Tag: Hudson

Can I Go to Church Daddy?

Hudson has started getting into this habit. Here is what it is. He keeps asking to go to church.

Now this is a great habit, and no he doesn’t ask to go to church as much as he asks to watch the movie Cars. But he still asks it consistently.

The question for me is…why?

I mean I love our church. It is a huge blessing. It is an amazing place. But I spent a lot of time thinking and wondering why does Hudson keep asking to come to church. This matters to me because I’ve seen and known lots of pastor’s kids who didn’t want to go to church or to be associated with church. So put more succinctly I was wondering: what is it about this church that draws Hudson to it? What is it about these people that make Hudson want to go to church on a Friday morning?

I don’t think it’s just the nursery toys, although he does love the giant Mater that is there. I think the reason he loves to come to church is this: it’s his family.

You see on Sunday I saw how a dad here chased Hudson around for 15 minutes playing with him. I saw how older people in our congregation gave him cookie, after cookie, after cookie. I saw how people talked with him, helped him, and even saved him from falling overtop a chair (our little boy is a big climber). People picked him up, laughed with him, and asked him about Asher.

In essence, I saw people care. I saw people include him into the church family. And this is what makes church beautiful. Because church isn’t a building, but a people who welcome others.

This is what the church is to be: a family that welcomes. And this is why I love our church, and why I know Hudson wants to be there. Because people make him feel special and a part of things and our church does this not just with Hudson but with others too. I’ve seen parents showing off their new baby, I’ve seen seniors down on the floor playing with new kids, I’ve seen teenagers watching other people’s kids so that the parents can talk and connect. And this is a beautiful thing.

So I know why Hudson wants to go to church…because it’s a place he belongs. And I hope you too feel like you belong, because Jesus is clear, in his Kingdom, if we follow him we all belong…

by Andrew Mills

Teaching My Son to Pray…

A few nights ago I had a really special moment with my son Hudson. I always pray over him every night before he goes to bed. In fact after I pray he often says, “again daddy”. And of course I pray again. What could be better for a parent?

Well I found “better” a few nights ago. As I was leaving his room he called out and said, “Wait Daddy”. So I came back and said “What’s up buddy?” He looked up at me and said, “Daddy I want to pray”. I was so happy and excited so I said, “of course you can pray. Why don’t you pray right now.” He looked down though and was kinda sad and said, “But I not know how…

And so I got the amazing privilege to teach my son how to pray because he wants to know how to pray. I told him how we pray to Jesus who is our friend. I told him how Jesus cares about all we care about and how he prays about those things. I told him how when we pray we give thanks for things too. And so he gave his first nighttime prayer a shot. Here is what he prayed,

“Dear Jesus, I pray for mommy and daddy, and thank you…them. I pray to not pee the bed. Amen”

Pretty great first nighttime prayer right?

But here is the point for us. Why is Hudson asking to learn to pray? Because he sees me do it every day with him. Because this is an action that has been modeled for him. This is why Jesus says, wise is the person who hears my words, and puts them into practice. This is why our faith is not about believing just the right things, but living a certain way. Because our practices show our beliefs. And so I got the amazing privilege of teaching my son to pray, because prayer has been a part of his life now for a while.

So the point is this: that if we want to pass along our faith, we need to start to practice it consistently. Because our friends, family, and neighbors notice. They see when you pray, when you bless someone, when you forgive and reach out. And as you do these things consistently they too might be like Hudson, saying, “Will you teach me” And trust me, there is nothing more beautiful than being able to teach your son how to connect with God.

So this week make sure you practice what you believe. Make sure you act and live out your faith with those around you. Who knows, maybe God will use your example and model to influence and change others. Because that’s what happened with me and Hudson.

