Today was good. It was my birthday and I was gently brought out of my sleep my two floating butterflies and their mommy late into the morning.
OK, that's not how it happened, the kids fought over who got to carry my gift up the stairs to me at 6:30am, so I was already awake when they pummeled me on the bed. :-) Then they proceeded to open my gift for me (I think they were a bit sad to see it was a shirt for me)
I was able to spend time with the kids, who were exceptionally well behaved as we had to wait for over an hour for delivery of some appliances at a listing of mine (I usually can't behave that well) and we spent the day running errands and generally having fun spending time together. My lovely wife also checked in on me more than usual (always a treat) and didn't even look at me cross when she found out that I thought that vaccuming meant just the downstairs (an error that will be corrected before I go work tomorrow).
My in-laws came over this evening and we all enjoyed some cake and ice cream.
My only complaint (besides that my birthday fell on one of Rachelle's work days) was this silly tradition that our family has fallen into about waiting to celebrate Rachelle and I's birthdays together at a date that is usually after her birthday (making my wait over 1 week!). :-) Also, my hope is dimming for the flat screen TV I was anticipating. :-)
Here's a recent cute video of those two kids practicing their Bible memory verses. It's worth spending a few moments (assuming you have high speed internet)
http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=16488316
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Trouble again
Today is Monday, it is the afternoon,
This means a few things:
This means a few things:
- Rachelle is currently working
- I am not (not surprising)
- Ryan is sleeping
- Kate is at work with Rachelle
- I have very few things to make my time productive
I've tirelessly attempted to convince my wife that a Nintendo Wii (with the sports game pack) is appropriate for times such as these (another is scheduled for Wed afternoon), but she seems to be satisfied with the amount of money it takes to have me nap instead of play Wii.
I've tried the youth ministry avenue, pouting, aggression, begging, bribery as well as batting my eyes at her. Nothing seems to crack that shell of hers. I've even suggested that the appropriate time might be oh say this Wed when I celebrate the day of my birth, but I know I only waste air in convincing her of this.
I will keep trying, this I promise you.
On an entirely different note...
This Friday is a big day for us as we head to Yuma to visit. Please pray that if this is where God is calling us, that he would somehow make that very clear to us. I am terribly torn right now and thank God every day that I have the wife that I do, someone that keeps me grounded and sees things that I don't (and vice-versa) in the situations. I am praying earnestly that we would either hear a clear calling or a closed door and that it would not be something in between.
We covet prayers, thanks.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Blessings
I have an overwhelming feeling of blessing today. What an awesome God we have.
- I have a wonderful wife who is earnestly praying for God's will in our life, even if it doesn't match up with her will and plans (she's a good planner, you know)
- I have a job that has allowed me the flexibility to spend an amazing amount of time with my kids in their formative years ( I could look at it as the real estate market stinks, and I have those days, too)
- I have in-laws that are not "out-laws" :) and are more like parents to me than my own
- I have high school friends that teach me so much about our God, while I am supposed to be the one teaching them
- I have a God who loves me and cares for me. He confuses me and is teaching me something now, of this I am confident. What he is teaching me, I don't exactly know
- I have a God that cares enough about me to awaken me to my selfish ways
- I have a God that has my best interest in mind, even if I am not sure it is my best interest
- I have a God that loves me so much, that he made the ultimate sacrifice for me
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Thoughts by Rachelle
Thought I would share some thoughts that went through my head today during my run.....
I was doing my normal run this morning (usually take the same route every morning), and as I turned a corner, I saw a Police car pulled over to the side behind a small SUV. At first I thought nothing of it - probably a routine pull over. There were cones put out just behind the cars. As I got closer, it became obvious that the SUV had crashed up over the curb and across the side walk into a tree. The gravel by the side walk was torn up, a bush was pulled out of the ground and a tree was over. The SUV was quite banged up in the front, although (and I don't know how), the driver appeared to be ok - was talking to the officer. So I passed by, thinking that was interesting. Then it started hitting me - if I had been there just a bit earlier (just at the "wrong" time), I could have been hit by the car as it came up on the side walk I run on. Or, it could have hit Keith who had just finished his run before me.
So I then started to think about why I did not get hit. Obviously, it was not God's plan and He protected me. We so often ask the question "Why did God let that bad thing happen to that person?", but how many times does God NOT allow that bad thing from happening? How often does God protect us and we don't even know it? Now why did God protect me today (or any other day)? Because He loves me? That may be part of it, but that is not the main reason for the short term protection (earthly protection), because I know God loves the people that die from these tragedies just as much as me. So love (in the way that we humans think of it) is not the answer. The only thing that makes sense to me is that it was not God's plan for me to die or be injured today, and when other "good" people die from tragedies, it WAS God's plan (yes, God's love, but much greater love than I think in). How wierd it is to think that people can die in tragedies because of God's love, but I think it may be so. It is not all about US but about HIM and HIS plan!
