What A Day!

Today was one of those "get up early and meet the deadline" type of days. My Mom had an appointment with her eye doctor for a routine checkup. The problem was...the appointment was for 10:30am and the doctor is in Houston. That's roughly 130 miles away which translates to about 2-1/2 hours of driving. Since I like driving, it's no biggie. It also didn't hurt that we've developed a tradition for every trip we make to their doctors in Houston. The appointments usually end around lunch time, so we stop at Pappas BBQ on the way back home. More about them in a minute, but first, let me tell you about some of the people I got to know in the waiting room at the doctor's office.

I'm a people person and I love watching how others interact. I also love hearing about their lives! Mind you, I didn't actually talk directly to these people, but that didn't matter. The room was small and they were loud, and I soon found out more about them than they realized. One lady that really stood out was older and had a noticeable accent. I thought it sounded German, and I soon found out I was right! She sat down next to a gentleman and began to pour out some of her history. Her husband died 2 years ago and she moved back to the U.S.A. from Berlin. I also know that she has "2 dogs that act worse than 2 ten-year-old children." The poor man looked fairly uncomfortable with the conversation and he quickly found a way to escape to another waiting area. His seat was filled by a younger lady that I can only assume was her daughter. I'm basing the assumption on the fact that they were both talking about things like storing family heirlooms and how not walking regularly can take its toll on your muscles when you try to take a stroll in the country. I wasn't eavesdropping! Like I said, the room was small and they were loud. The next time you're in public, remember...others can hear you! Enough of the chit-chat about chit-chat. Let's get to the BBQ!

If you like great BBQ and you live in the Houston area, or if you ever visit, you have got to try Pappas. They are part of a company that have restaurants for several different types of food. They have Mexican, Cajun, Seafood and BBQ covered and the amazing thing is -- they do them all extremely well! That's my humble opinion, of course. OK, I've gotta stop talking about them or I'm gonna have to go back tomorrow! Anyway, after we finished stuffing ourselves with some REALLY awesome smoked turkey, we decided to do a little shopping. We made a stop at the Tandy Leather Store then headed for the mall.

Let me toss this thought out to you here. When you're in public, not only can people hear you but they can also see you. Before you say, "Duh," let me remind you that I observe people. This time of year brings out the joy in some, and they have a wonderful glow on their faces! Sadly enough, there are others who look like they were force-fed one of those commercial sized jars of mustard. Their facial expressions look absolutely sour. We met 3 of those type of people when were getting on the elevator to come back down to the first floor of the mall. While we were waiting for them to get off of the elevator so we could get on, I noticed that they looked like they were being forced to shop at gunpoint. I decided to try to lighten things a little by saying something to cheer them up. The first thing that popped into my head was, "Welcome to the second floor!" I smiled and said it. They walked away and I never could see their faces so I don't know if it helped them or not. At least Becky and Jaden got a laugh out of it.

All in all it was a great day! Hopefully, I've helped remind you of a couple of points like: (A) People can see you and hear you when you're in public so talk and act accordingly. And (B) if you ever see me and you have an unhappy look on your face, there's a pretty good chance I'm going to say something dumb...so brace yourself! (So much for talking and acting properly in public! Oh well!)

A Wonderful Weekend

Is it me, or does the weekend just seem to go by too fast? I'm a firm believer in the phrase, "Time flies when you're having fun," because we had a blast this weekend and the time just flew by!

The McMillans came in Friday afternoon and stayed the weekend. Damon and I built a fire in the fire pit, and the adults just spent time relaxing, talking and laughing around the fire. We roasted hot dogs, made gumbo, and just enjoyed taking it easy! Of course, the kids were ready for the "war" and their planning paid off. The girls had made belt pouches and insignia, they had all prepared their "uniforms" and the homemade rifles capped it all off. It's nice to be able to escape the hustle and bustle of life and just enjoy some R&R with friends. Since it was kind of a lazy weekend, I'll keep the words to a minimum and share a few pictures of the kids in their uniforms.

A Texas Thanksgiving

Today has been a very good Thanksgiving for us. I'll admit that there was a little too much eating, but it was seriously just a little too much. Compared to what was available and what could have been eaten, it was only a little.

Jaden and I also spent time finishing the rifles. The McMillans will be here tomorrow, so everything had to be finished today. Jaden has been a huge help with sanding, painting, gluing, and just about anything else that needed to be done. He is so eager to help and he learns quickly. He's also very appreciative and supportive. When I started doing this project, I had some trouble getting the blank cut out and was not really pleased with how it looked. I knew I could fix the boo-boos in the finishing process but it would mean extra work. (It turned out that I had made a basic mistake and had forgotten to change the saw blade to the correct one for the thicker wood. Once I did that, the rest came out fine.) Jaden took one look at it and said, "I'll take that one!" Later, when we were sitting around talking about the rifles, Jaden said, "I like the first one you did. I always like to have the first of whatever you make." That one is now his, and is the bigger rifle in this picture. The smaller one is for Owen, the McMillan's 4 year-old.

I'll try to get some pictures of the kids playing "Army," but I can't promise because when we get together with Damon and Maggie, we lose track of time.

I hope you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and remember that Thanksgiving isn't just a day...it's a lifestyle. Psalm 106:1..."Praise the LORD! Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!"

Thanksgiving Giblets

As we get ready for Thanksgiving, I can't help but realize just how many reasons I have to be thankful. Don't worry...I'm not going to list them all here! I do want to take a second to remind you (and myself) that every day should be Thanksgiving. God deserves our thanks and praise every minute of every day! Even that wouldn't be enough to honor Him in the fullness that He truly deserves!

I've been working on the rifles for the kids, and I'm thankful that I am able to do something that I really enjoy for our friends! I'm also thankful for true friends like the McMillans, Devin Patrick, the Chamblees, the Roberts, and many others! The fact that we have one true friend is something to be thankful for, but to have more than that is beyond awesome!

