Category Archives: Profound Thoughts

Sinus Hell.

On Saturday I woke up at 6:00am, feeling something was wrong with my body. Didn’t know what, just knew I didn’t feel “right.” So I get up, go to the den and read the Bible and pray. I figured I was up, might as well maximize the quiet time. I didn’t get any profound revelations on what was wrong, but it felt good to be with God, regardless.

About an hour later it hits. My eyes started watering, my body began to ache and my nose suddenly alternated between stuffed and runny. Thus began a 36 hour (and counting) bout of Sinus Hell.

And I have no idea why. My allergies haven’t bothered me for a long, long time. Seasonal allergies, that is. Once in a while I’ll encounter a food allergy I conveniently forgot about, and it’ll throw a wrench in the system for a day or two, but seasonal hasn’t bothered me in years. Maybe it’s the heat. The temperatures for the week were up in the 100′s, so perhaps that did something to the pollen or the air or my body or whatever.

After taking three different kinds of antihistamines (different times of the day) with little to no effect, I’m about to try something new: a Neti Pot.

Specifically, a SinuCleanse neti pot. As I understand it, I pour the special sauce in one side of the nose and let it drain out the other. Rinse and repeat over a few days, and voila! Breathing becomes a whole new experience! Which is ironic, considering my previous post was about breathing as well. Huh. Whoda thunk?

So I’ll keep you informed as to whether or not this is The Godsend that it’s made out to be. I WILL say that both my father and my friend, Rob, swear by it. And they both have thin nasal passages and are doctors, so take that for what it is. I, being the larger-nosed, normal everyday guy might have a different reaction. But you’ll know this: I’ll give a solid review, no holds barred. :)

Kevin

Book Review: Breathe: Creating Space For God In A Hectic Life – Keri Wyatt Kent

Book Review: Breathe: Creating Space for God in a Hectic Life – Keri Wyatt Kent

God often works in my life in thematic spurts. I’ll read a passage of scripture which “just happens” to coincide with the sermon a day later, and then a new book comes in the mail (through PaperBackSwap.com) which further supports the “coincidence” factor.

So it was no surprise a few months ago when I first heard a sermon from LifeChurch.tv (“God Will Never Give You More Than You Can Handle,” as seen in an earlier post.) The gist? Some of us are increasingly accepting constant stress and pressure as a normal way of life. This really resonated with me and the hats I was juggling of stay-at-home Dad, editor, novelist and podcaster.

A few days later in my LifeGroup we watched a NOOMA video entitled “Breathe,” which coincided perfectly with a book that had arrived a few days before THAT. And THAT is what I’ll be writing about today.

Breathing. :)

Even though the book is intended for MOPS groups (Mothers of Preschoolers), it’s still greatly applicable to my life as well. Because aside from my two macho testicles, the basic experience of stay-at-home parenting is relatively the same.

Here’s a few of the nuggets the book had to offer:

“Life is about more than productivity, more than quantifiable results.” – 26

Getting enough sleep, deciding not to hurry, saying no to what the world says you need to do so you can say yes to what God is calling you to do.

“We live in a society that’s focused on doing. That’s one reason so many of us wrestle with being a parent: time spent with our kids doesn’t feel like we’re producing anything.”- 45

This is an area that plagued me when I first started looking after Kyler. While I was somewhat comfortable with the idea of being a stay-at-home dad, I oftentimes felt like I had to try to explain or justify myself to others when talking about my life. Now I’m completely confident that what I’m doing MATTERS. I’m not just wiping butts and doing laundry and shuffling kids around – I’m setting an example. Even when I don’t think Kyler’s looking, I KNOW that he’s quietly absorbing everything I say and do, and will one day recycle it and internalize it as he figures out who he is and who he wants to be.

So I’m not just a glorified babysitter anymore. But I also don’t have to be SuperDad, setting up “educational opportunities” to enhance their minds and spirits, blah blah blah. I can just be me. I can just spend time with Kyler and Kaleb, and just spending time with them is a gift itself. (No, I’m NOT sayin’ I’m All That, but I AM saying that giving time to your kids is incredibly valuable to them. Being loved and noticed is what they’re all about, especially at such a young age.)

Anyhow, here’s a few of the other notes…

“We don’t focus on God or Christ by accident – we need to be intentional about it.” This especially applies to establishing a quiet time routine.

“Seek contentment, a simpler life. How many times do we buy things we don’t need? And then how much time do we waste maintaining those things we’ve bought?”

“We want to have time to spend with our neighbors, rather than spend all our time getting stuff, cleaning stuff, storing stuff and fixing stuff.” – 118

“Sometimes the best thing you can do for your kids is to say no to the needs of others, set aside some time to be alone with God, and pace yourself so that your family gets your best.” – 159

I’m a firm believer in that statement. Giving my family my best. When I was working as a freelance editor through PaperPolisher.com, I often found myself up against a deadline at nights. I’d have dinner with them and then have to disappear for the rest of the night to edit. And while I felt productive in terms of making money, it wasn’t worth the alienation I subjected Kim and Kyler to.

