Welcome today to our friends from Chris Spradlin’s insightful and practical EpicParent.

Chris was gracious enough to allow me to guest post on EpicParent today.  You can read “You’re Not Alone!!” here.

Let me catch you all up.

This week we took a look at fifteen year old Desean’s choice to come home drunk.

We took a look at his scenario from three perspectives:

What’s A Mom To Do?

What’s A Dad To Do?

What’s a Best Friend to Do?

Today we’ll consider what a neighbor should and should not do.

Taxes are due this week.  Tax preparers prepare tax returns, but what’s a best friend to do with a drunk best friend?

Let me explain. 1

Desean loved his friends.  He’s got several friends.  Not all of his friends get along together.

One night, a Wednesday night, Desean and Chris stayed out late.  Chris had been with Desean and some of his other friends, but when they started talking about getting drunk Chris “remembered” homework he wanted to get done.  He left hoping Desean would join him.  He didn’t.

Desean’s mom and sister trusted Desean; and they trusted Chris.

My friend Angela said it briefly and wisely…”love takes courage.” <3

Courage.
Courage to love.
Courage to love through conflict.
Courage to love despite inevitable change. and the courage to love from a distance.

Remember that the time and effort we invest in a relationship, is evidence of the value we place in it:

If we prioritize our marriage relationship it will most likely give us a happier marriage.

If we prioritize time and trust with a best friend it will most likely yield a lasting friendship.

“The passion of love bursting into flame is more powerful than death,
stronger than the grave. Love cannot be drowned by oceans or floods;
it cannot be bought, no matter what is offered.” 1

I wish I loved, and loved my Valentine more like that!

8 Things I Wish I Did For My Valentine

Broomball has always been an equalizer sport. Unless you play on a club level or a national level like my friend Paul Thyren, most of us play broomball for fun.

Fun racing around on slippery hockey rink with street shoes or boots wielding awkward brooms; then in a moment of hope you swing the broom hoping to connect with the ball and send it into the opposition’s goal.

Broomball Buddies

Broomball is a great sport to enjoy wintery fun with friends. Here from the winter of 1996 is my dear friend the late Adam Bieringer. Adam passed away in April of 2010 much too young.

Synched together with rope I approached the rock.

I called out “On Belay?” I received the reply “Belay On”. I responded “Climbing”. Followed by “Climb On.”

My friend David Villringer learned to rock climb.  David’s courage and determination were both admirable and seemingly unreachable.  Graciously and patiently Dave taught me to climb.

David climbed the Tetons.  I struggled at Devil’s Rock.

I lacked both David’s strength and his will.

I wanted to climb, and I wanted to succeed, but I wanted NOT to get hurt far more.

Discomfort & Disappointment

My Top 5 values are Family, Friendship, Love, and Religious Beliefs, with Security edging out Peace and Self-Respect for the fifth spot, but sometimes I screw that up.

Several people I’ve talked to this week told me about their attitude toward parents, relatives, siblings and fellow customers in stores.

Did you want to be loving and blow it?

Did you want to be caring and seemed crabby?

Did you plan to not be a Black Friday freak, but you freaked out anyway?

There’s hope!

Ten years after I wanted to meet him, finally I walked up to 98 year old “Alex” and introduced myself. I wish I wasn’t so … fear-filled.

Curiously I googled “I hate Halloween”.  About 255,000 results.

There is a Facebook page “I Hate Halloween” and “3,701 like this”.

I have met many people who love Halloween, and people who hate Halloween.

One blogger ranted, “It’s not even a holiday, it’s a faux holiday. A Fauxliday.  It’s nothing more than a chance for Wal-Mart and Target to sell more cheap Chinese-made crap that no one needs, and a chance for Big Sugar to rake in big profits on cheap sweets none of us need. As usual, some Christians have responded in a predictably hilarious fashion, while others see it as a chance to engage in a little advertising for Jesus.”

I’m behind a day because I’m thinking through the topic of “Bold Love”. The notion of “caring enough to confront” is not a new one, I just want to handle it wisely.