Christmas Through a PK's Eyes

The title of my recent blog, as you obviously see, is not quite an original title.  I closely follow the ministry work of Dr. David Jeremiah (a link to his website is below) and his current monthly devotional magazine is entitled Christmas Through the Eyes of a Child. So naturally I couldn't help but do a blog about Christmas time during my younger days as a pastor's kid.  Please indulge me.  

Let me take you back to the 70's.  Yes that's right.  The age of disco, bell bottoms and leisure suits.  I never wore that type of clothing nor was I allowed to engage in disco because it was, so I was informed, of the Devil.  I'm sure the Devil had more important things to worry about than my ability to enjoy disco.  To this day my Dad has no idea I thoroughly enjoyed the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever but I digress.  My father worked for Sears in downtown Los Angeles and was doing very well there so every Christmas our tree was literally filled with gifts for my siblings and me.  Each year we expected a bounty and Mom and Dad never disappointed. Check that, the fat man never disappointed.  I'm talking about Santa of course, not my Dad.  Santa, for me, didn't die until years later but that's another blog.  

Fast forward to 1978 when my Dad decided to leave the glamorous world of Sears and go into the ministry.  We moved to Oxnard late summer of that year and of course everything changed.  The high salary my Dad was making was no more. We were now relying solely on the giving of others.  What did Dad get us into? Tough times were ahead.  Or so we thought.  Christmas 1978, we had a tree and gifts were put under it.  The tree wasn't 8 feet tall anymore but we still had a tree and Santa still delivered just like he did in our house in La Puente.  At that age I really didn't fully comprehend how tough it was for our parents to still be able to provide us a tree and gifts to put under it but they did.  Of course I thought it was Santa but we all know better.  

So what's the lesson here?  The lesson I learned is this and we all know what it is.  Like the scripture says it is better to give than receive.  Even at that young age of 10 I realized Christmas wasn't about me.  Sure it was tough not to be envious of the other kids who received everything on their list but I still received something.  Our church family at the time was more than generous to us as well.  Our first few years there they collected cash for us to spend on ourselves.  We were never without and I am very grateful for that.

We all have Christmas stories.  Some good, some bad.  For many it will be a very difficult time of the year.  Sadly I have friends who have lost loved ones recently so no doubt Christmas will never be the same again.  My heart and prayers go out to all of you who are experiencing this.  

May God keep you and bless you all during this Christmas season.  I love and appreciate you all. Thanks for reading.  I hope you enjoyed it and come back often.  I plan to write more in the coming days ahead.  

Below is the link I promised you and check out the other blogs listed below.  My daughter Hailey has a blog and is a much better writer than me.  You'll laugh and cry at the same time. 

My fellow PK's Jessica Lair and Josiah Lair have just as much insight in being a PK as I do so give their blogs a look as well.  And finally, our friends daughter Hillary Hight has a very special page on Facebook talking about raising a child with Down Syndrome.  If you know someone who is looking for a support page on this topic click the link.  

Peace and blessings to you all and Merry Christmas.  

D.Z.

www.davidjeremiah.org

http://haileylooo.blogspot.com/

http://princessjessnicole.blogspot.com/

http://jdlair.blogspot.com/?m=1

https://www.facebook.com/hippohill/?fref=ts

Time is Flying By

It's been several weeks since my last blog post and much has happened.  Football season has begun.  I am the commissioner of our fantasy football team.  A very good friend of mine passed a very important test.  My 2 kids went back to school.  The youngest is doing cross country and basketball.  The oldest is in Europe studying English in England.  What a concept right?  My wife of many years booked her trip to go see the oldest in England in November.  I think I spotted a few more gray hairs.  My favorite sport, baseball, is rapidly coming to an end.  Hockey and basketball seasons will soon be upon us.  Where does the time go right?  That's a question I'm sure all of us ask ourselves no matter how old we are.  The events I mentioned are just a few of the things that took place since the last time I wrote here.  As I see my kids continue to grow up, and the grayer I become, I'm asking myself that question more and more.

I brought up sports because that is one facet of my life I thoroughly enjoy; mainly baseball.  Today is a sad day for me.  I grew up listening to the immortal Vin Scully call Dodger games since that one day in April 1976 when I was first introduced to Dodger baseball.  He has been the Dodger broadcaster for 67 seasons.  I've listened to him for 40 of those. Today is his last broadcast and I am listening to him as I write this.  So of course I am a bit melancholy.  Let me tell you a story. Enlighten me.    

It's a Sunday in April 1976.  My family and I reside in La Puente, CA which is located in the beautiful San Gabriel Valley.  All right, it's not exactly beautiful but I digress.  We were pretty close to our neighbors next door.  My friend Henry always talked about the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Of course I was a deprived child and had no idea who the Dodgers were but I did know baseball as I attended many little league games.  So on that Sunday he asked if I would go with him to see the Dodgers play the Houston Astros.  I asked permission of course and surprisingly my "must attend church every Sunday" father let me go.  So off I went with Henry and his family to Dodger Stadium to see my very first Dodger game.  I was hooked.  I wanted to go back.  Henry taught me how an entire baseball season works.  The Dodgers would play games at home and on the road as well.  He also taught me since it's not always possible to attend the games I could listen on the radio and even on TV.  I asked my Dad for a radio and he found one for me.  Thus my addiction to baseball and Vin Scully began.  I listened as much as I could to that voice that still captivates me to this day.  So trust me as I say again, this truly is a sad day for me.