Yes, the rifles are coming along and should be finished tomorrow. I'm going to keep this short today and leave you with some pictures of the rifle project. I'll update again tomorrow. 'Til then, have a very BLESSED Thanksgiving!

He's Crafty?

Well, after a great weekend that included a family Thanksgiving get-together complete with plenty of fun and laughter, and way too much food, today marked the beginning of a new project.

Our friends, the McMillans, are coming for a Thanksgiving pow-wow this weekend. (Really, they are more like family because our bond is just too strong to classify them as just friends.) They have 5 kids and one on the way, and when Jaden and the kids get together, the sky's the limit on what their imaginations will dream up. They have been planning this whole W.W.I/W.W.II soldier thing and have really been burning up the phone lines trying to coordinate everything. PTL for unlimited long-distance!

One day last week, Jaden got off the phone and announced that he was in charge of coming up with the "weapons" for everyone to use. He was going to try to whittle and carve the "rifles" out of tree branches. Quite an undertaking for one person of any age, so I told him I would love to build some toy rifles for everyone. Hey, any excuse to pull out the power tools works for me! I got him to tell me what they wanted the guns to look like and did my best to draw something on poster board that would resemble a military rifle.

This afternoon, I traced the design on the lumber, pulled out the scroll saw, and started trying to follow the line. After a little bit of effort (and changing to the right kind of blade) I was able to get 2 of the "guns" roughed out before dark. Only 4 more to go! I'm having a blast doing this and I can't wait to see their faces when they get their surprises. Yes, Jaden is the only one who knows...they still think he's whittling and carving branches! I love it! Here's a picture of the rough work.


I'll keep them coming as everything progresses. In the meantime, I want to challenge you to find something you can do for someone and surprise them. They'll enjoy it and you will too.

How Welding Can Cause Horrible Dog Breath

Yesterday, I was talking to a friend of mine when, out of the blue, I got in trouble. I'm not even sure how it came about because it happened suddenly. Now, I'm not going to try to remember the conversation word-for-word, but the gist of it was something like, "You said on your blog that you were back. I've been checking for new posts...WHERE ARE YOU?" The truth of the matter is, I'm here but I've just been lazy when it comes to posting. How is that for honesty?

I can't say that I have a boring life. Actually, it's quite the opposite. Living on almost 150 acres means that something is pretty much always going on. For instance, I just finished building an awning for my parents. Not having welded for almost 20 years, I was a little nervous about tackling something like that. The last time I welded, I used a traditional stick welder. Those are the ones that use welding rods in order to create the weld. This time, I had a new wire welder that uses a roll of thin wire that is fed through the handle and eliminates the need for rods. I've never used one before and I hoped against hope that I would be able to catch on quickly so I could do a job that would look good and hold together. Not only was this going on their house, I also knew my Dad was going to have to climb on top of it in order to put the roof on it. I had made gates for our cattle lot in the past, and they had held up to some pretty severe torture. One time, a bull decided he didn't want to stay penned and chose to go up and over one of my gates. The metal bent, but the welds held firm. Of course, the consequences of a bull breaking a gate is not the same as your own Dad falling 8 feet. How awful it would be if he got up there and the welds weren't right! Thankfully, I was able to pick it back up quickly, the welds held firm, and my parents now have an awning over their back door. So, where does the horrible dog breath fit into all of this?

Well, we were finished with the frame of the awning and we decided we needed to get it up before it rained, so we hooked up the flood lights and kept working after dark. My parents have a huge boxer named "Big Mack" and he was really enjoying the fact that he had company. He was running all around us, stopping occasionally to have his head scratched.


My Dad had to go find a tool, so we stopped to take a break. I sat down and rubbed Big Mack's enormous melon head for a couple of minutes, then he got up and took off to the darker part of the yard. I was talking to my Mom when Big Mack came trotting back up. I noticed he was wheezing terribly and he was drooling like someone had filled his jowls with whipped cream. Then, he started shaking his head and acting weird and I got really concerned. I was reaching out to try to calm him down, but just before I touched him...it hit me. It wasn't a revelation or a sudden flash of inspiration. It was a FUNK! Skunk funk!

I pushed him away before he could contaminate me. It's funny how fast our feelings of sympathy can turn to feelings of self-preservation, but I've never experienced that kind of stink before. Mind you, I smell skunks all the time because we live out in the country and they are everywhere. I've even killed them before and have had to carry them away, but I have never smelled their "perfume" as strong as I did on Big Mack. It burned my nose and throat! I couldn't even imagine what Mack was going through, but I knew I didn't want that nasty smell on me! I grabbed a light and the shotgun and caught up with my Dad who was already looking for the skunk. He saw it but it ran off before I could get there with the gun. Dad managed to get it the next night, and it was huge! Poor Mack! Our thinking was that Mack went to bite the skunk and took a shot of musk right in the mouth, because that was the only part of him that stunk.

That's how welding and really bad dog breath fit together. The awning is still standing and so is Big Mack. The skunk is gone and the bad breath has too. All-in-all, life is good and I'm looking forward to my next welding project, but if we work at night, Big Mack is going inside!

A Little Encouragement

Sometimes it seems like life won't give us a chance to get ahead (or even catch up, for that matter!) I thought I'd share this devotion with you, in case you're feeling overwhelmed.

Hebrews 12:1-2
“1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

This is wise advice for us both spiritually and physically! Whether it’s growing in God or getting our budget organized, we carry things that weigh us down and cause us to give up before we reach our goal! Physically, there are tons of things that can happen to throw us off track. In the middle of reorganizing things, the phone can ring, then we realize it’s time to run an errand, and on it goes until the day is done, we’re exhausted, and we think, “I’ll work on it more tomorrow.” When tomorrow comes, we get the feeling that it’s too difficult, and the desire to see it happen starts to fade. Before long, our motivation fades and we don’t endure.

The same thing goes on spiritually, too! We start with a great joy and excitement for our relationship with Christ, and our determination level is high! Then, just as we’re making great strides, something from our past gets thrown in our face and we begin to weaken. Instead of stripping off the weight that slows us down and trips us up, we start to lose that determination and quit trying to “run with endurance the race that God has set before us.”

