"The Gavel Is Passed"

Randy Spurgeon and I will be leaving for Martinsburg, WV about noon tomorrow for the annual meeting of the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists. (see www.wvcsb.org) I always enjoy the state meeting but this one will be special. A new President will be elected in the afternoon session on Friday My two terms in that office will end at noon on Saturday when I pass the gavel to the new prez.

I had only been in this state convention for three years (after coming over from Kentucky) and certainly was not seeking the office. In fact I was embarrassed to be nominated against the sitting 1st Vice President. Officers normally "move through the chairs" (ex. 2nd VP, 1st VP) before being elected President. I had not served in any of those positions and, as a result, did not feel especially qualified. One of my own Church members, Terry Perdue, placed my name in nomination even though I asked him not to do so. When the vote tally was reported I was shocked to have won by a fairly substantial margin. Ron McCoy, the other nominee ,was most gracious even though I am sure he was as surprised by the results as I was.

I have been blessed to serve in that position for the past two years. What major things have I accomplished in office? Really not much at all. In fact there is really not much a state convention president can do. Upon taking office two years ago, I wrote to each of the ten Associational Directors of Missions to offer my assistance in whatever way needed. Most of them were responsive but there really wasn't much I could do for them. My simple goal was to help increase fellowship among the churches in the various associations, and to serve as a liaison (if needed) to the state office staff.

I tried to rally the troops in the four counties this past summer that faced local option elections regarding casino gambling. Jefferson county voters defeated the measure, and Kanawha County came close, but the measure passed there along with Ohio and Marshall Counties. Of course, our local church pastors in those areas were all over it, I just tried to add my support to their efforts - for what that was worth. I did seek to promote cooperative program mission giving with all the churches and pastors with whom I came in contact, and I did share the needs of a Filipino church planter with whom I partner. As a result of that, 7 of our WV Southern Baptist Churches gave generously to purchase Bibles and materials (including a motorcycle) for two Filipino Pastors and their congregations. In fact, one church generously donated the money to build the new building of the Mayapusi Baptist congregation in the remote mountains of Negros Island in the Philippines. It was my joy to be in attendance at the Dedication Service of that building in January.

The primary responsibility of the office is to preside at the annual meeting and the four regular meetings of the state Executive Board (and any special called sessions). When the Executive Board meets and breaks out into it's various committees, the state convention president serves as chairman of the Administrative Committee. That is pretty much it. I don't have a lot of major accomplishments to point out, but I have learned much in the past two years.

I have learned that we have a dedicated state office staff, who love the Lord, and love the work of Southern Baptists in the Mountain State. I have learned that we have some of the finest pastors and local church leaders in the state of West Virginia as you will find anywhere. Our Baptist people in West Virginia are committed to being fishers of men until the nets are full.

Serving as State Convention President has had a couple of nice perks including an invitation to visit the SBC Executive Committee meeting in Nashville in February, and to have opportunity to meet and fellowship with the Presidents of the other state conventions. (Yes, we even elect a President of the President's fellowship!) The State Convention Presidents are also treated by LifeWay Christian Resources (formerly the Sunday School Board) to a nice breakfast in February; and by the International Mission Board to a breakfast at the SBC annual meeting. I'll miss that! They also let us have "VIP" housing privilege by allowing us to get a room at the SBC Convention Hotel. Otherwise, it's nearly impossible to get a room in that hotel since they are all blocked out by the convention for all the officials and employees of the various convention entities.

Other than that, I'll be happy to hand over the gavel to whomever succeeds me. I have considered it to be an honor to serve, and a privilege to serve with a fine group of fellow officers for the past two years. After presiding over this year's meeting, it's back to just enjoying going to the convention, enjoying the preaching, listening to reports, visiting the exhibits, and just hanging out with some great brothers and sisters in Christ.

"Thank You" To A Great Team!

