Because I was traveling most of last week, I spent Friday and the weekend with the family. After a 15 hour, multi-state drive, there is nothing like just hanging out, doing a few chores and not having much on the agenda. So that’s what I did Friday.
Saturday was another story and shaped up to be a father/son day. Which, interestingly, turned into a father/son weekend.
It started out with my routine Saturday morning men’s accountability group. My son, for some reason, wanted to join me early. I think it was the hot chocolate at Starbuck’s that motivated him. So we were off at 6:30am. All the guys were there and we were able to cover a lot of ground in the short hour we had together. There are times we can go long but today we had to be out of there at 8am sharp so we could make D’s Cub Scout “God and Family” class at 9am.
—– Tangeant on —–
It is challenging navigating our world today. Today’s society and media provide plenty of distractions and temptations to wander from the narrow path (check out Matthew 7:13-14) and we need all the support we can get to ensure we are doing what God has called us to do. Therefore, I find it important that you surround yourself with Godly men or women who can encourage, uplift, and correct you in a loving and Scripturally sound way. In essence, people that know you well enough and love you enough to call you on your crap. And we all have crap, and unless checked, we can end up believing the lies we tell ourselves — reading our own press. Having an accountability group provides the anchors for our tent when the wind blows.
—–Tangeant off —–
With accountability done, D and I headed to his Cub Scouts “God and Family” class. This is a 6 week class given by the Scout sponsor church youth pastor that deepens their understanding and importance of God as the foundation of the family. The youth pastor has a good rapport with the Scouts and they are engaged and have fun.
After that, D and I headed home to put the final touches on our pinewood derby cars. The Scout Pinewood Derby Races were Saturday evening and we had a few minor adjustments to make which included a stop by the Scout Shop to pick up a few things. It was nice to spend some time in the garage with D hanging out and watching the Speed Channel cover the NASCAR Daytona activities.
Our cars complete and tested, D went over to a friend’s house while I caught a catnap — literally. The cat sat on top of me in the sun while we both napped. It provided me the rest I needed to make it through the rest of the day.
The pinewood derby races were fun. Our cars were definitely more competitive than last year. D even said “I didn’t come in last every time”. Pretty cool lesson to learn because he was getting rewarded by the fruits of his labor. We worked hard on sanding and polishing each axle and wheel to reduce friction. He ended up getting 2nd place among all the Webelos 1 and 2s. I was proud of him.
Because of the pinewood derby, D and I missed joining my wife and the girls at Saturday service. So we attended the late Sunday service — a first for both of us. But it worked out nicely because it allowed us to leave afterwards to grab some lunch at our favorite Mark’s Feed Store and then come back at 2pm for a father/son activity. Our church is having a father/son learning session once a month for the next year. It will teach the sons man skills like tying knots, navigating, emergency car repairs, rock climbing, and archery. They combine those practical skills with Bible verses and applicable lessons like is called upon in Deuteronomy 6:7-9. I think it is a great idea and I hope we can make time for each one. In fact, I might add a few additional ones with my son.
After returning home, I put on the last laps of the NASCAR Daytona 500 in the garage and D hung out with me while we worked on his bike and cleaned up a few things. All in all, it was a great guy weekend and we both really enjoyed all the time and male bonding together.
…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net