Whether it’s physical or spiritual, the key to overcoming is to get rid of the weight and keep our eyes on Jesus! He went through so much for us and has become our shining Example of endurance. Remember Philippians 4:13! It’s a great reminder that we can do everything through Christ because He gives us the strength to do it! You Can Do It!!

I'm Baaack!

I can't believe it's been more than a month since my last post. Is that some sort of a record? Do I get a prize? When I saw the date from that post, I had a flashback of what's been taking place over the last month and I can't believe that so much can happen in a short span of time.

I won't go into all of the details because some of them concern others, and I don't want to hurt anyone. Let me just say that serving God and doing the right thing, according to His Word, isn't always the easiest thing to do. The Bible sets a standard that Christians are supposed to live by. When we think God's standard doesn't apply to us, it can cause problems for so many others. There comes a point when it must be met head-on and stopped...and it must be done in a Godly manner. The sad part is, it's just as hard being on the side that is having to administer the discipline as it is to be on the receiving end. Just to clarify, this time I was on the administering end. A very big OUCH!

Yessiree, it has been a very goofy month, but now I hope to catch up on this thing. How many times have I said that? Hmmm. I wonder if there's an award for that, too!

An Eyewitness Account Of God's Power

My Mother almost died in the middle of church! I've wrestled with sharing this because I know it's controversial and some people might have a problem with the truth, but I've come to the place where I can't keep it inside any longer. I want to encourage you to read it all the way through with an open heart and mind because it is absolutely true...and I have at least a half dozen witnesses to back me up!

Sunday night, June 21st, we were having a great service and our Youth Pastor was delivering a powerful message. From my viewpoint on stage, I noticed that my Mom seemed to be struggling with her sugar level. She's a diabetic and has to be careful when she takes insulin because her sugar level tends to plummet and she has to grab something to eat in order to keep it from hitting the bottom. I saw her trying to discreetly eat part of a candy bar, then my Dad got up and went to the fellowship hall to get some water for her. After a little while, I saw her lean over and I thought she was getting something else out of her purse. Wrong! She had passed out in my Dad's lap and the Pastor and his wife, who were sitting right in front of her, turned around, laid hands on her and immediately began to pray in the Spirit. Becky was working the sound and she came hurrying up, and others who were around them surrounded her and began praying, too. The Youth Pastor immediately asked everyone to begin praying and what came next turned out to be a battle for life itself!

Pastor knew that there was a fight coming and encouraged everyone to persevere and press through. We prayed and it seemed like she would start to come around, but just as suddenly as it happened, she would take a downward turn and head back to unconsciousness. They brought milk mixed with sugar and she could barely even drink it. With each sip we had to remind her several times to swallow it before she would get it down. I had come down and was sitting next to her, trying to hold her up and keep her awake, but it wasn't helping. I have seen her go down before but never like this. Her body normally responds, but this was different. In one of her rallying moments, she turned and looked right at me and I could see death on her face. She turned back and leaned over on Dad and closed her eyes. Becky was behind her and couldn't find a pulse, which set her off. She began crying out to God as everyone around began praying in the Spirit. Finally, her hands began to move and she rallied once again, but it faded as before. Like I said earlier, it was a fight for life! We were literally fighting death itself. The fight probably went on for 30 minutes or more until one point when Mom was laying over on Dad. She began speaking in tongues and praying in the Spirit. Pastor looked at her and said, "The Lord just spoke to me and said to tell you, 'Woman, ARISE!'"

As soon as he said that, Mom stood to her feet. She didn't struggle to get up! She stood up solidly, raised her hands and began to rejoice in the Spirit. Her faculties immediately returned to her and she was alert, back in her right mind! After several minutes of praying and rejoicing in the Holy Spirit, she sat down and was fine. She walked out of the sanctuary that night instead of being carried out on a stretcher, and it was all because of the power of our Almighty God!

I know healing, tongues, and those type of Spiritual matters are offensive to some. Others believe that those are not for us today and it must be of the devil. Let me assure you that the devil was at work that night, BUT it was to do what he does best...steal, kill and destroy. I can promise you that the tongues weren't of him, neither was the healing. God is the One who gets all of the glory in all of this! The power of the Holy Spirit is still just as real and HERE today as He was on the day of Pentecost. There are those who look for the tickle, the tongues, the run, the jump, or the shout. That's NOT what the baptism of the Holy Spirit is for. To focus mainly on the manifestations of the Spirit is missing the point. The power is there to enable us to live a successful, powerful Christian life. The manifestation in tongues, prophecy, healing, or in any of the gifts of the Spirit comes as a sign that His awesome power is still at work and isn't to be used for our pleasure, but rather for the fulfilment of God's will on Earth.

If you have experienced a Pentecostal service that left you feeling judged, condemned, or entertained then please, don't discount the TRUE work of the Holy Spirit. If you have been taught that the work of the Holy Spirit is just hype, emotional overload, false-doctrine, occult or devil-inspired, I encourage you to stop and read God's Word. Don't read it through the eyes of the doctrine of man, but ask God to reveal the truth to you directly. I'm not trying to "turn you on" to the Holy Spirit, but I don't want you to click to the next website without an explanation of fact and a plea to avoid being judgemental. God still works miracles and the operation of the Holy Spirit is still real in our world today. My Mom is LIVING proof!

Prepare The Way!

I have to say that I am blessed! God has given me a wonderful family and has taken care of us in every way imaginable. He also allowed me to grow up in a Christian home, so I have spent my life seeing His mercy and grace in action. That type of exposure would normally cause someone to become desensitized to what's going on, but I find it's just the opposite when it comes to God's handiwork. I'm constantly amazed by His awesome love for us!

Please, allow me to share what's on my heart. As I look at what's happening in our country and in the world, I can't help but see how that relates to Scripture and the return of Jesus for His Church. The signs are there and I believe that our time here is running short -- probably shorter than we realize! In my humble opinion, these really are the Last Days! If that is true, it means that we are not far from seeing our Savior, Jesus Christ, face to face. Sadly, though, it also means that we are running out of time to share Jesus with our friends, family, and anyone else we meet who might not know Him and His saving grace!