I didn't crush a single brick, break a baseball bat, blow up a hot water bottle, bend a steel rod, or tear a single phone book into pieces, but I am tired! Not the same kind of tired as Josh Whisenant and John Eskridge are experiencing, but tired nonetheless. The last four days has been a whirlwind of activity. It's a good tired. The kind of pleasurable exhaustion that comes from being part of a team who has finished a particular mission. Not the complete final "Mission Accomplished" - that will come when Jesus does - but a particular mission has been completed. God has done a marvelous work in our midst and a number of us were able to be a small part of it.

It has been my distinct pleasure to get to know Josh and John (from John Jacobs' Next Generation Power Force). I knew what they did for a living and that is why we brought them here. I didn't know, however, what they would be like as people. What a great couple of young men they are! What the public saw were two powerful, self disciplined young men who could perform amazing feats of strength. Both were 29 years of age. One was an incredible hulk of a man - 320 pounds of power. The other stood 6'4", 240 lbs, and was the most impressive physical specimen that I have ever seen. One a white, former school teacher with spiked hair who was a dynamo of energy and a passionate preacher. The other, a black man with dreadlocks and three Super Bowl rings who had inflicted physical punishment on NFL quarterbacks and running backs for five years with the New England Patriots.

Different races... different backgrounds... different personalities... different styles... one common motivation... one common goal. Their motivation - loving Jesus with all their hearts. Their goal - leading young people (and adults) to a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. Their method was "different". The music was loud, the physical feats they performed were outrageous. Their physical appearance was stunning. And it all worked together to grab the audience's undivided attention while they did what they came here to do - share the Good News of Jesus Christ. In response to the invitations given, more than 80 men and women, boys and girls publicly responded to the call.

Souls were saved - new subjects were added into the Kingdom of God. Christians were challenged to take a greater stand for Christ. And the Devil was mad. How do I know that? It was obvious from the hate note that was found in one of the offering plates. The folks who found the note were surprised. A couple of people were angered, but I reminded them, "No, that's a good thing." That simply means that God was doing a wonderful work in our midst and the Enemy was furious yet unable to do anything about it.

When the Gospel is preached it draws a line in the sand. Jesus said, "You are either with me or against me...". The message of salvation through Jesus Christ is a polarizing one. People are called upon to make life and eternity altering commitments and the king of this world will do everything within his power to derail the message. The beauty of it all, however, is that he cannot overcome the message of Grace from our Father in Heaven.

Most of us think of the "team" as Josh and John, but the "team" members number far more than two. They include the Finance Committee of our church who, even in the face of a tight financial situation, voted by faith, to commit the monies required to host this event. (They agree that it was worth it!) The Team includes those who spent countless hours and hundreds of dollars gathering the required materials for the program. The team includes those who used their own $3.00 per gallon gasoline to make not one, but two trips to Charleston late Saturday night to pick up the two Power Force members. The team was made up of the guys who worked the sound booth, served as ushers, and the men and women who were willing to donate their time to counsel those who responded to the invitations. The Team members were young and older. They included the folks who cooked and served wonderful meals for Josh and John, and the guys who took valuable time off from their jobs to take Josh and John to four school assemblies. The event couldn't have come off without the ones who labored physically by carrying plywood, bricks, concrete blocks and two by fours. They worked for hours to set up the stage area and to protect the surrounding instruments from any possible damage. They labored even longer hours cleaning up the debris and putting things in the sanctuary back into place. Team members set up radio interviews, sent notices to media outlets, put up posters in the community, and passed out fliers on their own time. Hundreds of man hours were expended.

A tremendous amount of time and effort went into the event. Josh and John have moved on to other cities to share the Gospel. We are all tired - but it is a "good tired".

The Power Force came to us at no set charge. They work by faith and depend on the love offerings of the congregation to fund their ministry. Their target goal to cover the expenses needed to send them, pay their salaries and to keep the large Akron, Ohio based ministry going was $4,000. I wasn't sure that the crowds we expected would be able to cover that amount, but once again God provided for the need through His people. The final offering tally was $4,090.

