TEN AND STILL INNOCENT

Yesterday was Alex, Julie's son, 10th birthday. 

Wow! He can't be ten. It was just yesterday, it seemed, that he was born. That was 10 fast years ago. 

I call him my best pal. Nic is my best buddy. Claudia is my princess. Lorenzo is my best amigo. Now I have to get names for three more grands: Page, Cole, and Alex. I think I am going to rename Cole and Nic to Alex so that when all the grandsons are with us that I only have to call Alex. All of them will come running! I will call Page my best punkin if she likes it.

We took Alex and Nic to Jungle Gym out at Altantic Beach for lunch to celebrate his birthday. Julie had already gotten him a cake last week with his friends in Tampa, but Wanda baked a cake for him and we had a little party at home too. Pastor Mark called Alex up to the front at the Kid's Crusade and sang to him so he really had a great birthday celebration.

Alex has a great heart. He loves the Lord and is lots of fun. He is all boy and active and busy and into everything. That is what little boys do.

Do you remember when you were ten? I was living in Montgomery, Ala., and thought swimming, baseball, fishing, camping, and bike riding was all that mattered in the world. Ten is a special age. Just a couple more years of innocence and then the world gets real, bad, and filled with lots of ugly.

On the way home from church a couple nights back, Alex and Nic noticed a place that had flashing lights with a big sign that read, "Doll House." They wanted to know what the "Doll House" was? I couldn't tell them because I didn't want to hurt their boyhood innocence. They will face that soon enough. 

Actually, a lady in our church who collects dolls stopped by there years ago to see the "dolls" at the doll house. She told me that was she every surprised by the dolls there. I pray for that place often as I pass it for God's mercy and that it will close down.

Ten. Wow! They was a long time ago. Ten is still an innocent age.