All this has made me wonder. If we really knew how close His return was, would we change anything about the way we live? Would we stop watching certain movies or TV shows? Would we stop using certain language? Would we stay away from some of the places we currently go -- or start going to church more often? Would we make things right with people we have hurt or who have hurt us? Would gossip suddenly seem like the sin it really is, and would we be willing to go back and make things right from all of the gossip of the past? Would the vices we rationalize as being o.k. suddenly appear as ugly to us as they do to God? Would our focus shift from the insignificant things that bring us pleasure to the things that please God? Most importantly, would we have an urgency to share Jesus with as many as we could so they could have the chance to live for eternity with God in Heaven instead of separated from Him in the eternal torment and agony of Hell? What would it take to cause that type of urgency to rise in us?

There is a clarion call going out to "Prepare the Way of the Lord!" Just as John the Baptist went about telling everyone he could about the coming Messiah, we should be about the business of telling everyone we can about the return of the King of Kings! My exhortation is to pray for the Holy Spirit to bring revival; revival in our hearts, in our families, our churches and in any other area that God desires! How we need that outpouring, and I know it's coming! That will empower us for a great push to reach the lost before it's too late! We've got a mission and we're running out of time. Jesus is coming soon and we must grasp the urgency to Prepare the Way of the Lord!

The Best Laid Plans

The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray! My plan to keep this up on a daily basis have definitely gone by the wayside. Just playing "Captain Obvious" there. I've been busy, but not in the way I've been used to for the last few years, and certainly not in the way I thought I would be. That's not necessarily a bad thing. Let me explain.

I've become accustomed to getting up and being at work by a certain time. I would do specified tasks until a specified time, then I would go home. Since we have been back in Texas, my job description and schedule have both been fairly flexible and that has been tough for me to adjust to. When I say I've been busy, it hasn't all been "job" related, meaning it hasn't all been money producing. Of course, there is the farm which has various tasks and challenges that pop up from time to time. I'm also the Minister of Music at our church, and just preparing music for services and practice has been constant. In fact, I feel like I'm just really starting to get back in the flow of things and am getting a good foothold. I can honestly say that I know it's what God has called me to do, and I didn't fully realize how much I had missed it until now!

We've also had more opportunity to help with other areas of the church which is giving us a chance to fellowship with others and really form relationships that will help "iron sharpen iron," and I like that! Anyway, I could go into more detail, but it would take so much of your time to read it all. Let me just summarize for now and share more info later. I had my ideas about what was going to happen when we came back to Texas, but God always has higher plans. My expectations were high, but God has taken those to a whole new level...no, a whole new dimension! We are seeing Him do mighty things in people's lives. Our whole view and agenda has been altered and God is doing greater things than I could ever have imagined. I have a strange feeling that this blog will turn into a Revival Journal before too much longer! I don't say that lightly! I truly believe that we are about to see a move of God and we are called to be like John the Baptist and help prepare the way of the Lord!

He is coming back soon, I really believe that! We need to be ready and we need to tell others about Jesus while we still can. I'll share more later, but right now I need to get back to work on the other part of my calling, which is the earthly part that helps pay the bills. Be blessed!

Prayer Update For Sheila

I posted a prayer request for Sheila a couple of weeks ago. Here's an update to help us pray more specifically.

"I had written you a few weeks ago asking for prayer. Today I am asking for specific prayer. As it stated in Matthew 18:19 makes it very clear, when two on Earth agree our God does hear. I have also asked my bible study ladies to pray for this also.

Please pray for financial freedom for the Lord to provide needs and to become debt free. Also, please pray for healing and salvation for Gene (husband) and Niece (Maggie).

We have agreed to pray for this daily.

Please join us in this prayer and I know that the Lord will provide. He always has taken care of me and I know that this will be a show of faith to those who doubt that the Lord is still very active in our lives and really does care."

Update On Travis

If you've been praying for our nephew, Travis, I want to thank you! As of a couple of days ago he had been transferred to a regular room and the doctors had said Travis was a "miracle!" To God be the glory!

You know, I've been around these type miracles all of my life. I've not only seen God touch others, I've also experienced His mighty power first-hand and it still amazes me to see the things that God does! I can't imagine anyone thinking that being a Christian is boring. Every day is an adventure and I believe that we are on the threshold of something BIG that is going to show the world that God is real, His love is real, Jesus really died on the cross for our sins, He rose from the dead, and the day of miracles is far from being over!

It's late and I need to get to sleep, but I pray that God will fill your life with joy and that every need will be met. If I can pray for you, please, feel free to send me an email through my profile.

Emergency Prayer Request

Please, pray for our nephew, Travis. He was stabbed last night and is in critical condition. He's about as skinny as my finger, and the knife (or whatever object was used) went through him from front to back. He lost his spleen, 75% of his pancreas, part of his liver, and had to receive 4 pints of blood...Doctors have said that it will take a "Divine miracle" for him to pull through. Thank God that HE is still doing those type things!!

Thank you for praying, and I'll update as soon as I find out more.

Need A Laugh?

I got this list a couple of years ago in an email and just rediscovered it today. If you need a good laugh, there's nothing quite like the innocence of children to provide it.

SCIENCE TEST ANSWERS

Q: Name the four seasons.
A: Salt, pepper, mustard and vinegar.

Q: Explain one of the processes by which water can be made safe to drink.
A: Flirtation makes water safe to drink because it removes large pollutants like grit, sand, dead sheep and canoeists.

Q: How is dew formed?
A: The sun shines down on the leaves and makes them perspire.

Q: How can you delay milk turning sour?
A: Keep it in the cow.

Q: What causes the tides in the oceans?
A: The tides are a fight between the Earth and the Moon. All water tends to flow towards the moon, because there is no water on the moon, and nature hates a vacuum. I forget where the sun joins in this fight.