As a result of the combined efforts - God blessed, and more than 80 people have a new or revitalized relationship with Jesus Christ.

This weekend's mission has been accomplished but the work is far from over. The mission continues. More than 80 people need followup. Some have ties to other churches. We will share the decisions of those folks with the churches they identified on their response cards. Others will need to be discipled by us. Some will need to be baptized. There is still much work to be done from this harvest time and yet the fields are still ripe for more harvest.

Workers are needed...

Special Two Day Event

It's been in the planning for several months and now it has arrived.

Westmoreland Baptist Church will be hosting a special evangelistic event on Sunday, October 28th and on Monday, October 29th at the church located at 3401 Hughes Street in the Westmoreland area of Huntington, WV. It's not the traditional "Fall Revival" but it is designed to bring the Gospel message to all who will hear. The message won't be delivered by the "typical" evangelist, but by a team of world class athletes who love Jesus with all their hearts.

John Jacobs' Next Generation Power Force will be with us to share the Gospel in an exciting manner never before seen by many of our folks.

I invite you to visit their website at http://www.johnjacobsnextgenerationpowerforce.com/
John Eskridge and Josh Whisenant will be our guests. You can click on their Biographies and photos from the Team Member portion of the website.

One of the team members will be speaking in our morning worship service at 10:45 AM and the Team will be performing their amazing feats of strength and sharing the Gospel in two evening services (Sunday and Monday) at 7:00 PM. With the transportation help of Bob Moses and Kenny Adkins, the team members will be speaking in school assemblies on Monday at Buffalo Middle School, Ceredo Kenova Middle School, Vinson Middle School, and Wayne High School. One of the team members will also be a guest on two local radio programs on Monday. The first interview will be at 8:09 AM on the Tom Roten Morning Show (800 on the AM dial) and the other program is at 12:35 PM on Jean Dean's radio program (at 930 on the AM dial).

A number of our members have helped with the planning of this event. I want to extend special thanks to Charley and Dino Dygert, Becky Moses, and Mel Hicks. Charley has spent a tremendous amount of time and effort to gather all the materials needed for these services and school assemblies. He and Dino and Randy Spurgeon did much work to prepare the stage area for the events. Becky (who serves with her husband, Bob, as our Fellowship Coordinators) has done a wonderful job of lining up volunteers from among our church to feed these guys while they are with us. Mel Hicks has done his usual outstanding job of promoting the event. Thanks to all who have and will help.

Please plan to attend one (or both) of these powerful events. Bring the whole family and invite your friends. Admission is free but there will be a love offering taken for these evangelists. These programs will be an ideal opportuntity to invite unsaved and unchurched friends who might not feel comfortable in a traditional church service setting. My prayer is that souls will be added to the Kingdom of God and that those of us who are already followers of the Lord, Jesus Christ, will be challenged to live our faith more openly and effectively.

I hope to see you there!

Full Disclosure

The call came in about mid morning.

"Who are you and what have you done with my father?"

The voice was that of my older son, Jay, from New Orleans.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"I just read your blog and I want to know what you have done with my father. He couldn't have written that!" he said emphatically. "Have you turned into some kind of bleeding heart liberal in your old age? I can't believe you wrote that."



The blog post in question was the one that immediately precedes this one. It regarded the new Upward Sports Ministry that our church is starting. Now first let me say that Jay is a big supporter of the concept of Upward Sports ministry. He was not being critical of the program, and agrees that there are a lot of things in organized youth sports that need fixing. What he couldn't understand from me was one paragraph in particular. Here is the quote:

"Wouldn't it be great if there were a sports program for children
that was not all about competition? Wouldn't it be pleasant if every child who registered for the program wouldn't face "try outs" and would not feel the rejection that comes when they just aren't good enough to "make the cut". What if there was a program that would allow every player to be introduced at the beginning of the game, and that being a "starter" meant nothing, but being a team member meant everything? What if the games began with prayer and each child learned a Bible verse and heard a Bible lesson at each practice and game. What if the coaches and game officials were all committed Christians who were more concerned with building character in children than building "dynasties" for their own glory? What if learning the game, putting forth your best effort, and working as a team were more important than keeping score? Wouldn't that be a great youth sports program?"

