Sons of the Shepherd

  Writing Your Chapter Two So You Want to Date a Widow/Widower       Have you ever purchased a product with a warning label that just made you scratch your head?  I don't adhere to the theory of evolution, but after reading certain warning labels I think we might be devolving.  Let me share with you a few humorous warning labels.  Some hair dryers have a warning label to not use it while you are sleeping. I have never thought the two would be a good combination.  An adult Superman costume says that the costume does not enable flight.  A wheelbarrow has a warning that it should not be used on the highway.  This one caused my brain to create a very unique image.  A chainsaw has a warning to not stop it with your hands (some actually mention other parts of your body, but I'll leave that to your imagination).  But probably one of the silliest is a warning on a  container of peanuts.  It says "warning, contains peanuts."...

 Writing Your Chapter Two The Battle With Purity       One of my favorite movie series of all time is Lord of the Rings.  I could binge watch the trilogy over and over again.  It's the first thing I look for in a long overseas flight.  The only bummer is that they only show the theatrical version, not the extended version (if you know, you know).  If you haven't watch it I recommend that you do that right after reading this blog.  It will be life changing.  One of my favorite scenes is the battle of Helm's Deep.  The rain started to fall through the night as thousands upon thousands of Uruk-hai gathered outside the walls of Helm's Deep.  They were stained with the white hand of Saruman, the white wizard to who betrayed his friends.  The defenders behind the wall were exhausted, outnumbered, and painfully aware that none of them would survive the rising of the sun.  Yet not a single one suggested opening the gates and ...

  Writing Your Chapter Two Introducing Someone New        Did you ever have a moment in life where you wish you could redo something?  Hit the rewind and go back in time.  There are countless examples in sports, none probably as memorable as a missed field goal during Super Bowl XXV.  The Buffalo Bills were pitted against the New York Giants.  The two teams had very different styles.  The Bills were an offensive machine, scoring the most points in the NFL that year.  The Giants were the exact opposite.  They were stalwarts on defensive, keeping teams to the lowest amount of points scored.  It was a slugfest with both heavy weights throwing punches at each other.  Two minutes remained in the game and the Bills were trailing 20-19.  Bills kicker Scott Norwood entered the game to kick a 47 yard, seemingly game winning field goal.  The audience was at a hush as Norwood booted it with all his might, but sailing w...

  Writing Your Chapter Two When Kids Are in the Room        Math has never been a strong point in my life.  I started struggling with math when long division came onto the scene.  O' the dreaded remainders and having to carry numbers.  And then we started adding the alphabet to math.  Why do I need to know what x equals in a problem?  I yearn for the days when math was a simple one plus one equals two.  That's the kind of math that I can excel at.  A math that doesn't involve flash cards or rote memorization.  Dating after loss is complicated math though.  For most young widows and widowers the equation of two people falling in love isn't one plus one equals two, in my case it was one plus one equals seven.  That doesn't sound like it makes mathematical sense, but it does make dating sense in a post loss world.  Dating after loss is rarely just two people.  That is one of the most glaring differences be...

Writing Your Chapter Two When the First One Isn't the One       One of my favorite things to do in the entire world is cook.  I'm not content with simple meals.  I like to practice with making more complicated things, making things from scratch. Of late I've picked up the hobby of making my own pasta noodles and my own pasta sauce.  The sauce is made from my tomatoes and herbs.  I also make my own salad dressings, peanut butter, ice cream, and much more.  Cooking can be a trial and error experiment.  Some things turn out great, other things make a call to the local pizza place necessary.  Most people who have dated can attest that there is a trial and error in dating too.  Most of us start in our teen years and needless to say, we haven't mastered the technique of human relationships yet.  We lack the emotional maturity  to be able to sustain a relationship.  The result sadly is a trail of failed dating experiences....

  Writing Your Chapter Two Are You Ready?  The Questions No One Asks Out Loud       "Is everyone ready?"  Those are the last words out of my mouth before we go on a family road trip, and more then likely the answer is no despite multiple warnings.  As a family of seven there are a lot of things to get ready before finally putting the car in reverse to go down the drive way, and sometimes it means driving down the street only to turn around to find out that we were not ready.  Five kids require a lot of readiness.  Things like making sure everyone has their shoes on, that everyone indeed did use the bathroom, because if this box isn't checked, we will be visiting the gas station right down the street.  Leslie will be packing snacks, water bottles need to be filled, GPS needs to be programmed. It's amazing how the older children can say "I'm ready" while they are still getting ready.  I give this illustration to let you know that lif...