Q: What are steroids?
A: Things for keeping carpets still on the stairs.

Q: What happens to your body as you age?
A: When you get old, so do your bowels and you get intercontinental.

Q: Name a major disease associated with cigarettes.
A: Premature death.

Q: How are the main parts of the body categorized? (e.g., abdomen.)
A: The body is consisted into three parts - the brainium, the borax and the abdominal cavity. The brainium contains the brain; the borax contains the heart and lungs, and the abdominal cavity contains the five bowels A, E, I, O, and U.

Q: What is the fibula?
A: A small lie

Q: What does "varicose" mean?
A: Nearby.

Q: Give the meaning of the term "Caesarean Section."
A: The Caesarean Section is a district in Rome .

Q: What does the word "benign" mean?'
A: Benign is what you will be after you be eight.

I'm Still Here

You know what they say, "The best laid plans of mice and men..." My plan to update daily, or at least every other day, was put on the shelf for awhile due to farming and internet problems.

If you've never tried working a farm, let me just tell you that it is a whole new experience. Technically, I knew what to expect when we moved back here but I had become so used to my daily 9-6 routine that I lost all concept of farm life. What a stark reminder when the days started early and continued until after dark. It's not always like that, but there were some things that we needed to help Mom and Dad catch up on so it required more intense work than usual. A couple of fences needed to be fixed, the garden needed to be tilled, the garden fence needed to be built, the list just goes on. Needless to say, it has been busy and FUN! I've enjoyed the exercise and the fresh air and I can officially say that I am a redneck. The sun has made sure that I acquired that distinguishing characteristic. It has been wonderful, so far, but the lack of defined hours has left me feeling somewhat frazzled when it comes to getting things ready for church.

As of Easter Sunday, I am the Minister of Music/Adult Sunday School Teacher at Spirit Life Worship Center. It's a small, but growing church just a couple of miles from our house. I've been encouraged by what's been happening there! The pastor and his wife are truly Godly people who spend time seeking God's will instead of trying to do things according to their own. I don't think I've met a man who knows and can quote Scripture like him. (Of course, there's Jack Van Impe but I haven't actually met him.) I also have to brag on Jaden, too. He is our drummer! God has definitely given him a gift, because he has never had a lesson but can do more than just keep a beat. He feels it and puts his heart into it every time! I'm so proud of him!!!

Oh, I mentioned intenet problems. Where do I begin? We have digital phone service through our ISP and are supposed to have the fastest service available. At least, that's what we're paying for. Unfortunately, there have been some technical issues at the company so our internet connection has been sketchy. Since the phone uses the internet to operate, it has been affected as well. They're working on it and it's a little better, but it's still only about a third as fast as it should be. Hopefully, they will have that fixed this week.

I know this has been a long post, but I needed to catch up. If you subscribe to the RSS feed, it will notify you when I post again, which I plan to do much more frequently! I probably shouldn't have said that because, "The best laid plans..."

Prayer Request

I got an email from Sheila who would like us to pray. Here's her request.

"Please keep my family in your prayers. We are experiencing financial issues like most of lower middle class families. I am having a real hard time trusting God to take care of me. I know that He will because He always does. He has never let me down - I guess the weight of the world is settling on my shoulders. I trust Him with my eternal life and my family but for some reason I am just not letting go of this."

This is a tough area to let go of sometimes. Please, join me in praying for Sheila and her family.

The Difference

Whether we call it Easter, Resurrection Day or something else, it all points to the difference. The difference that set Christianity apart from any other religion on Earth. We serve a risen Savior! In fact, the whole series of events that we remember this week are unique.

From Christ's birth, betrayal, trial, whipping, crucifixion and resurrection, you won't find a greater display of love from any other "religious leader." I put that in quotes, because I don't believe that Jesus is just a religious leader. He is definitely, without a doubt, THE Son of God! The point is, you won't find that any other religious leader went through the same ordeal and you certainly wouldn't find the same ending! Only THE Son of God, Jesus, could rise from the dead. That's what makes the difference. So why am I blogging about something so obvious? Remembrance!

We can get so focused on the life we are living that we forget about the life that God has prepared for us, and it's all because of the events that we remember this week. The sad thing is, even this week can become routine. Church events, family gatherings, commercialism...all of these things work together to distract us from the true meaning of Easter (or Resurrection Day.) It helps to have a reminder to jar us out of our mental fog and refocus our attention on the act of unselfish love that Jesus displayed.

The difference is love. The difference is sacrifice. The difference is life, and that is exactly what Jesus gave us. We can have eternal life through Jesus, and it's because of the difference...Jesus is ALIVE!

A Matter Of Pride

It's been a little over a week since my last post (I'm Captian Obvious) and it's been an eventful week. There have been some great breakthroughs and I can definitely see God's hand at work.

We had a fun time rounding up cattle the other day. I haven't done that in quite awhile and I never thought I would say that I actually missed it. Jaden had his first taste of cutting the the calves out from the rest of the herd and he did a great job overcoming his fear. I can understand how intimidating it is...I had my turn when I was a kid. We had a Brahma cow named Brownie and she was pretty grouchy most every day. When she had a calf, she was downright MEAN. Now I know she was being a good momma, but then I thought she was one of the most hateful, demon-possessed cows on the planet! I was 6 or 7 when I made the mistake of innocently walking between her and her calf on the way from the barn to the house. She didn't like it at all and charged me full speed. I know I had to have set a Guiness World Record because I made it back to my Mom and Grandmother before Brownie made it to me! It took a little time before I went back out into the pasture alone. I'm just glad that Jaden didn't have an experience like that!