Maybe you have to have lived long enough and be from Los Angeles to fully understand how tough this is for me and for countless other Dodger baseball fans.  He's the only voice we know that's been attached to Dodger baseball.  Chick Hearn was the long time broadcaster for the Los Angeles Lakers.  When he passed I literally broke down.  Bob Miller is the Los Angeles Kings broadcaster.  I hope to hang on to him as long as possible.  I'm sure many of you have your favorite sportscasters you couldn't live without as well.

So what's the point you ask.  My point is simply this.  Time is not slowing down so cherish the time you have with your friends and family.  The holidays will soon be upon us so document the events that mean the most to you.  Write in a journal.  Do not take anything for granted.  I know, that is a very old cliche but consider my memories of the sportscasters I grew up with mainly about Vin.  You don't realize what you have until it's gone.  So as Vin hangs up his microphone, this kid from LA wants to say thank you for all the great baseball calls you've made over the years.  Like any family member, there is no replacing you.  God bless Vin.  God bless all of my friends and family.

D.Z

PK is not the Acronym for Perfect Kid

Hello one and all!!

I'm sure you noticed the title of my blog is called Always a PK.  Let me explain what that means.  Even though I'm nearing the age of 50, I will always be a PK.  That title will remain with me until I leave this earth.  The acronym PK stands for pastor's kid, not perfect kid.   There are many of us out there young and old. It's a title that either makes people cringe, roll their eyes or open their arms to you.  It's a common misnomer that the children of pastors are the worst kind.  I can't argue the fact that there are some bad PK's out there some of which I know personally.  Music artist Dusty Springfield (for you younger ones just Google her name and her bio will come up) recorded a song way back in 1968 called Son of a Preacher Man.  Go figure that song was released the year I was born but I digress.  Here are a few of the lyrics:

Billy Ray was a preacher's son
And when his daddy would visit he'd come along
When they gathered around and started talkin'
That's when Billy would take me walkin'
Out through the back yard we'd go walkin'
Then he'd look into my eyes
Lord knows, to my surprise

The only one who could ever reach me
Was the son of a preacher man
The only boy who could ever teach me
Was the son of a preacher man
Yes he was, he was, ooh, yes he was

Bein' good isn't always easy
No matter how hard I try
When he started sweet-talkin' to me
He'd come'n tell me "Everything is all right"
He'd kiss and tell me "Everything is all right"
Can I get away again tonight?

Take those lyrics any way you want but as the song goes on Billy Ray, in my opinion, wasn't exactly reading a passage from the Bible.  Maybe he was quoting the Song of Solomon.

So what's the point of me bringing up old lyrics and the subject of this blog post.  I've had time to reflect these last few weeks as we went on vacation to Yellowstone National Park and I also attended my 30th high school reunion.  When my father decided to become a man of the cloth in 1978 my siblings and I immediately became PK's.  It was not our choice but at that age back then you only had an opinion when it was given to you.  It was from that point on the scrutiny began and believe it or not continues to this day.  Is it fair to expect perfection from kids who have parents who serve in the ministry?  I don't think so.  I'm sure people think since we kids grew up with a man who exudes holiness his home is without blemish.  That is far from the truth.  The man who preaches and teaches behind the pulpit on a weekly basis is just as human as everyone else.  I'll have more stories about growing up in future blogs as there is much to tell.

Don't misunderstand me.  Growing up in a pastor's home had many highlights but the point is it really is no different than any other home.  The only difference is the job title.  Pastors and ministers do the best they can to raise their kids in the best environment possible but the world outside of that home is scary and we're all exposed to it.  Most PK's who went down a different path were typically influenced by friends from school or even other kids at church who simply went just because their parents made them.  Proverbs 22:6 says this:  Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old he will not depart from it. (ASV) That simply means the core values that are placed in a child's mind when they are young will never be forgotten.

So the next time you see a PK doing hurdles over the church pew or doing cartwheels in the foyer, always remember, PK doesn't mean perfect kid.

God bless all,

D.Z.
Jeremiah 29:11

My New Blog

Hello one and all!!  Let me first introduce myself.  My name is Daniel and I am the son of a preacher man.  I earned that title in 1978 when I was 9 years old when my Dad decided to leave the friendly confines of La Puente, California to join the ministry and become a pastor in the coastal town of Oxnard, California.  If you asked me then how I felt about leaving La Puente for Oxnard I would have said this is the worst decision ever.  As the saying goes hindsight is 20/20.  It didn't take very long to acclimate to Oxnard and I now can't even imagine what life would have been like had we stayed in La Puente.  My Dad made the right call not just for himself but for his family as well.  Thanks to my father and to God almighty.

Let's fast forward for now to 2016.  I am a husband, a father of 2 kids, employed full time and a musician and I have many hobbies which I will mention along the way.  I have been inspired by my daughter and several friends to start a new blog where I can share my thoughts about my life as a PK and other pearls of wisdom as well.  I will not be political nor controversial.  However I will make every attempt to make you laugh and smile as I'm not the kind of guy that likes to stay serious for too long.  Life as a PK (pastor's kid for those who do not know the acronym) had its ups and downs.  I will in time share both good and bad but the ultimate goal besides making you laugh is to encourage.  For now, this is just an introduction.  I look forward to hearing your feedback as you all join me on my blog journey.  God bless.

Sincerely,

D.Z.