Our Night Away

Jill and I recently had a chance to go out of town together. It was the first time in at least 7 years that we were able to do so. Living so far from family and having 3 children puts a damper on that. It's difficult to find someone willing to watch the kids overnight so we've always spent our time together after they've gone to bed. Our wonderful friends the Pauley's know kids, since they have 3 as well, and Wendy is supermom so they agreed to watch our 3 so we could go outta town for the night - we had watched their crew for their 10th anniversary in May.

We booked a dinner cruise on Lake Norman outside of Charlotte along with staying a night in a hotel not far from the lake. I have to admit I was like a nervously excited schoolboy on a first date! We talked and talked leading up to leaving and the weekend was beyond anything I expected! We had such a blessed time together! The time together and the cruise were amazing and I'm so thankful that God gave us this time!

We've been married for 10 years and each day gets better! That feeling of an excited schoolboy is one which I get to experience on a continual basis with Jill in my life. I have been so blessed that my mate is my best friend! Lord I thank you for Jill and the blessing she is in my life.

It's been a while

It's been a while since my last big blog. Here is an update of what God has been doing over the past month:

I finished Greek 1 & 2 which was a great challenge. I learned quite a bit but I was not ready for the workload. I was in class Monday through Friday 9am to Noon May 26th through July 3rd. Each day in class would be followed by 4 to 6+ hours of study each day. It was interesting to see how even the most accurate english translation has its faults in translation. I'm going to try and keep up with what I've learned so that I can apply it as God grants opportunity to teach His Word. By completing these classes I'm now on track to graduate next May! I praise God for this opportunity and how He is shaping and molding me through it and also praise Him for Jill as I wouldn't be able to make through this without her amazing support.

This past weekend was crazy! I had not had the time I usually have with the kids and Jill so this weekend was a whirlwind of activity. On Friday, as I basked in the glow of finishing Greek 2, we went to fireworks at the local high school. We met up with some friends (the Pauley's who have 3 boys - yes, when we get together it's always a party!) and watched the fireworks. It was priceless as Chloe cried, Caitlyn cried at first and then loved, and Caleb sat on my lap wide-eyed and his heart beating a mile a minute with a big grin!

On Saturday we went to fireworks in Rolesville (a town about 5 mintues from our house). While there we met up with the Joyce's from our small group. We watched the fireworks and everything went well until Caitlyn got bit by an ant right before we left. When we arrived home Jill asked Caitlyn where put her shoes and Cailtyn answered in tears that they were still in the field where we had parked in Rolesville. Sooo after we carried in Caleb and Chloe I picked up flashlight and headed back to Rolesville with Caitlyn. After searching in the dark for 15 to 20 minutes and man with tattoos all over each arm walks up to me and asks if I was looking for a pair of sandals. He stated that he and his wife decided not to wait in traffic and walked across the field and he walked over them. He them started to help search. After searching for a while he said he couldn't remember where they were and started to walk away. At that point I thanked him for his help and continued to search. Within in 2 miniutes I stumbled into a depression where I found the sandals! Super Dad to the rescue! Seriously though, Caitlyn was starting to freak out and I had just prayed that we'd find them and we did.

On Sunday we again got to see fireworks! Before the fireworks I got to take the girls to a birthday party where we got to tour a movie theater and see how the films are set up and then watch the movie "UP". The movie was awesome and very family friendly. As soon as the movie was over we had to bolt and go meet up with Jill and Caleb (who both took naps while we were at the party) to go to a minor league baseball game - the Carolina Mudcats the AA team of the Cincinnati Reds. We had a great time with the Pauley's and the girls got to meet "Muddy" the Mudcat! Then the fireworks! 3 nights in a row! Only a few tears this time.

God has really opened my eyes to something of late. He is teaching me of humility which is a difficult thing considering that I must be the most prideful man in the world. Humility has everything to do with Him and nothing of me. Humility is most difficult for the one wronged or presumes that he has been wronged. Asking for forgiveness is the easy thing, the granting of it and following through on granting it is the truly difficult thing. Through this I have seen how amazing the gift of God through His Son Jesus truly is.

I'm excited about this upcoming weekend! Jill and I are going away together for the first time since before we had Chloe! Our friends' are watching the kids and we are going on a dinner cruise on Lake Norman just outside of Charlotte and then spending the night there. We are both pumped! Jill is the most beautiful woman I've ever met and to get this time together is a true blessing. Thank You Lord for this time we will have together!