Oh…and by the way…Jesus answered both our prayers that night and our little boy didn’t pee the bed…

by Andrew Mills

Blogging Break for New Baby

Hi everyone. So I love blogging…but I’m taking a break for a little while. Want to know why? Because as much as I love blogging I love my new little boy even more. Yesterday our family grew by one as Asher George Mills joined our family. He’s a bit of a big boy at 8’3 and 21 1/2 inch long (or tall I guess!). And so I’ll be taking some time just to spend with him and my amazing wife, and big brother Hudson. So as important as all of you are this new little gift has all my attention!

So I’ll get back to my regular blogging schedule in about a few weeks but for now I’ll be spending time with Asher. But as often happens on here, I’m sure he will give me lots of new things to blog about! I’m sure he’ll be teaching me all sorts of new things about God, grace, family, and community. But until then here are a few pictures of our new little bundle of awesome. And yes in case you are wondering, Hudson loves being a new big brother. Last night he sang himself to sleep singing, “Baby here, baby here, big brother”.

So I’d like to introduce you to Asher George Mills born on 10/11/12:

 

 

 

 

by Andrew Mills

Bringing a Smile with You

Have you ever met someone who just makes you smile every time you see them? Have you ever connected with a person who just makes you feel better after every conversation?

Some people have an amazing gift of making you smile. My wife took this picture of my son and I think it’s amazing.

Here he is literally carting a smile around on his tri-cycle. And when I think about Hudson, this is what he is like for me. He is constantly making me laugh. At any moment he can make me smile, by a phrase, or an action. He’s in the stage now where he asks “that funny?” at so many things.

And if you say, “Yes that was funny” he puts his head back like this picture and just laughs and laughs. It makes me laugh every moment, mostly because he always laugh’s now with a delay. A funny action will happen, he will ask about it, and then laugh.

The point is though that Hudson is so connected to life that he brings me life. He is so connected to happiness, that he brings smiles where ever he goes. And whether you realize this or not, this is a lot like Jesus.

Jesus says that he is the way, the truth, and the life. What that means is that he is life. When we get connected to him, we are literally connecting to life. So as Christians we too should be helping people around us connect with life. After our conversations with others, life, smiles, and grace should linger. We should be the type of people who help people to better connect to life and love because of our connection to God.

This doesn’t mean that sometimes we don’t have deep, honest, and sometimes even difficult conversations. It also doesn’t mean we paint a fake happy face on what we are going through. But, if we, as Christians, aren’t carrying around some deeper joy, some deep smiles, and deep sense of life, then we’re missing out. Because our Savior is the life, the joy, and the grace of the world. The closer we get connected to the life, the more it will spread out from us.

The question is, what lingers in your relationships because of you?

Hudson does have bad days. He has difficult moments. But he is so connected to Jesus, that more often than not he is carting around a smile in his little tri-cycle. More often than not he will ask “that funny?” and we’ll all laugh. More often than not he’s willing to throw back his head and spread joy. This is like Jesus and I think it should be like us too.

So this week if you’re having trouble smiling, Hudson is willing to let you borrow his tri-cycle. Because no one can ride that funny, small thing, without smiling…trust me I’ve tried… 😉

by Andrew Mills

Fastening Your Grip ~ Clinging to God…

Earlier this week when I dropped off Hudson for daycare he was quite upset. He’s been sick and not at daycare and so has spent lots of extra time with mommy and daddy. So when I went to drop him off he started crying and said “Daddy, no, home daddy, home”. He wanted to go home with me. He literally wrapped his little body around me, grabbing my shirt and neck with his arms, and my body with his legs. He was literally clinging to me.

Eventually we made it through and after I left our wonderful daycare sent me a text saying he was happy and having lots of fun. But I couldn’t get that picture out of my mind ofHudson clinging to me.

Often in the Old Testament we are told to “cling” to God. We read of this in Deuteronomy 10:19, Joshua 23:8; and Psalm 63:7. In each verse we are told to cling tightly to God, to not let go. The Hebrew word is the word dabaq which literally means to cling, hold on tightly to, to cleave to, or to fasten your grip. This is literally what Hudson did. He fastened his grip on me, he wouldn’t let go, he clung to me.