Again, let me say that Jay is a real believer in ministries like Upward. He just couldn't believe that I had written that paragraph. Apparently it wasn't from the dad he remembered. I guess it is understandable. That's because I used to be real big on the competitive part of youth sports. Winning wasn't "everything" (although important) but it seemed logical that getting the top effort out of each child was most important. I am still a believer in that with one caveat - when kids reach a certain age or maturity level (physical and emotional) it is appropriate, but not for the age group of children that Upward targets.

While there may be some kids in 5th or 6th graders who are able to deal with the strong competitive concept, most K-6 kids would just rather have fun. In fact there are some who are even younger who may be more competitive by nature. However, the fact remains that they are in fact, just kids! The main reason given for children who drop out of youth sports leagues, or decide not to play in subsequent years is usually, "It's just not fun."

Now "fun" may not be the reason why kids play sports in high school or college, but it is a very important factor to little guys. Two weeks ago, before a flag football game of 4, 5, and 6 year olds I witnessed an adult coach putting his kids through pre game drills. These weren't "warm ups" stretching leg muscles and loosening up before the game. This was "boot camp" type exercises. Push ups, jumping jacks, etc. This coach walked between the two rows of kindergarten and first graders yelling like Vince Lombardi. "Don't you want to win?" he barked at one. "Come on. Suck it up!" he scolded another. "This is a big game - you've got to be ready."

How much fun do you think these kids were having?

Now I can see that type of action from a high school coach and maybe even a middle school coach - but at this level? I don't think so. This same coach had said, "Ive got to get these guys ready for the next level." For Pete's sake coach, these kids are mostly four and five year olds! Teach them the game. Help them get the concept of team. Put in a few simple plays. Show them sportsmanship and model integrity, but give them a chance to be kids.

Maybe it comes from being a grandfather for about 8 years now. Perhaps it's a result of facing an incurable disease (which certainly will put things into perspective). Maybe it's just the "older and wiser" syndrome, but there is still plenty of time for all that "winning is everything" stuff down the road. When I watch that high school or college game (or even that middle school event), I do want to see the kids put out the effort. Leave it all out there on the field! That's the ticket. There will come a time when they won't all be able to make the cut.

But not at this age.

Give the little guys a chance to see if they like a sport. Let them have opportunity to learn the game. Let them mature at their own rate. That's part of what makes Upward so successful. The other facet of the importance of Upward is that it is a MINISTRY, not a "youth sports league." We are not in competition with other youth sports programs.

Our job in Upward is to teach the game, let them learn to be part of a team, give them needed affirmation, but most importantly, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with children and their parents.

That's a little tough to do when you have that 5 year old running the stadium steps for committing a turnover!

Every Child Plays. Every Child Learns. Every Child Is A Winner

The baseball jumped off the bat of the 12 year old like a rifle shot. The Royals' runner on first base was off with the crack of the bat, as the White Sox right fielder raced to the spot where the ball hit the base of the chain link outfield fence. The outfielder dug frantically to pull the ball out from under the fence, but alas it was hopelessly wedged under the fence. Doing what he had been told to do during several practices, the outfielder stood up and raised both hands over his head to signal to the umpire that the ball was stuck and no longer in play.

As the crowd of parents and grandparents yelled loudly from the grandstands, the Royals' base runner had rounded third base and stomped hard on home plate with what appeared to be the first run of the game. Running into the outfield, the 2nd base umpire verified that the ball was indeed stuck under the fence and made his decision according to the ground rules of the local Little League.

"Ground rule double!" yelled the man in blue.

