Every family has vacation trips that they look forward to consistently.  Some families repeat trips to familiar destinations.  Some families take a cruise every holiday.  For other families it’s not so much in the destination as it is in the journey… well, at least for our family.  Call us crazy but we have always looked forward to road trips.  Yes, I confess there was a time when I (as the driver and dad) attempted to time everyones bathroom break with fuel fill-ups.  But oh how times have changed…

Last week, our 15 year old daughter and I took a road trip together.  Here are few reflections from our journey.

• Teenagers sleep ALOT!
• Shortcuts are not always as they seem.
• Singing Taylor Swift with your teenager in the car isn’t as bad as it sounds.
• Children pay more attention to their parents’ instruction than realized.
• A father and daughter slamming a red bull together is worth it!
• Teens can carry on pretty deep conversations when the time is right.
• It’s easy to say but harder to actually lead your children towards independence where they can make wise decisions without a parent looking over their shoulder.
• God really does hear the prayers of a dad for his daughter.  Thank you Jesus for Your work in her life!
• As a parent, time really does fly!  My little girl is 15…  take advantage of every opportunity to love and lead them regardless of their age.

What about you?  What are some lessons you’ve learned along the way as a parent?

“And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night” (Luke 2:8).

Some shepherds led their sheep into a walled enclosure at night. If no enclosure was available, shepherds had to watch over their flocks to protect them from wild, night-time prowlers. The angels appeared to men who were faithfully doing their duty. Are you faithfully serving where God has placed you?

It’s been a while, but with a new month comes the need for some random trivia…

• Approximately 1 in 30 people in the U.S. are in jail, on probation, or on parole.
• The planet Uranus has 27 moons.
• There are seven points on the Statue of Liberty’s crown.

• According to research, the risk of heart attack is higher on Monday than any other day of the week.
• Unlike vinyl records, Compact discs read from the inside to the outside edge.
• The name “Jeep” comes from “GP”, the army abbreviation for “General Purpose.”
• Warning:  Dieting can cause bad breath since less saliva is produced which leads to “dry mouth.”
• The eye of an ostrich is bigger than its brain.
• A group of frogs is called an “army”.