So when God started talking to me about relaxing a bit more and refocusing my priorities, He made it clear that my time at PaperPolisher.com was coming to a close. Which was a relief to me. I think the site was infinitely more successful than I anticipated, and God was able to put me in contact with a number of people who I both blessed and was blessed by. And as mentioned in the latest newsletter, I now have a co-author, Patrick, with whom I’ve grown especially close to. He’s not just a co-writer, he’s a trusted friend.

Now I’m in the process of drafting a new schedule for my life. Scheduling time for God, time to be with just Kyler, with just Kim, etc. Time to read, time to write, time to do nothing at all. I’m clearing my plate of all the other “stuff” that used to take up my time. There will be plenty of time to resume some things when the kids are in school and my days are free again. But until then, I think I just want to invest in their lives and development as much as possible. It’s a rare opportunity, and I don’t want to take it for granted.

“Prayer is essential to eliminating hurry and simplifying.” – 248

In keeping with the theme of slowing down, a similar book was just mailed to me this week from PaperBackSwap.com. It’s “Slowing Down to the Speed of Life,” by Richard Carlson and Joseph Bailey. You might recognize Carlson’s name from his “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” series of books. I figure if God wants me to downshift, I might as well get a clearer understanding of exactly how to go about it.

I look forward to the next year and seeing how I continue to change as I strive to hear what He has to tell me. Honestly, I never thought I’d see the day when I’d VOLUNTARILY go to bed at 10:00pm on weeknights. That’s just crazy… but effective. :)

Kevin

Kevin’s Joke Of The Day.

Question: How did the bird lose his feathers?

Answer: By flying under my truck.

That’s right. A bird flew UNDER my truck as I was taking Kyler to school this morning. We’ve all seen ‘em – the hot shot birds that dart across traffic? They move at the speed of light, a simple blur chasing them in their wake?

Well, that’s exactly what I saw. A feathered blur shot in front of my 4Runner, and then – POOF! – a handful of feathers shot up in front of my left tire, caressing my hand through my open window.

Why, yes, I WAS disgusted! How did you know?

Then I had to figure out what to tell Kyler when he asked “Daddy, why did you scream like a little girl?” (Okay, those weren’t his EXACT words, but you KNOW he was thinkin’ it.) In the end I decided to tell him the truth.

With a riddle. And now? Now YOU’RE in on the joke, too.

Enjoy.

Kevin

Lifechurch.tv – Urban Legends: God Will Never Give Me More Than I Can Handle.

Kim and I have been going to LifeChurch.tv for close to two years now. We’re constantly amazed at how God continues to speak to us directly through the messages that Craig Groeschel preaches each week. Nine times out of ten, the word that reaches our hearts is EXACTLY what we’re dealing with at the time. It’s uncanny.

I’m testing some of the code that would allow me to stream sermons to you directly from my blog, so let me know what you think (if it works). Just click on the link below and prepare to be changed.

Kevin

Kim Mills: Supergirl.

Kim is amazing.

About 6 weeks ago she pops out this beautiful baby, and between then and today she’s gotten what? 3 hours of consecutive sleep? At the most? Lemme tell you, it ain’t much.

But is she grouchy? Does she wander about the day aimlessly in an Oscar funk, ready to bite the heads off of Kyler and I as we pass by? No. No, she doesn’t.

She sweet, and patient, and still has the time to bring home the bacon AND fry it up in the pan! (Granted, I know many who would argue that that’s not such a good thing… what with the indestructible parasites or whatnot…).

Point being: she is amazing. She is a constant source of inspiration to me, because she shows me that we don’t have to wallow in our humanity and physical limitations.

I like sleep. I really, really like to rest, to relax. I sleep so deeply I’ve even made the mistake of getting up in the morning and asking “Did he sleep through the night?” (only to have her shoot semi-nasty daggers in my general direction). When I don’t get enough sleep, I DO get a little grouchy. Nasty. Oscar.

So when I see her taking it all in stride, with all the c-rap she puts up with (mainly from having two other boys to contend with in the house), I smile. And I take note: “B…e… m…o…r…e… like… K…i…m….” :)

That Kim. She’s something else.

Kevin

Ralphing & Fun Do Not Mix.

Last night a bad thing happened.

At dinner my mother said she wasn’t hungry. She had prepared a gourmet meal for everyone (Kim, Kyler, Dad & myself), but she said she didn’t feel hungry. She’s German. She majored in Home Economics in college. She loves to cook. She’s NEVER said she’s not hungry.

So she laid down. An hour later she was puking in the bathroom.

Two hours after that, I was puking in the bathroom. Then Kyler.

Thankfully, God placed a wonderful hedge of protection around Kim, Kaleb and Dad, because they didn’t catch whatever nasty bug has been floating around Oklahoma for the past month. Instead they only had to hear the compositions of the Vomit Symphony all night. (I was relegated to the couch to protect Kim & Kaleb, so half the time I had to use a pitcher since I wouldn’t make it to the bathroom. While I appreciate the new experience and the new neurons that accompanied it, I don’t really think I needed those connections just yet…)

This morning we’re quite a bit better. Kyler’s chipper and playing with toys, Mom & Dad went back to Tulsa, and I haven’t seen the contents of my stomach OR colon yet. :) I’m weak and sore, but I’m not turning inside out, and for that I give thanks to God.

Kim’s parents come down from Colorado tonight, so if there’s a recurrence we’ll be ready for it. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to pray for their protection while here, too.

Kevin

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