Thought for the Day

Good friends are like WEDGIES you share deep things with them and then you pick on them.

Caleb's 2nd Birthday

Today, June 7th, is Caleb's 2nd Birthday! It's so hard to believe that he's 2 already! With a year in Conway (miss the youth there so much) and now almost a year in Wake Forest (love our small group) it's has gone by so fast! He had a busy day so hear are a few pics of what happened followed by a word about Caleb:



We started by going to Texas Roadhouse with our wonderful friend Susan Lepper. We let him open a present while there, of course it was a matchbox :)



Here he is flying his helicopter matchbox.



Here he is later after his nap with his "Thomas the Train" Cupcake Cake.

Here he is cheesing it up with his "Thomas the Train" toy set that Susan bought him.

Then here we all are prayer walking at Jones Dairy Elementary (Chloe's school) with members of our small group - what a little stud, serving the King on his b-day!

Caleb was our blessing in that we did not necessarily plan for #3 at the time God graciously granted him to us. It was at a time in our ministry that was rough and in the midst of that God showed how truly in control He is. God in His sovereignty has truly blessed us through him! I look at him and I'm amazed at how good God has been to us!

My prayer for Caleb is that he embraces Christ as Savior and lives passionately for him, that he is a man that loves His Word, and is not ashamed to share the Gospel. Thank you Lord for Caleb - may he be as stated in Your Word, of the Caleb he is named for, "A man of a different spirit that follows you fully" (Num.14:24)!

Semester ends, Greek begins

We made it through another semester of school. 3 more classes down! I finished my finals last week and start back right away this week with 5 weeks of Greek (I'm calling it death by Greek) - one day off today for Memorial Day then Monday through Friday until July 3rd! After sitting down and looking at the classes I have left I'm pretty sure that I will be finished this time next year (will have to take some heavy class loads) - May 2010 here we come! I'm enjoying being stretched and how the Lord is growing me through this but it kicks my tail! I truly miss serving my King on staff at a local church! I do not doubt that is where He has called us to serve. It's odd here at school. There are so many that have no idea what God wants them to do and finish there degree and do not go to the mission field or to a church or to some other place of service. I dream daily of being back serving in Student Ministry or in the Pulpit. There is nothing greater than serving in that context! A wonderful friend asked me where we will go after we are done and I told him and we truly don't know. Eventhough we have no idea where He will place us after this as long as we are where He wants us we will be ecstatic - in His will no matter circumstance is where we want to be! Keep praying for us and for me as I seek to serve well in the midst of these classes and that I can learn well in Greek!

Weakness and Humility

I recently read this paragraph in Greg Heisler's book "Spirit-Led Preaching" concerning weakness and humility being a help to the Empowerment of the Holy Spirit in the life of a preacher and it really resonated in my heart. It resonated in my heart because it speaks what is on my heart. Here is the paragraph:

"The preacher not only knows he is weak apart from the Holy Spirit; he also knows he has no message apart from God's Word. He never takes the credit or glory becasue he knows it belongs totally to God. The preacher knows he is a servant, not a superstar. You don't preach long before you realize how unworthy you are to be a preacher of God's Word. This is the burdensome angst of preaching, the fact that as preachers we feel so unworthy to preach, yet we are compelled by the Spirit to do so. The thought of preaching repels and compels us at the same time. When we compare our own sinfulness with the sinless one of whom we preach, we are repulsed by a sense of unworthiness. Yet when the Spirit of God takes hold of us and fires us through his Word to a red-hot passion, we are compelled to preach because we see the glory of God, and we cannot keep silent; we cannot hold it in."

Wow! This is the burdensome angst of my heart at this time...so unworthy...yet compelled. Wherever He leads us may I be a weak and humble servant that is moldable in His hands. I love you Lord.

So Beautiful

Over the past seven weekends I have spent four in West Virginia. Normally this would be a great thing but three of the four trips have been of the kind you don't want to make. One was to say goodbye to my Pop Pop, another was for my Pop Pop's funeral, and then I made an emergency trip after my Dad had a heart attack. Throughout this time I have realized even more how beautiful my wife is. She is truly the most amazing woman I've ever met. She consistently models what a mother should be for our children and in her own quirky ways shows her love for me. I could not imagine what my life would be without her because through her in my life God conitnually blows me away daily! I love you Jill! Thank you Lord for placing her in my life!