As I look back on this morning I wonder if I have that same desire for God that Hudson had for me? Am I clinging to God that much? Am I truly fastening my grip on him deciding to never let go? Would I notice if God wasn’t right next to me? Am I that close to him? These are deep questions but important ones to ask.

So today ask yourself this…What do you cling to?

by Andrew Mills

Chasing Bubbles ~ Developing Wonder

I’m just going to state the obvious. My son has more fun than me at any given moment. Seriously. My life compared to his is dull, dreary, and lacks luster. Any parent knows immediately this truth: kids love to play with bubbles proportionally more than we really like to do anything. Bubbles bring out this amazing sense of play, awe and excitement in my son that happens so naturally and easily.

This is important to note because Jesus says in Luke 18:16, “The Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children.” And as I ponder this verse in connection with my son I’ve realized something. He has more wonder than me.

I think this is part of what Jesus is saying in this verse and that if we are to become childlike I believe it means, in some sense, to regain our sense of wonder. Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, “The whole earth is full of his glory, but we do not perceive it; it is within our reach but beyond our grasp”. He continued to write of the importance of wonder, awe, and astonishment. I believe children grasp what we do not perceive as adults: that there is wonder, awe, and God’s presence all around us. If we want to grow closer to God we need to allow a spirit of wonder to capture us. Heschel says, “The insights of wonder must be constantly kept alive. Since there is a need for daily wonder, there is a need for daily worship”.

This is what I am learning to do through Hudson. I now stand in awe of bubbles as they move, sway, and swirl through the sun. We stare at the stars in amazement as he yells “that one, that one, that one”, as he personally seeks to discover each star in the sky. We slow down and watch butterflies dance across the sky holding our breath in excitement.  And as I do this with him he is teaching me wonder, and teaching me to find God…

So today do something that is truly “wonder-full” and seek to discover God as a child would, with wonder, awe, innocence and joy. Then share where you found wonder or who it was with. For me obviously the best “wonder-hunter” in the world is Hudson. So today we’re going to explore this world together and find God in the midst of it…go have fun!

by Andrew Mills

Saying “All Done”

I blog a lot about my little boy Hudson. This is because he is a huge part of my life. The other reason is because I learn so much from him. Jesus says that little children can teach us about his Kingdom. And Hudson did that today.

I think we all struggle between often not doing really bad things, but just doing okay things. We often choose to do things that are urgent, but maybe not important. You might not make the terrible choice, but instead settle for a rhythm of regular or okay choices. Hudson taught me this today.

I was trying to send off some emails before work, and to get a jump on the day. And Hudson was running around. All of a sudden he runs up to me, shuts the laptop, hands me a book, and says “all done”. He then grins, snuggles up to me, and says “sit” and “again” which means to read his book again. So that’s what we did.

What a good reminder though. That sometimes we need to say “all done” to the stresses of life, to emails, to outside pressures, so we don’t miss what’s important right in front of us. For me that was a little boy running around in his diaper wanting to be read stories. But for you maybe it’s spending time with your spouse. Maybe it’s connecting with a friend. Maybe it’s getting some alone time for yourself reading, walking, or a good cup of coffee.

But my challenge to you today is to say “all done” to something good, and spend that time on someone great.

by Andrew Mills

Sacrifice, Car Rides, and the Cross

This is Passion Week, which literally means the week of suffering. This is something we often forget as Christians. That to follow Christ means following him to the cross. That’s the hard part of following Christ. That it involves sacrifice and doing the “right thing” which is often a very hard thing to do.

Late Sunday night I was driving Hudson home from some amazing friends of ours. And it was just Hudson and I. As we were driving home well past his bedtime Hudson wanted to talk. So he asked, “Where’s Mommy?” I said, “she was with your aunt”.  He then asked, “Where’s daddy” And I said, “I’m right here with you.”  And he asked me the favorite kid question, “why?” I answered “because that’s where mommy’s and daddy’s belong right with you.” And then I promised him, “that’s where we will always be, right with you,  mommy and daddy will love you no  matter what.”