The batter was awarded second base and the other base runner was instructed to go back to third base, erasing the run that had been added to the scoreboard. Pretty routine stuff. All covered by the rule book. No problem, right?

Wrong!

The Royals dugout, filled with 10, 11, and 12 year olds erupted. The kids were unhappy with the call, but it wasn't the kids who lost it. It was the 35 year old coach who went ballistic. Screaming like an attacking Comanche warrior, the coach ran out of the dugout with one of the kid's bats in his right hand. He made a bee line for the umpire who had made the call. To say that he was out of control would be an understatement. He was livid.

Having been unsuccessful in getting the umpire to reverse the call, the coach assailed him with a verbal barrage impugning the umpire's eyesight, his integrity, and even his ancestry. Both dugouts emptied and most of the players stood around watching while the coaches and the umpire were in "conference". Although no one actually came on the the field, fans did come out of the stands and lined the fence screaming at the umpire - or at the coach (depending upon which team they were supporting). The home plate umpire finally stepped in and ejected the Royals coach and had to threaten to call the police to have him removed from the field. Fortunately it never came to that, as the coaches wife was successful in getting him to calm down enough to drop the bat and leave the field.

It was one of those ugly moments that pops up from time to time in youth sports programs. Those of us who have spent a lot of time around ball fields and basketball courts at youth sports programs have witnessed way too many of those type of incidents. From Football to Basketball, to Soccer to Baseball, every one of these programs were founded for "the benefit of kids". By in large, the league officers and coaches are folks who are genuinely interested in children and want to make a positive impact in the lives of the kids. Unfortunately sometimes the baser nature of man kicks in and in the heat of competition and battle of egos, things get way off the mark. What was a program for the kids, becomes a battleground for adults and the main thing ceases to be the main thing.

Wouldn't it be great if there were a sports program for children that was not all about competition? Wouldn't it be pleasant if every child who registered for the program wouldn't face "try outs" and would not feel the rejection that comes when they just aren't good enough to "make the cut". What if there was a program that would allow every player to be introduced at the beginning of the game, and that being a "starter" meant nothing but being a team member meant everything? What if the games began with prayer and each child learned a Bible verse and heard a Bible lesson at each practice and game. What if the coaches and game officials were all committed Christians who were more concerned with building character in children than building "dynasties" for their own glory? What if learning the game, putting forth your best effort, and working as a team were more important than keeping score? Wouldn't that be a great youth sports program?

Well there is one like that. It is not really a "program" at all, but rather a "sports ministry". It's called Upward and it is one of the greatest ministries to children and young families that has ever been conceived. Upward began over two decades ago in Spartanburg, SC and has spread over the country. They offer basketball, cheer leading, soccer and flag football to local churches who would like to minister to children and their families in a sports setting. Every child plays, every child learns, and every child is a winner.

Westmoreland Baptist Church has begun an Upward Sports ministry which is kicking off soon with Upward Basketball and Cheerleading. The future plan includes Upward Soccer in the spring as well. We are kicking off the ministry with a special "Upward Sunday" on November 4th. As children are evaluated and assigned to their teams, we have ten "prayer teams" made up of 108 Christians who will begin 100 days of prayer for the success of this ministry. We believe that - rightly done - Upward Sports will be a way to positively impact our community for Christ. Will you join us in prayer for the success of this ministry? If you live here in the Ohio/Kentucky/West Virginia area, perhaps you would like to help in some way. Possibly as a volunteer or maybe even as someone who would like to financially support the program, so every child who wants to play will be able to play. If so, you may contact me any time at pastoradkins@verizon.net

If you would like more information on Upward Sports, check out their website at www.upward.org.

With Apologies to Frank Capra - "It's A Wonderful Life"

Today is the birthday I was not supposed to have.

