Before you go, I have to tell you this...

My wife and oldest son had been feverishly preparing for this for over two years. A sojourn to Egypt is what monopolized the attention of this house for about the past week. We've been packing, buying last minute items, and anticipating an almost 24-hour travel. As my wife was packing at the gorgeous time of 4:15 am, I was writing some thoughts to my son. I was giving him advice-technical, moral, physical, and spiritual advice. Even while cutting his hair last night, I was advising him. At the end of the letter, I gave him my blessing.

I wrote a letter to Paula as well. And just like the one to my son, I gave her the same type of advice, just more seasoned for her needs. And at the end of the letter, I gave her my blessing. I packed the letters away in their suitcases. They won't see them until they reach their hotel in Egypt.

I learned and was reminded of a couple of things from their upcoming experience. First, perseverance has its rewards. They stuck this program out for over two years when a lot of others were unable to complete it. Secondly, I have to continue to infuse my family with advice and wisdom. Proverbs speaks of this often. Lastly, I learned that I have to bless my family. Sending them off with my blessing, and even more importantly, God's blessing helps me feel so much more secure in knowing that they will have a fantastic time.

Give me your feedback on how these penned words have affected you. It's easy to leave your loved ones each day in a haste without truly giving them what they need to hear and feel. Leave your comments-I have no off season in learning...

There's a bat in my house!!!

It must have been around 12 midnight on Monday morning. We were winding down from what seemed to be a very active day. We had guests over for most of the day and into the evening. I am lying on the couch on the computer playing a game and watching TV while Paula is reading and watching TV (how we concentrated on one or the other is beyond me). Law and Order was on the tube. I happened to look up and I see this black image agitatingly flying across the room. I figured I could have been tired. I was in the studio the night before and Sunday was hot and busy. Then, this same image I thought I saw flew over Paula's head. I yelled out, "A bat!" Paula looked up and saw it as well. She started screaming! I became hysterical myself! As Paula is trying to run upstairs, I violently push the couch to the side and open up the front door in the efforts of letting it fly out. Let's not forget that I have a front door and a storm door! My wife is running up the stairs and I pass her only to open our bedroom door and lock ourselves in. I'm sweating! Oh snap!- my boys' room door and the bathroom is open. So I slip back out, close those doors and run back into my bedroom. Thanks God I closed the boys' door in time. If the boys saw a bat inside their room, we might as well start looking for a new house-they would believe it to be haunted!

I go to the window and begin to prop it up. Paula asks me, "Dijon what are you doing?"

"I am opening the window because I need you to look and see that the bat flew out when I go down there to open the door." I had no clue that Paula was already on her I-phone looking up ways to get bats out of the house. As I was opening up my window, my next door neighbor was pulling in from work. So, here I am, in my window, way past midnight calling out his name.

"Alex!", using my soft, pensive Golf Channel voice. "Alex, there's a bat in my house!"

"A bat?", in his calming, thick Latin American accent.

"Yes, a bat!"

He peaks in my house because, again, I only opened the front door, but not the clear storm door. He says he saw it. I told him that I was going to try and go open the door. As I open my french doors, I began to quietly walk out only to see that the bat had flown upstairs! OMG! I bolted back in the bedroom, knocking the french doors off the lock! I'm sweating even more-clothes just wet! I am back in the window talking to Alex. He now had a broom in his hand, opened the door, and watched the bat fly out.
I am thinking how crazed I felt that night. I am thinking now that I probably should have let Paula go up the stairs first. I am also thinking that if I had just opened the storm door, this minor incident would not be a minor screenplay.
The greatest lesson for me is to remember how there are people in your lives that come just at the right time-to give encouragement, to help out with kids, or in this case, to open the door to let out a bat. I need to take time to reflect on how God has put them in my life and how I need to continue to nurture those relationships.
Take some time and think of some people who you could encourage. There is no off season when it comes to encouragement. Someone can always use it. Who knows-if you open the door, you may be their relief as well. Lend me your thoughts.