Speaking of Jaden, I've got to brag on him a little bit. He is quite an awesome drummer, expecially given the fact that he's never had a lesson! I'll tell you why in a minute, but first let me set the stage. On Thursday we met with the Pastor at my parent's church because we wanted to see if that's where we should go. Long story short, our visit lasted over 4 hours and we know without a doubt that we need to be there. I'm going to be the Minister of Music and the Adult Sunday School class teacher. Tonight we had music practice and the guy that plays the drums asked Jaden to sit in and play. WOW! Jaden and I have played together before but it was always just jamming on stuff we were making up. He's certainly never had a chance to play with a group. Tonight, he impressed me more than I can say! I'm so blown away by his truly God-given talent and I'm looking forward to having him play along with us. In fact, the drummer asked if it would be ok for he and Jaden to alternate! That so rocks! God is so good!!

We feel God's peace and are positive that we're in His perfect will! Hopefully I can get some pictures of Jaden on the drums. I just know not to make any promises about that type of thing, because my track record of getting pictures on here isn't the best. Thank you for praying. Please, keep it up and feel free to let me know if we can pray for you! Be blessed!

Whew Again!

Well, the "Whew" actually happened last Friday night when we got the trailer unloaded and everything safely stacked either in the house, or under the patio cover. It feels good to be here and I'm amazed at how peaceful it is.

Becky helped me get my studio set up and it looks great. I was finally able to finish the jingle demo today and it will hopefully be presented to the client tomorrow. If they like it, it will definitely be a blessing! God is our provider and all that we have comes from Him. Talk about taking a load off your shoulders! I guess that can add an extra "Whew" to the mix!

I'm going to the house to set up our computer and Internet. That will help make things feel more complete. Gotta be able to blog without having to come out to the studio every time! Be blessed and I'll update sooner than later from now on!

Whew Part 2 - We're Here!

It's early afternoon on a Tuesday, and we're in TEXAS! YeeHaa! I guess I should say, "Howdy, y'all!" We had a great trip yesterday and are 2/3 finished with this move! I can't wait to get finished and set up in our house, but for now, we're enjoying spending some time with Mom and Dad.

Even though we are here physically, it seems so surreal. Becky and I have both commented on how it seems like we've just come for another visit and we have to remind ourselves that we're really back. We don't have to try to plan out a whirlwind tour in order to visit with family and friends while we're here. We can relax and visit when the opportunity presents itself. I can't begin to tell how much of a relief it is to have the trip behind and the potential ahead. God's peace is priceless, and we definitely feel it now. I know we've done the right thing and I can't wait to see what God has planned.

There's still one more piece of this puzzle to put in place, and our tracking info shows that the trailer will most likely be here Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning. One more session of heaving and we can put the move behind us. Please, keep praying and be blessed!

Whew!!

That's about all I can say right now! After much heaving, lifting, grunting, straining and moaning I'm thankful to say that the trailer is 99% done. I would say 100%, but there are a few little nick-knack items that we will have to put on if they won't all fit in our car. Oh, also because the bulkhead that is supposed to close off our portion of the trailer is BROKEN!

One of the handles that "pumps" the braces against the side walls was broken. I noticed it when we went to close the trailer this afternoon. I wish I would have noticed it earlier, and I'm not quite sure why I didn't, but I trust God and know that there might just be a reason for us being delayed in leaving. The funny thing is, I discovered it around 4:30, and the ABF office closed at 4. Oh well. I'm just thankful the worst part of it is done! Unloading is much easier!

I'm also thankful for our friends! If it wouldn't have been for them, we would still be struggling to get it done right now! They showed up and jumped right in. God is so wonderful! He is so concerned with the details of our lives that He gives us friends to share in the journey! We have truly been blessed with so many wonderful friends here, and I'm just thankful that even though we can't take them with us, the friendship isn't hindered by distance. Now, we will be able to give them a vacation destination that will only cost them the gas it takes to get to our farm and back. :-)

Watch the twitter posts for updates and pictures. Thank you for praying, and for letting me share this experience with you! Be blessed!

Update and Prayer Requests

The trailer was delivered Wednesday afternoon, and it is BIG! Coming from a U-Haul background, this is definitely a new experience. Please, keep praying for safety and wisdom as we try to get things wrapped up.

Also, I hope you will pray for Janet's husband. She says, "My husband had renal cell carcinoma about 8 years ago and it was caught very early. It involved only surgery to remove the kidney. He has been having the same pain as before where the other kidney is. We have a Dr's appt. on 031609."

Sheila also emailed and asked for prayer. They had a house fire a couple of years ago then, last year, her husband had a collapsed lung due to emphysema. Here's her request. "We have experienced financial problems from the house fire and those are now coupled with hospital/doctor bills. Please, keep my husband in prayer for him to quit smoking and for healing. We are trying to get him on disability, and as we all know that is no fun. He was denied the 1st time and he is now looking for a new doctor. His doctor is not helping him obtain the type of care that is needed."

Thank you for praying! I'll keep you posted on any good news that comes in. Be blessed!

David

Just A Quick Note

Well, it's now a week away from loading the trailer. Actually, we're getting an ABF U-Pack trailer delivered on Wednesday and we'll start to load when I get home from work that evening. The boxes are starting to stack up in the house and I'm starting to feel a little bit of pressure to make sure that we don't miss any loose ends that will need to be tied up before we go.

We're still not sure what is going to happen with the house. There are a couple of directions we can take, but I want to make the right decision. Please, pray that God will give us direction.

I need to go get some more packing supplies, so I'll go for now. Thank you for praying! Be blessed and I'll keep you posted on how things are going.

Sinking In

Just one more week and I'll walk out of AFR for the last time. When I first gave my notice, I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but at that time it hadn't really seemed real. That has been changing each day, and today it hit with the hardest blow so far.

After my shift today, I was going through some of the stuff in my office and trying to decide what I wanted to keep and what could be thrown away. I took some of the stuff off my bulletin board and noticed how bare it looked. Talk about a reality check! It was so sad! To make things worse, it was after regular office hours so everything was quiet. It's the same as it has been every day for the last couple of years, but today it just seemed quieter than normal.

Moving is a tough thing, and it's easy to look at what we're leaving behind and allow that to make us sad. The one thing I have to do is just keep looking ahead. At least I know that I only leaving a place, and the friends I have made here will still be my friends when I'm back in Texas!