According to the national "averages" I should not have lived to see this 57th birthday. That's because on the news that I received on the last week of November, 2004. There was bad news and worse news. The bad news was that I was diagnosed with cancer. It was colon cancer - which was bad news. The worse news was that it was in stage four - having already escaped the colon and had metastasized to the lymph nodes and the liver. The prognosis was "incurable but hopefully manageable" through chemotherapy.

Those of you who know me personally or who have read my blog before know that the doctor told me that the average survival time for my type of situation was 18-22 months. Pretty sobering news. If you have never heard the "incurable cancer" diagnosis for yourself or a loved one - take it from me - it'll make you think about a lot of things. There are three or four ways you can deal with that kind of news:

1. Despair and surrender
2. Bitterness and anger
3. Determination to fight it with all you've got - or
4. Turn it over to God

I chose the fourth option. It suddenly occurred to me that NOTHING suddenly occurs to God. In His Omniscience - He knew this was coming from before time began. In His sovereignty, the whole thing was in His control anyhow. He has promised nothing but good for me and has known the plans He has had for me all along (Jeremiah 29:11). Having an excellent, capable and caring oncologist locally, and the Great Physician on duty around the clock I did three things. I was anointed by the elders of the church and they prayed for me with the laying on of hands (James 5); I prayed for wisdom for Dr. Jain; and I determined that it was all in God's hands and that my job was to strap in and take the ride.

It's been quite a ride!

So today, I had the birthday, they thought I would never have. It has been a day of work, rest, and joy. I have received many birthday greetings by phone, email and cards. I sent the usual bouquet of red roses to Mom (which I have been doing on every birthday for the past 15 years or so). The thought occurred to me back then - "Why should I be receiving gifts? Mom is the one who deserves the gift. She gave me life!" Benji, Leigh Anne, and the boys came by the house, as did Mom and Dad for pizza, birthday cake and ice cream. Jay called from Louisiana and I had phone calls from both of my younger brothers. Linda gave me a beautiful card and some thoughtful gifts, and I have just spent some quiet time with God.

So now it's official. I have reached the age of 57. What have I learned in the past 57 years? Actually, I have learned nearly as much in the past three years. I have learned:

• Life is short - Every day is precious
• God has given me a wonderful wife that I do not deserve
• I love Linda more today than the day we walked down the aisle 36 years ago.
• Family is SO important
• I have not only ministered to my church -
• They have ministered to me
• Friends are more valuable than gold
• I have peace with God that cannot be described (Philippians 4: 7)
• It is good for me that I have been afflicted (Psalm 119: 71)
• God's Grace is Sufficient for every need (2 Cor. 12: 9)
• God is good - all the time
• God is in control- therefore -
• Don't sweat the small stuff (and basically it's ALL small stuff)

I want to thank all my friends who have been so kind, helpful and prayerful on my behalf. I want to thank my family for being such a blessing to me, and my grandsons for making my life even richer than before. But above all, I want to thank God for all He has done for me, and for sending His Son to give me forgiveness and eternal life.

Who knows - I may even be around to see number 58 - Or I may get to spend that one with Him.

Either way - It's a wonderful life!

Little Children

One of the joys of having survived my "incurable" cancer these (almost) three years is the extra time I have had to be around little children. Naturally, I am especially fond of the four boys you see in the photo with me on the left side of this page, but I am gaining a new appreciation of little children in general. That may sound odd from a fellow who helped raise two boys of his own, but it just seems as though I have most recently come to appreciate little children more than ever before.

Is this just something that comes from getting older?

I just love being around little children!

I really don't know, but I can tell you that the older I get, the more I seem to appreciate kids. Maybe it's their innocence - or not. They can be downright scheming and devilish. Perhaps it's their inherent happiness or the joy of playing with others - or not. Often times they cry and pout, and sometimes they don't play well with others at all! Maybe it's their lack of formal learning - although everything they do is a learning experience. Their impressionable little minds soak up EVERYTHING - good or not so good. At times they exhibit total honesty and goodness. Yet no one has to teach them how to lie, or to take something that doesn't belong to them.

