Serve by Design

I love giving flowers on special occasions. It has been my practice to purchase a pretty rose or roses on Monique's birthday, Valentines Day and on our anniversary to name a few of those times during the year. For me, it is a celebration of the one I love and a way to "make artistic space" for something fragrant and beautiful in our house. I have been known to display these symbols of God's perfect creation a few days before the event so that we can extend the time for celebrating beyond a single day. Art and artist can be misunderstood. A few years ago, a friend and I attended a faculty show being held in a gallery of a nearby university. The pieces on display were mostly of the abstract variety. As my friend stood before one of the selections and studied it for a brief moment, he turned to me and said, "Mike, if we had painted this, we would have had to make an excuse for it!" We both laughed, but I'm sure that the artist would not have been amused!

Recently, Brady assembled a bedroom dresser for his sister's clothing. It was purchased at the big box international furniture store (hint: the one with the Swedish meatballs!) and came in two boxes to Matt's front door. Of course, it required assembly. Matt put the boxes aside for the week knowing that his number one son would be the "go-to-guy" for the project. Brady is a high school freshman and has had the patience and know-how for several years now to put things together following the directions and using only the minimal tools. Not everyone has the tenacity (and did I mention, the patience?) to accomplish such tasks, but Brady, our "number one" and oldest Keppler grandson does! I can't remember when we determined that he had this gift, but since it became evident, we have depended on him to assist in various projects and now, to take the lead in fixing and assembling several things around the house. He has been a great help to me with both insi