14 smiley faces and 8 stars!”

MOM: “Did you get any warnings?”

RYAN: “One…”

MOM: “You got one!” (a bit upset)

RYAN: “Mom, at least I got 14 smiley faces!”

Oo nga naman.

Then Jenn texts me that Ryan got 14 smiley faces from school. I quickly call her cellphone.

PAOLO: “Wow, Ryan got 14 smiley faces? Did he get any warnings?”

JENN: “Yes, one.”

PAOLO: “One!!!!! Argghhh…” (upset)

JENN: “Well, remember, he got 14 smiley faces.”

PAOLO: “Nga naman.”

How easy for us as parents to focus on the one negative comparing it to the 8 stars and 14 smiley faces.

That’s true with parents and that’s true with everyone of us. Facing a white wall, the easiest thing to do is to see the small dot of dirt rather than appreciating the full wall painted white.

Lord, help us appreciate the little things …. even turning disasters into praise worthy efforts.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up… (1 Thes. 5:11)

Discipline is such a major part of child training.  It is quite a challenge trying to balance grace and discipline.

When Ryan was 3, he was disciplined for not obeying his mother.

In an attempt to explain to a 3 year old that obeying is about pleasing God, Jenn said “If we obey, God is happy. But if we disobey, God is sad.”

To this Ryan replied, “You’re making God sad because you are making me cry.”

We didn’t know what to say after.  We were stumped…

A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them. Prov. 13:24 (Message Version)

While swimming with my kids this morning, I told them something I’ve been meaning to let them know.

“Whatever happens, you can always come home.  We will all make dumb decisions and wrong calls.  But remember, you can always come home.  Mom and I will always be there.”

Studying our text for this weekend’s service (Luke 15), made me think about that more.  The Father Jesus described made the environment at home so welcoming that when the younger son was in the lowest point of his life – in the pig pen, he remembered that he could always come home.

As parents, our prayer is that we would always keep an environment where our kids will feel free to come home anytime no matter what they have done.

PS. Below is the video we showed in church today to greet all the fathers.  Happy Father’s Day!