The Big News

Well, this is not going to be a long entry, because the news is good but short.

In my last post, I said that "God Things" were happening. We have been wanting to get back to Texas so we could be near my parents who are getting up in years. Of course, when it comes to uprooting family and leaving a great job, it's a huge decision that we didn't want to make hastily. We've been waiting and praying for God's direction and believe that the time has come to pack up and head out.

I have given my resignation at AFR and will finish there on the 13th of March. It's sad, because I really love being on the air and sharing life with so many friends! I also love the people I work with and the people we co-op with! We moved here without knowing anyone, and we wondered how hard it would be to make friends. The people are so wonderful that it quickly felt like we had known them forever! It was pretty much the same thing on the radio. I made friends quickly and have had the privilege of giving and receiving encouragement daily! I'm going to miss it more than words can say! The one thing that I take comfort in is that God has a plan, and in the book of each of our lives, He never closes a chapter without having a new one written and ready for us to step into.

I would like to ask you to pray about a couple of things. First of all, eventhough we have a house to move into, I don't have a job to go to. I know God will provide because He doesn't call us to something just to leave us stranded. Secondly, we haven't sold our house yet and need God's Supernatural intervention. Again, I know He will take care of it all.

Well, it looks like it was longer than I thought. Thank you, and keep watching here because this blog is coming with us!! Be blessed!

God Things Are Happening

First, let me say that I haven't forgotten about adding some pictures from the car museum. Two things have kept me from doing it. One is my unfamiliarity with posting pictures here, so I still have to get Becky to help me. Secondly, we have a God thing happening right now. Yes, I meant to say "God Things..." in the title.

We have been waiting and praying for direction concerning a situation in our life, and recently felt like the time was right for things to go forward. As we started to take the steps that we believed God was ordaining, He has begun to confirm it with peace in our hearts and a progression of events to further guide us. I'm not trying to be mysterious, but I'm not quite ready to reveal all of the details just yet. I hope you aren't upset by that, but know that I will tell you everything as soon as I am free to do so. In the meantime, would you please, pray for us? God knows what's going on and that's so comforting to me!

At the risk of sounding like a television series, please, keep watching for the latest developments. We're excited about what God is doing and will keep you posted along the way.

Quick Update From Today

I just wanted to jump in and give a quick spiel about our adventure today. I took the day off because the homeschool group was going to the Tupelo Automobile Museum, which just happens to be one of my favorite places to visit. Combine the chance to spend time with Becky and Jaden plus some of our friends, in the car museum, and top that off with the special exhibit showing off some classic tractors and trucks -- WHOA!! Pinch me, 'cause I've gotta be dreaming!

It was so much fun and I've got some pictures that I will post ASAP. I just wanted to give you a little tease and encourage you to keep checking back, because I'm not going to neglect this blog like I have been doing recently.

My Dash

Wow! I just realized how long it's been since my last post! I've been busy online, but it has been scattered over my work blog, Facebook, and twitter. I'm about to make a change, though. There is going to be more focus on this blog, so please, don't give up on me.

I mentioned I had been spending time on Facebook. I have to admit that I'm hooked, but not because it's the cool thing to do. I have actually found people that I grew up with and friends from school, some that I haven't seen for over 20 years! Some have changed and some still look like they did back then. Most of us have families, and there are some who have gone through some pretty rough challenges along the way. The funny thing to me, though, is how memories can come racing back as if everything had happened yesterday. That has made me stop and think about the way I might be remembered by them.

I know we're not supposed to live our lives looking back, and that's not what I'm trying to do. I've heard about the "dash" that is placed on tombstones. It comes between the birth date and the date of death. That dash marks our life and is where we make a difference. There's only one dash, which means we have one chance to do what we've been placed here to do.

Obviously, there's no way to go back and undo the things of the past. What's done, is done and that's OK. I just want to make sure that my present and future actions don't bring shame to God, my family or me. I hope that self won't get in the way and prevent people from seeing God in me. The last thing I want to do is cause someone to turn away from God and the freedom He has given to us through Jesus.

I may not be able to undo the past...and the memories that others have of me stand as they are. The cool thing is, with Facebook helping me to reconnect, I feel as though I've been given sort of a second chance. I hope that my friends will be able to tell a difference in me. I wasn't a bad kid, but I blindly missed part of my dash. Thankfully, I have a chance to keep working on it, with my eyes wide open this time.

Uncovering The Truth

I'm on a quest! It's a quest of discovery and understanding, but not anything that requires a Fedora or a bull whip. In fact, it probably wouldn't make a very interesting movie! I'm on a journey to seek the truth in a couple of areas.

The first deals with our past.

When I was on the air one day, I made a comment about my admiration and fascination about Abraham Lincoln. When we lived in Illinois, Becky, Jaden and I had the opportunity to visit Lincoln's house and his tomb and I talked about the experience. A listener heard it and sent some information that completely shocked me. She was a history teacher and even more of a history buff than I, and recommended some books that detail the truth about Lincoln from actual letters, articles and speeches. One of her comments caught my attention. She said that, "He who wins the war, writes the history...!" That made perfect sense, so I decided to follow her suggestions. Right now, I'm reading the book, "The Real Lincoln."

I'm finding out that the books and movies that portray him as a quiet, shy, passive man aren't entirely accurate. I just started reading it, but it has been quite an eye-opener so far.


The second area that I'm looking for truth is in the Bible!

Being raised in the particular theological vein that I was, I heard some of the most wonderful, powerful messages by some fantastic preachers. They were fiery masterpieces of inspiration and exhortation. Of course, the men who delivered them were renowned men of integrity; anointed, ordained men of God who only spoke the truth directly from their in-depth study of His Word. I'm not trying to sound cynical, because that was positively true; however, in their zeal to hold people's attention and get the message across, they managed to get some of the facts of the Bible slightly out of whack. I'm not sure when or how it started, but by the time I came into this world and was raised hearing it, those had somehow morphed into accepted truth. Here's a "for instance."