But isn’t that exactly the point of Passion Week? Promises like that are easy to say but hard to live out. Promises like that require sacrifice, but it is those promises that matter and give life. It’s promises like that that led Jesus to the cross, by him promising to be with us all the way no matter what. He was so “with us” that he took our sin, shame, and death for us. His being with us required sacrifice.

That’s the hard part of doing the right thing: it always requires sacrifice.

If I am going to be true to my promise to Hudson it will require sacrifice. It’s easy to walk with him, support him, and care for him now. But keeping that promise will be more difficult as he gets older.

But the point for us during this Passion Week is that some things are worth sacrificing for. Some people are worth sacrificing for. In fact, God shows us that all people are worth sacrificing for. That’s the story of Easter. That sacrifices may not be easy, but they are worthwhile. And God’s made one for you, because you matter to him.

So if we are following him, how can you follow his example? Who can you sacrifice yourself for because they matter?

Because while sacrifice isn’t often easy to do, it is the right thing to do…

by Andrew Mills

Roar!! I’m a Lion!!

At any given time when there is a lull in our life with our little boy he will do this. He will look at me and then yell, “Roar!”

In essence, Hudson loves to be a lion. Here’s a video to give you a sense of his “lion-ness”.

I love this about him. His given attitude at any time is to laugh, is to play, and is to roaarrrrrrr! And of all the animals he could choose to be I’m happy he’s chose a lion. Except early in the morning that is. If you think being woken by a rooster is tough, try a roaring lion.To me though, it’s wonderful and funny that Hudson’s natural disposition is to just be a happy little lion. His life is a good day when he roars, runs, smiles, and laughs. But what does this have to do with anything other than my son being cute?

Well I think for me it triggers the fact that we all have natural dispositions. We all have emotions, dispositions, or attitudes that become our natural state, regular, and normal. We all have a set of emotions that, for us, is our normal. We all have chosen patterns, and rhythms that become routine and regular. The question I have for you is, are they healthy? Is your natural disposition to be at peace, calm, happy, full of life, and full of hope? Do you more often than not slide into bitterness, disbelief, anger, or depression? Is your normal, healthy? Is your natural disposition life giving?

In essence do you roar like a lion? I think it’s a good question to think of because it is too easy in our lives to let our normals be less than they should be. It is too easy to let bitterness creep in, or anger, or disbelief.

For me though I’ve found a little someone that makes sure my natural disposition is happy, healthy, and true. Because every time I’m tempted to be down, to be draw into bitterness, a little lion with a big roar draws me out of it. And maybe if you’re having a down day he can do the same for you…

by Andrew Mills

Building Altars

Today I got to my office and heard a siren going off. The only odd part was the siren was coming out of my laptop bag.

In it I found this red fire-truck.

Hudson, my little boy, must have placed it there for me to take to work. He often takes toys to daycare, so maybe he thought I’d like to play firetrucks at work (which coincidentally I do enjoy doing).

But it got me to thinking about altars. Yes I know an odd jump but not that odd for me, just ask my wife. In Genesis we find people building altars to God consistently. And part of the reason for building altars was to remember. They were visual reminders of God. They physical visual reminders of God’s faithfulness. They were objects that reminded people that God was with them.

Much like fire-trucks.

This little fire-truck reminded me of my son, how he cares for me, and made me feel close to him even though physically we were far apart.

So maybe building altars and fire-trucks aren’t that different.

My challenge to you then today, or this week, is to build an altar in your life. Find something physical, something meaningful, and something deliberate to remind you of God. Place it someplace prominent in your life. Maybe on your desk, maybe on your counter, or taped to your mirror. But find an object and make an altar to God to remind you daily that you are not alone, God is with you, God is faithful, and God is close to you even if you feel far apart.

For me, if you haven’t guessed, my altar will be a little red fire-truck with a siren…

by Andrew Mills