Football!

Guest post by Lenny McKnight

Yea! Football season is finally here! It is our five-year-old's first year playing flag football. We are so excited to watch him! He has been talking about this all summer!

I tell ya, there is some serious planning before we can even get out the door, though. Knowing that we are going to spend all day at the fields, we have to pack the coolers, bring the lawn chairs, get everyone dressed and ready, set the house alarm system (click here for more), and head out the door before 9:00 a.m. It is quite the task for all five of us, but we love it!

This past weekend was his first game, and he did great! He is still learning the rules of the game, but he had such an awesome time. It is so fun to see all of the little guys out there chasing one another. Sometimes they were running in the right direction, and sometimes they weren't. You couldn't help but laugh and cheer for them anyway. He and his friends even do a touchdown dance in the end zone.

What a great memory! I can't wait to watch him again next week!

Mother Teresa, 'A Gift for God'

One of the people I admire is Mother Teresa. She led a selfless life of a servant and inspired many. Over the years, she witnessed horrific poverty, suffering, and death.

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, India in 1950. For some 45 years, she toiled among the poor and mentored other nuns. Much of her work was in Calcutta. Her order worked in more than 25 countries throughout the world.

One of my favorite Mother Teresa quotes comes from her book of prayers and meditations, titled A Gift for God:

Put yourself completely under the influence of Jesus, so that he may think his thoughts in your mind, do his work through your hands, for you will be all-powerful with him to strengthen you.

Mother Teresa won the Nobel Peace prize in 1979.

Fighting childhood obesity

Now, more than ever, keeping children healthy should be a priority of all adults. Kids who are active at age 5 are more apt to stay lean at age 11 even if they don't remain as active. This effect is called "banking" because children benefit later on. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends kids get at least one hour of physical activity every day.