"Saul had a life changing encounter with God and, as a result, God changed Saul's name to Paul." It is usually followed by a question that asks if your name has been changed as a result of an encounter with God.

Imagine that delivered with zeal and vigor and you can see how it would impact the people who hear it! The problem is...it's factually wrong! God didn't change Saul's name to Paul. He went by either name! What he was called was dependent on the people he was dealing with at the time. When he accepted Christ, he began to be called Paul, but I haven't found anywhere in Scripture where God made the final decision on that.

Anyway, that's where I am at this point. Not confused, not meandering about, but wanting to know that what I believe is the truth! If it's not, I want to know the truth so I won't fall for any lie that the enemy might spout out. I'll keep you posted on what I find out.

Ahh, Rest!

I'm glad it's the weekend! Saturday morning means no alarm clock, which means I can sleep until it's all out! I like that!

I like my job! It's challenging, and certainly not boring, but it also brings its share of stress. I know every job has a certain amount of stress, but the regular stress of work can be compounded when you want to help push forward toward excellence, but just aren't really given the chance.

Relax, I'm not going to sit here and dump on you! I just want to encourage you (and me too) that no matter how tough things get, we have chances to relax along the way. All we have to do is take advantage of them. I know people who work hard in the office, but it doesn't stop at the end of the day. They have to work late, and then they still take it home with them and keep working through the evenings and even on weekends. Everything revolves around work. They can't even take a vacation without having to keep tabs on everything that's going on at work. To quote Charlie Brown, "Good grief!"

I made a promise to Becky when we got married. Work would be work, and home would be home. The two shouldn't cross! Have I always kept that promise? Unfortunately, the answer is, "no." Now, she understands that there are times when extra work is needed. There's no problem with that, but she is quick to remind me if I cross the line into obsession. Hallelujah!

So, it's the weekend, and work is work. I'm home, and my focus is on my life which consists of God, my family, our friends, and the hobbies I enjoy doing. Somehow, I have the feeling that work will still be waiting for me when I walk in on Monday. If you're a workaholic, think about this. When we are old, I doubt we'll ever regret not impressing the boss by getting that task completed early, but I'll bet our hearts will break when we think about the times we missed with our family and friends.

I'm glad it's the weekend!

Father and Son Time

Today was supposed to be workshop day for Jaden at Lowe's. We've never done one of the kid's projects there, only at Home Depot where you come and go as you like during their specified time. Unfortunately, the one at Lowe's is apparently a full workshop, because when I called to ask about their policy (while already on the way and running late,) they said we would need to be there at 10. Oh well...we had bigger plans, anyway.

Jaden decided this morning that we needed to have a Father and Son day. Just the two of us, facing the day and all of the challenges...aww, who am I kidding? We went shopping, except when guys do that, it's called "looking around." We went to Barnes and Noble, Books-A-Million, and Staples (an errand for Becky.) From there, it was on to the library and lunch at La Carreta. Cap it off with a trip to the electronics, sports and toy departments at Walmart and you've got a pretty eventful day. Oh, I almost forgot about running from Walmart to the car in a downpour - with no umbrellas! Too cool!

By the time we got through with all of that, we had completely forgotten about missing the workshop. I always have a great time on our Father/Son outings, and my only regret about this one is my fault. I have a camera on my phone and I didn't take any pictures!!! C'est la vie! I guess we'll just have to have another Father and Son day...soon!

Doing The Right Thing

“I’ve fallen behind in blogging and I deserve a flogging.” I thought about making that the title of this post, but I was afraid that someone might take me seriously so I decided against it. Actually, the last several days have been relatively easy as far as physical things are concerned, but mentally they have been tough.

Have you ever been in a position where you had to decide whether or not to do the right thing? Doing so could hurt friends or family but would protect the “greater good.” Keeping quiet would maintain relationships but could cause greater problems elsewhere! What a quandary! What do you do?

Ordinarily, my response would be to just jump in and do what I thought was right. Not necessarily a knee-jerk response, but one that was swift and decisive, without too much thought and certainly not enough prayer! The last thing I want to do is hurt anyone, but hey…right is right and I’m (insert corny superhero theme here) the Fleshly Avenger, using my own power to insure that justice is served! Serving justice might be a wonderful thing, but doing so without praying isn’t! As many times as I’ve done it the wrong way, you’d think I would have learned, but…I almost didn’t!

I say “almost” because, thankfully, I stopped short of making a potentially grand and glorious mistake by doing what I thought was right. Instead, I asked God to guide me and give me wisdom, and guess what? He Did! He took things in a totally different direction than what I would have and I believe everything will work out in a way that will not only solve a problem, but will also bring God glory.

There were some other benefits as well, but I won’t get into them right now. I might use them later so I won’t get dangerously close to receiving a flogging for not blogging.

Happy New Year!

I can't believe another year has gone by and we're starting over again. That's not a bad thing, especially when it comes to vacation time and sick days! It's also nice to have the feeling that we can make some changes and do things even better than before.

I really hope I can make improvements to my life. Not just for the sake of a "resolution," but because I want to be a better husband and father to my family. I want to get in better shape so I can enjoy more of life with them, but most of all, I want to be the Spiritual leader that God has ordained for me to be. That will also help me fulfill my biggest desire of all...to be what God created me to be.

Have you ever felt like you just weren't doing all that you could be or should be doing? That's where I am right now. Recently, I've been so convicted about my relationship with God. I've been so busy trying to work to serve Him (and provide for my family) that I've managed to get stuck in a rut where I focus on my small portion of the world instead of God's Big Picture! I'm living Larnelle Harris' song, "I Miss My Time With You." I get so wrapped up in the service that I allow the fatigue to keep me from developing the relationship. It becomes my rationale for taking free time "off" to unwind instead of using it to draw closer to God.

That's my brief bock about my immediate goals. I just want to make sure that my family and I are ready when Jesus comes back, and I want to bring as many people with us as I possibly can. Please, pray for me and let me know if I can pray for you. Have a blessed 2009!