Curious creations - little children. Their comments can break your heart - or bring uproarious laughter.

They can drive you crazy during their waking hours, and yet you can stand in silent adoration while watching them sleep. Oklahoma Pastor Shane Waldrop once said, "Did you ever notice how they look like little angels when they're sleeping? God does that so you won't kill them in their sleep!" There may be something to that...

When diagnosed with incurable fourth stage cancer, one of my first concerns was that I would not live to see my grandchildren grow and mature. One was three, one was four and the third was born the week my malignancy was diagnosed. The fourth wasn't born until I was into my first course of Chemotherapy. These were kids I barely knew and selfishly I wanted to build a long relationship with them and I wanted them to remember me!

God has richly blessed me to have these three "extra" years with the grandsons, with my boys and their wives, and with Linda. I just want to publicly give Him thanks today for that gracious gift. Every day is special and I relish every visit with the little ones, every photo or video image of them, and every conversation with them. Oh, how I treasure those moments! I am not going to bore you today with all the profound and cute things my grandsons say, but I do want to share some funnies with you regarding some of the funny things that kids have said. This list was shared with me via email from Jim Fugate. You may have seen some of them before. If so, move on. If not, I hope you get a good chuckle from them.

As Art Linkletter used to say, "Kids say the darnedest things!"

JACK (age 3)

was watching his Mom breast-feeding his new babysister. After
a while he asked: 'Mom why have you got two? Is one forhot and
one for cold milk?'

MELANIE (age 5)
asked her Granny how old she was. Granny repliedshe was so old she didn't
remember any more. Melanie said, 'If youdon't remember you must look in the back
of your panties. Mine say fiveto six.'

STEVEN (age 3)

hugged and kissed his Mom good night. 'I love you so much that when you die I'm going to bury you outside my bedroomwindow.'

BRITTANY (age 4)

had an earache and wanted a pain killer. She tried in vain to take the lid off the
bottle. Seeing her frustration,her Mom explained it was a child-proof cap
and she'd have to open it forher. Eyes wide with wonder, the little girl asked:
'How does it know it's me?'

SUSAN (age 4)

was drinking juice when she got the hiccups.'Please don't give me this juice again,' she
said, 'It makes my teeth cough.'

DJ (age 4) stepped onto the bathroom scale and asked: 'How much do I cost?'

MARC (age 4)

was engrossed in a young couple that were hugging and kissing in a restaurant.
Without taking his eyes off them, he asked his dad: 'Why is he whispering in her
mouth?'

CLINTON (age 5)
was in his bedroom looking worried. When his Mom asked what was troubling him, he replied, 'I don't know what'll happen with this bed when I get married. How will my wife fit in?'

JAMES (age 4)

was listening to a Bible story. His dad read: 'The man named Lot was warned to take
his wife and flee out of the city but his wife looked back and was turned to
salt.' Concerned, James asked:'What happened to the flea?'

TAMMY (age 4) was with her
mother when they met an elderly,rather wrinkled woman her Mom knew. Tammy looked at her for a while and then asked, 'Why doesn't your skin fit your face?'

The Sermon I think one Mom will never forget.... this particular Sunday sermon...'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face.'Without you, we are but dust...' He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four year old girl voice,'Mom,
what is butt dust?'

Kids are amazing. Many years ago, we picked up a lady on the way to church. She was a friend and co-worker of Linda's and she was going through a difficult time in her marriage. We stopped the car and she climbed in the back seat with our two boys. Jay was looking out the window and didn't pay much attention to the new adult who had embarked. Benji, on the other hand, studied this lady with great fascination. We had driven a mile or so, making the usual small talk and Benji continued to give her his rapt attention and he said not a word. Finally, she looked at him and said, "How are you this morning, Benji?"

"Fine" he said. Then he announced in a very serious tone, "My dad's growing a moustache too!

You have got to love little kids...