Those of you who grew up listening to music from the 1970’s will remember Jim Croce’s haunting melody, Time In A Bottle. The song was released in 1972 but was written two years earlier when Croce’s wife told him she was pregnant with his son Adrian. Hearing that he was soon to be a father, Croce wanted to put time in a bottle and savor every day. If you do a little research on the life of Jim Croce you will discover how ironically significant that song was.
Jim Croce’s Time In A Bottle came to mind because my sons are both celebrating birthdays. Nicholas turns thirty and Paul David turns twenty-seven. Looking at what I have just written, it seems impossible!
I remember vividly the day they both entered the world. Nicholas made his grand entrance in Kearney, Nebraska. Three years and three days later Paul David made his debut in Springfield, Missouri. Different as night and day, they were buddies from the start. Nicholas was a little spitfire whose eyes sparkled with fun-loving mischief. Paul David was a cute, cuddly little guy all the ladies in the church wanted to hold.
As they grew the differences in their personalities continued to increase. While Nicholas was out in the woods hunting some poor creature trying desperately to escape his devious schemes, Paul David was busy designing and building intricate structures out of Lego’s.
And then came the day when Nicholas bought his first electric guitar, and Paul David bought his first drum set. Our house would never again be the same. The same could be said for our nearby neighbors!
Then little sister was born and suddenly Nicholas and Paul David became “the brothers.” While Nicholas was gleefully foreclosing on Tori in Monopoly, Paul David was dancing and singing with her. Not much has changed over the years. Nicholas still beats Tori in Monopoly, and Paul David dances and sings with her in the Estero Christmas Celebration.
Today Sheri and I have the rare privilege of having our boys serve on staff with us. Not long after Sheri and I were married, a pastor we had never seen before and have never seen since came up to us at a conference with a word of prophecy. That prophetic word given some thirty years ago was that our ministry would proceed from our home. Prophecy fulfilled!
I thank God for where we are today and how God is using our family at RLA. But I have to admit that there are times while watching my grown sons and daughter doing ministry I wonder where the years went.
If I could put time in a bottle… But that isn’t possible. So I will treasure every day and savor every moment. This I will do until we reach that land where time will be no more.
Pastor Todd Weston
Jim Croce’s Time In A Bottle came to mind because my sons are both celebrating birthdays. Nicholas turns thirty and Paul David turns twenty-seven. Looking at what I have just written, it seems impossible!
I remember vividly the day they both entered the world. Nicholas made his grand entrance in Kearney, Nebraska. Three years and three days later Paul David made his debut in Springfield, Missouri. Different as night and day, they were buddies from the start. Nicholas was a little spitfire whose eyes sparkled with fun-loving mischief. Paul David was a cute, cuddly little guy all the ladies in the church wanted to hold.
As they grew the differences in their personalities continued to increase. While Nicholas was out in the woods hunting some poor creature trying desperately to escape his devious schemes, Paul David was busy designing and building intricate structures out of Lego’s.
And then came the day when Nicholas bought his first electric guitar, and Paul David bought his first drum set. Our house would never again be the same. The same could be said for our nearby neighbors!
Then little sister was born and suddenly Nicholas and Paul David became “the brothers.” While Nicholas was gleefully foreclosing on Tori in Monopoly, Paul David was dancing and singing with her. Not much has changed over the years. Nicholas still beats Tori in Monopoly, and Paul David dances and sings with her in the Estero Christmas Celebration.
Today Sheri and I have the rare privilege of having our boys serve on staff with us. Not long after Sheri and I were married, a pastor we had never seen before and have never seen since came up to us at a conference with a word of prophecy. That prophetic word given some thirty years ago was that our ministry would proceed from our home. Prophecy fulfilled!
I thank God for where we are today and how God is using our family at RLA. But I have to admit that there are times while watching my grown sons and daughter doing ministry I wonder where the years went.
If I could put time in a bottle… But that isn’t possible. So I will treasure every day and savor every moment. This I will do until we reach that land where time will be no more.
Pastor Todd Weston