It is hard to imagine how terrible things can happen when God is in control. Yes, sin is in the world and is a powerful force, but God is still in control. One thought I had today is that God has an ETERNAL plan and we humans have a hard time thinking eternally. We think about love in earthly terms - we show love on earth by doing tangible earthly things. We want the people we love to be happy here on earth. God's love is so much bigger than this. So God can handle earthly tragedy when it is working for His eternal plan. I can't really grasp God's full love (it is beyond my comprehension), because it is so far beyond the earthly world I live in.
Just some thoughts....for whatever it is worth.....but after our discussion on Sunday, I thought I would share.
Rachelle
I was doing my normal run this morning (usually take the same route every morning), and as I turned a corner, I saw a Police car pulled over to the side behind a small SUV. At first I thought nothing of it - probably a routine pull over. There were cones put out just behind the cars. As I got closer, it became obvious that the SUV had crashed up over the curb and across the side walk into a tree. The gravel by the side walk was torn up, a bush was pulled out of the ground and a tree was over. The SUV was quite banged up in the front, although (and I don't know how), the driver appeared to be ok - was talking to the officer. So I passed by, thinking that was interesting. Then it started hitting me - if I had been there just a bit earlier (just at the "wrong" time), I could have been hit by the car as it came up on the side walk I run on. Or, it could have hit Keith who had just finished his run before me.
So I then started to think about why I did not get hit. Obviously, it was not God's plan and He protected me. We so often ask the question "Why did God let that bad thing happen to that person?", but how many times does God NOT allow that bad thing from happening? How often does God protect us and we don't even know it? Now why did God protect me today (or any other day)? Because He loves me? That may be part of it, but that is not the main reason for the short term protection (earthly protection), because I know God loves the people that die from these tragedies just as much as me. So love (in the way that we humans think of it) is not the answer. The only thing that makes sense to me is that it was not God's plan for me to die or be injured today, and when other "good" people die from tragedies, it WAS God's plan (yes, God's love, but much greater love than I think in). How wierd it is to think that people can die in tragedies because of God's love, but I think it may be so. It is not all about US but about HIM and HIS plan!
It is hard to imagine how terrible things can happen when God is in control. Yes, sin is in the world and is a powerful force, but God is still in control. One thought I had today is that God has an ETERNAL plan and we humans have a hard time thinking eternally. We think about love in earthly terms - we show love on earth by doing tangible earthly things. We want the people we love to be happy here on earth. God's love is so much bigger than this. So God can handle earthly tragedy when it is working for His eternal plan. I can't really grasp God's full love (it is beyond my comprehension), because it is so far beyond the earthly world I live in.
Just some thoughts....for whatever it is worth.....but after our discussion on Sunday, I thought I would share.
Rachelle
Monday, August 13, 2007
Interesting Times
We have just come through a season of excitement and celebration as Kate turned 4 and Ryan turned 2 last month. Rachelle and I celebrated our 9th anniversary (and for those keeping track, today marks our 14th dating ann'y) and we look forward to seeing what God has in store for our family in the future.
These last few weeks have been interesting as we continue to explore where and when (not if) God is calling us into full time ministry with Young Life.
As I've spoken with John, the AZ regional director, he has mentioned numerous times and asked me to pray about Yuma. As Rachelle has felt more called into the ministry as a family, we met with John and his wife again about a month ago and he asked us again to take a look at Yuma, this time talking with some people about it.
Rachelle and I agreed, with the attitude of "it's a favor for John" and looking at it prayerfully, but not expecting anything. Our initial meeting was last week (with a YL VP that knows the situation really well) and we were both surprised how good the situation seem to fit our family and my skill set.
Next Friday, we head off to Yuma to take a closer look. Both Rachelle and I still desire to be here at home and stay in the Northwest Valley, but are feeling something that we need to take a look at Yuma.
I'm a bit anxious as I have a feeling that is where we'll end up, but it's not really what 'our' desires are. (Rachelle feels like we'll end up staying).
We ask for prayer that we'll: have a clear calling; be on the same page; that this would not take a long time to process.
These last few weeks have been interesting as we continue to explore where and when (not if) God is calling us into full time ministry with Young Life.
As I've spoken with John, the AZ regional director, he has mentioned numerous times and asked me to pray about Yuma. As Rachelle has felt more called into the ministry as a family, we met with John and his wife again about a month ago and he asked us again to take a look at Yuma, this time talking with some people about it.
Rachelle and I agreed, with the attitude of "it's a favor for John" and looking at it prayerfully, but not expecting anything. Our initial meeting was last week (with a YL VP that knows the situation really well) and we were both surprised how good the situation seem to fit our family and my skill set.
Next Friday, we head off to Yuma to take a closer look. Both Rachelle and I still desire to be here at home and stay in the Northwest Valley, but are feeling something that we need to take a look at Yuma.
I'm a bit anxious as I have a feeling that is where we'll end up, but it's not really what 'our' desires are. (Rachelle feels like we'll end up staying).
We ask for prayer that we'll: have a clear calling; be on the same page; that this would not take a long time to process.
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