The Fairy Tale Life

What is the fairy tale life? I am talking about someone who is no longer living in reality, but living a dream. It consists of someone being fake, not accepting reality or completely unaware of what is happening.

Have you been living the fairy tale life?  I think we all walk around at some point living the fairy tale life.  I think sometimes we can get caught in a fairy tale life moment and not even know it.  Again, have you been living the fairy tale life?

Maybe a better word is oblivious.

Church, it's time to stop being oblivious to the dying, broken, and hurting world around you and spread the good new of the gospel.

If you have Christ:

• tell someone about what He has done for you.
• show someone  how He loves you.
• help someone who needs to see Christ.
• remember, as a Christian, you are a little Christ, your peers are watching.

"Man's greatest need is not social or physical.  Man's greatest need is knowing Jesus Christ."  K. P. Yohannen Missionary to India

As believes are cannot live the fairy tale life or be oblivious to the world around us.

May this be an encouragement to you and to those around you.  God Bless.

Blog Neglect Plus Some

My poor blog is suffering from a case of Blog Neglect. As most of you can tell, I post about once every two weeks. How sad!

In order to fight Blog Neglect, I plan to post at least once week from this day forward.

As a father of two, I have plenty of stories, so material is not a problem, but time is. Storytime:

Landon brought me a bottle of Miracle Whip. He had taken the lid off and gave it a lick. His body shook from head to toe. After laughing at his response I asked him, "Landon, can you please take that back to the refrigerator?" He looked at me and respond, "Yes sir," and took it back to the fridge. What an awesome moment.

Logan is growing so fast. He is now getting attitude with anyone who takes anything from his hands. It is pretty dramatic, but too funny! Logan is now moving forward on his hands ands knees. It is so exciting to see him lift himself up off the floor and move.

Raising children is so much fun.

God bless.

Texas Rangers or Houston Astros?

I have been an avid Houston Astros fans even before the 2005 World Series run.  I have stuck with them through the rebuilding years and support there triple A club, the Round Rock Express.

The Rangers have shaken things up a little bit in my baseball world.  Nolan Ryan bought the Rangers and the Round Rock Express are now the triple A club of the Rangers.  I did get a Rangers hat before the 2010 season, so I did watch a fair number of the games this past season.

I am not dumping the Astros, but in supporting the local Express, I find myself torn between the two clubs.  I am ok with wearing multiple MLB hats, but when it boils down to the one team I am rooting for throughout the season, who will it be?

The Missing Truck Key

As we sat in the truck visiting with the retired volunteers, Landon played with Dada's truck key. When it was time to go, we learned Landon had misplaced the key.

After at least 15 minutes of searching, I found where Landon hid the key. It was below the cigarette lighter. Upon attempting to retrieve it, I forced it inside the floor panels. Bill and I took one panel off and found it wedged inside. We both attempted to contort our hands with no success. We decided tools were necessary.

Kari said, "I can do it, I have smaller hands!"

And she did!

The missing key has been found and the truck was started!

I hope you enjoyed our little story. God bless.

For a picture, check out www.twitter.com/jeremyhellums

Screw holder or Screw driver?

"My dad said I am a great screw holder." Bobby W.

Bobby told me this when I asked him to do something recently and it got my wheels turning.  I replied, "What do you mean?"  His answer was one that connected many dots for me.  Bobby replied, "You know, when he is doing something, I help by holding the screws."

About a month ago I was attempting to back a trailer.  I am not sure how I didn't learn to back a trailer, but somehow there was always some else who could do it for me, so I didn't have to learn.  I was practically jackknifing the van and trailer when Don, who is 70, came out and said, "Can I do that for you?"  I replied, "No thanks, I need to learn sometime."  He hung around to make sure I didn't damage anything, for which I am grateful, and eventually I got the trailer where I needed it.

Here the deal.  Do I want to raise Landon and Logan to be screw holders or screw drivers?  I believe the answer is obvious, screw drivers!

I think about my grandfather and father and there skill level in so many things.  That is someone I aspire to be.  If I don't grasp hold now and become the screw driver, I believe I will become obsolete.

I am uncertain where I missed the boat and became the screw holder, but maybe being the screw holder is easier and a form of laziness at times.  I don't want this for myself or the boys.  I am sure there is a balance between teaching and allowing them to do it on there own; I just want to be able to find the balance and prevent my boys from becoming screw holders.

I never want to be a screw holder again!  Pass the be screw driver and let me put it together...unless it comes to my boys; I will find a balance and show them how and we can do it together.

Any thoughts?

God Bless.

For daily updates: follow me on twitter @jeremyhellums

What is Solid Food?

"Word. Worship. Prayer. Fellowship." Rod C.

My buddy Rod, sums it up with the above statement.  Word, worship, prayer, and fellowship bombard my ears, mind and thoughts often.  What does solid food look like?  I think these four concepts equal solid food.

Word.  There is a noticeable difference in those who are in the word versus not in the word.  Jesus responds to the devil by quoting Deutronomy 8:3, "He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."  Where do we find the words of the Lord?  The bible.  "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," 2 Timothy 3:16.

