Author Archives: Rick

A Prayer

image
Father in Heaven,
I am so over it.
I’m done.
Finished.
I don’t think I can do it anymore.
What is happening?
Why is this happening?
I’m not blaming you.
I’m lost. Searching. Trying to find my way. Trying to find your way for me.
I haven’t asked you about it though.
I’ve been sinking and searching.
I’ve been floating along without a direction.
I’m at the mercy of the wind. No rudder. No sail. No compass.
I know you are my compass. Why haven’t I been using it?
What the heck is my problem?
At one moment I desperately want to know where to go, and at another I could care less.
Where?
Why?
Confusion.
Depression.
Apathy.
Help me Lord. Help me out of this funk.
Bring me back to you.
I want to desire you.
I want to grow our relationship.
Help me Lord. Please.
Crack open my heart.
Flow into me and fill me up.
Amen

Hospitals, Holidays, and Plans

It has been a week. A long and tiring week. I wasn’t feeling the greatest due to an extreme amount of tree pollen in the air, in my nose, in my eyes, etc. It seems particularly bad this year. I usually don’t have this much trouble with allergies until later in the year when the ragweed begins to bloom. But, my allergy issues aren’t really a problem when you consider what happened to my 15-year-old son.

Around noon on Friday he texted me to tell me he wasn’t feeling well. “My stomach hurts.” I told him to try to make it a couple of more hours to the end of the school day. No such luck. Within the hour he was in the school office and I was calling his older brother to pick him up and bring him home.

Long story short, he ended up in the hospital with appendicitis. Saturday afternoon his appendix was removed, and Sunday afternoon we were all back home. He didn’t sleep well (obviously), I didn’t sleep well, my wife didn’t sleep well.

10363265_10152905653971704_7076248512676596754_n

What a weekend.

Thank goodness it was a holiday weekend. We all had an extra day to recover. And for a bonus, I had Tuesday off.

Friday morning I commented to a few people about having four days off and absolutely no plans!

Ha!

Friday afternoon I began scribbling down a few ideas of what I’d like to accomplish over the four days. Oh well. We make plans. God chuckles. We adjust.

No yard work. No writing. No organizing the house.

I was able to read quite a bit.

While in the hospital we watched a few movies too. Not my ideal way to spend time, but it was relaxing.

I’m now looking forward to the next week or so, as school finishes for the year, and we can plan some activities as a family.

We’ll make our plans. God will chuckle. We’ll adjust.

Have a great week my friends!

 

A Monumental Day

Today is a monumental day, a milestone day in the Theule house. My oldest son, Noah, is graduating from high school.

Wow. Thirteen years of education has come to a close. He’ll be moving on to college, but this really is the first step out from under mom and dad. High school is finished. College is coming. He’ll be 18 soon.

The fact that he’ll be staying home for another year makes me smile. As stressful and odd this last year has been, I’m looking forward to having him home during his first year of college. He’s going to attend Grand Rapids Community College for one year before moving on to get his Bachelor’s in Physics.

Senior Pic Noah Theule

A few weeks ago I lamented about his jar of marbles being almost empty (Marbles and Weekends), and now I take joy in the additional year of marbles he’s thrown back in the jar.

High school is finished.

He is an adult.

He is my son.

I’m proud of him.

Noah Theule is an incredible young man. He is kind. He is funny. He loves God and knows he is saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.

What does his future hold? I don’t know. He doesn’t know. But I take comfort in the knowledge our God has a plan for him.

Noah Theule. Here’s to you! Congratulations on your graduation from South Christian High School. Your mom and I are proud of you. We love you.

***Irony Alert!!!! As I finished up this post, Harry Chapin came on Pandora singing “Cat’s In The Cradle”. Wow.

Noah on swing at HSP