Usually skid marks on the concrete in my carport mean that I have been doing brake-stands or peel-outs again with our minivan. That's why I was surprised to see two rubber patches the other day that I could not recall having recently laid down. But then I remembered that one of my children is learning to drive standard.
Back in December, Alyssa, who has survived cancer and has now moved on to driving, paid $500 (and a carburetor repair) for a 1982 Toyota Tercel with 59,000 original kilometers. It has a 4-speed manual transmission, which apparently is in good enough shape to leave patches behind when a novice shifter pops the clutch. To see my daughter picking up this skill has brought back warm and happy memories of my Dad teaching me to drive his own 5-speed, 1982 Toyota Corolla. Back then the evidence of my learning was a tension headache (mine) because I knew that Corolla was the first brand new car my dad had ever had and I didn't want to break something.
The evidence that someone has tried something is more than just a trip down memory lane for fathers.
Cybersalt Shaker
The Cybersalt Shaker features devotionals and commentary written by Pastor Tim.
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I have discovered that one of the benefits of having teenagers in my home is that many of the gifts they get are things that I can enjoy playing with. Consider, for example, my son's Nintendo Game Cube that he received last Christmas. Thanks to this gift, I have been regularly enjoying the thrill of street racing in Need For Speed ? Underground, and searching for lost artifacts while shooting and blowing up space aliens in Metroid Prime (episode one). Not only has all of this video game playing been fun, it has also helped me to be a better father as I learn to share and let my son have a turn on his gift.
This electronic diversion has also been a bit of an eye opener for me because it is another example of a new trend in my life ? namely my children trying to teach me things. Yes, I hate to admit it (please don't tell my kids this) but increasingly they have the upper hand over me in certain skills. Again, consider my playing video games while my son is watching me. In my mind I can see that . . .
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Now imagine, if you will, a similar scenario involving the same right Bible reading and the same careful living - only with the result being a quality of marriage unmatched by the world? These marriages would feature
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In order to understand what I have to say about Jane Fonda, I must first present to you what is circulating around on the net about her. I have it here to set up my comments, not to pass it along so please keep reading it after it. The following was sent to me:
KEEP THIS MOVING ACROSS AMERICA
HONORING A TRAITOR
This is for all the kids born in the 70's that do not remember this, and didn't have to bear the burden, that our fathers, mothers, and older brothers and sisters had to bear. Jane Fonda is being honored as one of the "100 Women of the Century." Unfortunately, many have forgotten and still countless others have never known how Ms. Fonda betrayed not only the idea of our country but specific men who served and sacrificed during Vietnam.
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A few months ago, our household experienced one of those weeks. After repeated troubleshooting on our 1992 minivan, it became clear that it was a whisker away from blowing a head gasket. Then, determined not to be left out, our 1989 K-Car became a 1989 not-so-OK-Car and threw a crankshaft rod bearing. Thankfully, into this mechanical horror show stepped a dear brother in Christ who not only volunteered to fix our van, but also gave me a rusty beater car he had been doing some patch up work on - a 1977 BMW 320i.
Receiving this gift car has taught me a couple of things, one of which is that no matter how old it is, or what shape it is in, most people think you have money when you drive a BMW. Image wise, I find this somewhat alarming and a little bit entertaining. Some have even compared me to . . .