Worship.  Psalm 96:9 says, "Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth."  And why wouldn't we, humans, want to bow before the creator of the universe for all the things He has done.  John tells us in Revelation 22:8 that, "I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel...," but was quickly told by the angel in verse nine, "Don’t do that!...Worship God!”  Worship is critical to our spiritual walk.

Prayer.  Jesus teaches us how to pray; in fact in Luke 11:1-4 the disciples ask Jesus how to do it,

"One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

“‘Father, hallowed be your name, 

your kingdom come. 

Give us each day our daily bread. 

Forgive us our sins, 

for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. 

And lead us not into temptation.’” "

Not only does Jesus teach us how to pray he teaches us to, "...believe, [and] you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."  Pray.  Pray.  Pray.

Fellowship.  Jesus teaches in Matthew 18:20, "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”  Jesus established the church or fellowship with a two person minimum.  People desire community, without it you are alone.  We need one another to review God's word, pray for one another, help each others physical needs and to love each other.  Fellowship is very important.  Find a body of believers today, in or out of a standardized church and start studying God's word. Fellowship is part of the recharge time; you need it.

I hope you find some of these thoughts useful.  Just remember, above all else, solid food is:  Word. Worship. Prayer. Fellowship.

God Bless.

Happy Valentines Day, Kari

In May, it will be six years since Kari and I met at Highland Lakes Camp. I'll never forgot seeing her come into the old Miles Auditorium with a huge smile on her face. If it wasn't love at first sight, than eleven days later the deal was sealed. We were both smitten with one another.

We made our vows on March 10, 2007 and are looking forward to celebrating four years of marriage in Galveston together.

Marriage is a journey; gravel roads, dusty trails, paved highways and interstates; sometimes all in the same day. No matter what road or path it is, Kari is my soulmate and will be by my side, until death do us part. What an amazing partner to be facing these roads with.

I love you, Kari. Happy Valentines Day.

Milk or The Good Stuff: Solid Food

Have you ever stood in line at the supermarket and been blown away by what someone said because they were talking loud enough for everyone to hear?

Lady One*: "Tina, it's so great to see you and Grant!" (Grant is the toddler in the shopping basket)

Lady Two: "Same here! (shocked to see Tina) how's little Roland?"

Lady One: "Oh girl, let me tell you, Roland is excelling in every area. Do you know the Wilson's? God bless those boys, they are so far behind!"

What? This is about where I was in shock. Did Lady One just bring out of no where someone's kid and there development? I found this inappropriate and immature.

This quickly brought to my mind spiritual application concerning immaturity. What is God trying to teach me, even when I am standing in line at the supermarket? What does God's word say about maturity of believers?

"Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil" Hebrews 5:13-14

We can't keep drinking the milk! Most studies show milk isn't even necessary for humans after a child is weened or over a year old. Milk is specifically designed for babies; it's got everything they need, but not what you and I need.

We need solid food. Solid food give us nourishment to satisfy our physical needs. We cannot maintain a milk diet and expect to get everything we need.

This can be applied spiritually. Spiritually immaturity hinders your growth with the Lord. Without solid food, you are outside God's plan for you as a believer and according to this passage you cannot "distinguish good from evil." God desires us to grow in our faith, not sit idol in mediocrity. If we got the milk, than we are missing out. I mean, solid food tastes much better anyways!

It is imparitive, that believers move past immaturity or the milk and move on to striving for righteousness in solid food. My prayer is I am diving into all the solid food I can get daily and seeking Him for guidance.

Thanks, loud talking ladies.

God bless.

*All names were changed to protect the identity of those who talk loudly in the supermarket lines.

Hellums Recent Milestones

The boys are growing way to fast.  Each day brings somethings new!

Just the other day I asked Landon, "Can I nibble on your ear?"  He actually put his ear next to my mouth and I gave it a nibble.  I am blown away everyday how smart kids are.

Landon ate chips and salsa for the first time on Sunday evening.  He always has enjoyed dipping stuff, but never ate it; instead fed Dada.  Now he is eating it after he dips it.

Logan is now an avid scooter.  He love scooting in reverse and also rolling over to get to where he wants to go.  He is ready to move!

Logan is loud.  When he starts talking he doesn't use the inside voice.  It makes me laugh when Logan starts talking with Landon is napping Kari typically says, "Brother! You're going to wake up Landon!"  He smiles and keeps making loud noises.

Both boys are now sleeping threw the night; also, they put themselves to sleep.  This has allowed Kari and I to get some much needed husband and wife time that we had been missing...oh and some extra sleep.

Both boys laugh at just about anything.  Kari is definitely the funny one, as in comedian funny, but Dada gets a few laughs out of the boys; mostly when I make loud noises, like scream randomly for something they did or growl and bite on their bellies.

The joys of parenthood continue and I am such a proud Dada.

God Bless.

For daily updates check out my twitter @jeremyhellums