Jon Cobler dot com

I'm amazed...

I love this girl! May the "wonder" of Christmas never be lost.

When I grow up, I want to be a...

 Tonight we got updated, "What I want to be when I grow up" from the kids...  Here they are:

Sam: Not sure (He's tends towards the perfectionist side of life.  Doesn't want to commit too early.)

Andrew: An archeologist - A pastor - An artist (He said that way he'll be rich.  I hate to break his heart.)

Levi: A cowboy - A worker cowboy - A guitar player - a karate guy

As parents some of the most important things we pray for is that they'll grow up and love Jesus, live faithfully and passionately.  

My prayer for parents out there is that you would know that God has not called you to determine your child's destiny, nor has He given you the choice to pick what raw material your child comes with.  He has called you to train your child to embrace the unique shape that God has for her/him.  

It's a big job, but they never said parenting was for wimps.  You can do it, by the grace of God.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Jon

The Handyman Series

Today was an awesome day.  Not only did I get to spend an extra “Family Day” at home, I exercised my Handyman Skills.  You might be thinking, “Handy Man Skills, is this Jon Cobler we’re talking about?”  To quiet the skeptics I would like to share, in a step-by-step manner, exactly what I did.  For those of you “less Handy” guys out there, you can consider this a step-by-step guide to being awesome.

1 minute Mondays: Starring the Coblers

Fire!

Less than 14 hours since Fawn went to visit her sister I almost caught the kitchen on fire... I need my wife.

via www.youtube.com

1 Minute Mondays: Starring the Coblers

Don't even try to tell me your kids are cuter...

 

U-Pick Dinner!

Tonight is U-Pick Dinner!  If you are looking for a way to add some spice to a normal family night in, but don't want to break the bank, U-Pick Dinners are a great way to have fun and get the kids involved.

All you need for U-Pick Dinner is about $5 per kid and a trip to the grocery store.  If you have less than 3 kids, you probably are going to need some parental input into the shopping list as well, to make sure there is enough food.

The concept of U-Pick is simple, give each of your kids $5 and let them decided what is for dinner.  The first time we attempted U-Pick our evening menu consisted of: Mac 'n Cheese, an apple, Fruit Gushers, M&M's, Pop Corn and cookies.  Did I mention that it probably won't be the most well balanced, or balanced at all, meal of the week?

Our kids love U-Pick and we save it for special nights, give it a try and let us know how it goes.  Special thanks to the Fishers for sharing their U-Pick idea with us! 

FYI The pic above is what's for dinner tonight!

Sending Your Kids Back to School... Overwhelming Influences

This is the season for sending kids back to school.  Whether they are off to Kindergarten or entering their final year in High School, parents need to have a plan for how they will lead their children this school year.  It seems natural to spend your last summer weeks school shopping and buying new clothes, but those activities pale in comparison to the importance of helping your kids get spiritually prepared for the change in environment they are about to face.

Consider these insights from Shawn Alyne Strannigan in her series of online articles, "Combating Cultural Influences".  Here's an excerpt,

When my children were toddlers, I installed childproof latches on all the cabinets and drawers within their grasp to keep them from ingesting dangerous substances. During the grade school years, I zealously guarded the shows they watched...  Read the rest.

The worst decision any parent can make is to assume that "everything's gonna be OK".  Be faith-filled AND proactive to help your kids grow up to be passionate followers of Christ.  They need you, and by the grace of God you can raise kids that will be INFLUENCERS rather than influenced.

1 in a Million...

My brother-in-law has been chasing his dream to play baseball in the "bigs" for several years.  As a very successful pitcher at the University of Michigan, Mike had a good a shot as anyone - about 1 in a million.  My mom, who is a great writer, wrote this piece about his baseball dream coming to an end.  Enjoy, don't stop dreaming ;)

A week ago today Mike pitched his last professional baseball game. It was sad to see that era of his life come to an end but that is the one indisputable fact of a professional athlete’s career: The game you love will cast you aside and in the process break your heart, because it always comes to an end-your body wears out, an injury never heals, you don’t get the break, you are no longer a more valuable commodity to the head office than the next young gun nipping at your heels-and it’s over. At least for a moment, he got the shot to live the dream.  Read the rest.