Special Prayer

Ever since Christopher began pre-school this year he has prayed "God is great, God is good....." at mealtimes. While we were at my mother's on Christmas Day Christopher said he would like to say a special prayer which included several things for which he was thankful. We were thankful that he wanted to do this and not the standard memorized prayer.

Jacob on the other hand can pray and pray and pray. He is often speaking in some unknown tongue but he has his head bowed and eyes closed, usually with his forehead resting upon the table.

Happy New Year!

In Him,

David

Counting Blessings

It is a slow day at work today (yippee, we all needed that) and I actually have time to look at the web for something other than work related matters. During this time of the holidays I think we all tend to pause and count our blessings. Here are some of the things that I am thankful for:

1. My wife
2. My kids
3. My parents
4. My brother and his family
5. All the in-laws
6. Extended family
7. My new job (is it still new after 6 montsh?)
8. A house payment that does not over extend our budget
9. My church family
10. Freedom
11. The Mountains
12. While I don't like being overweight, I am grateful that we always have enough to eat
13. Friends
14. The parents of my sons' future wives
16. A slow day at work
17. Sunsets
18. Lakes
19. Mountain streams
20. That I have a God who loves me enough to give this and more than I can ask for

Happy Holidays,

David

Magic

There is something magical about this season. The first snow makes us laugh and play with wonde'r and delight. The look on our childrens' faces as they get excited about Christmas, Santa and presents.

Compare that to our faces as we go to the malls, work, or the grocery store. Where did the magic go? Where is the wonder. Maybe if we slow down and be Christ in these places rather than pushing our way through another activity then the wonder will return.

In Him,

David

Sorry so long

Sorry it has been so long since my last blog. Life keeps getting busier and busier and spending time on the computer is sometimes a luxury. We had a busy Thanksgiving week as we were in East Tennessee the entire time. The boys got to play with their cousins and spend a great deal of time at grandmother's. While we all enjoyed the visit we were also very glad to be home.

As we were coming home a pickup truck came flying down the mountain in the right hand lane. We were in the left lane in a line of cars passing the slower traffic. Well the truck came flying down the right hand lane and came upon the car in front of him at too high of a rate of speed and decided it would be better to come in my lane than rear end the car in front of him at about a 40 mile per hour differential in speed. As his back wheel was parallel with my wife in the passenger seat he began coming over. I got hard on the brakes and the horn, use as much asphalt as was available to my left and we managed to avoid touching bumpers by fractions of an inch. God was watching out for us.

Now it is back to routine...until the weekend! The holidays have a way of filling up your time...in a very wonderful way. Happy Holidays.

In Him,

David

Election Day

Tomorrow is election day. While I definitely have my preference I will not let the outcome drive me to the remorse that some feel nor if it goes the way that I prefer will I be dancing in the street. The reason, while I live in this country my citizenship is in another kingdom. It took me a long while to learn this lesson. For too long in my life I have been a Christian American. Now I am a Christian who is an American. It may sound like I am playing with semantics but the truth is my faith is no longer in the American system, it is in God. I try to take of the blinders of nationalism and the partisan politics that goes along with it. While I love my country and am thankful that God has allowed me to live here, my hope lies with a king. So tomorrow while most are worried about who the next president will be and the "news reporters" will be tripping all over themselves to announce the latest results I can rest assured that all is well because God is still in control. No matter who wins, He still reigns.

Lessons from the washcloth

Last night as I was giving Christopher his bath he started playing with the washcloth. First it was a big fish and later it became a magic curtain for his ducks to disappear behind. In the end, in the hands of his father it became what it was intended to be, a washcloth that cleaned up a creative little boy.

Often we make religion and God like that washcloth. We shape them to be what we want them to be, not what they are intended to be. God is love but he is also the God that destroyed the world in a flood. He is peace but he took his people to battle many times. He is the God of blessings but we are promised that the poor will always be among us. He is righteousness but his Son was called a friend of sinners. He is the protector of the poor, the fatherless and the widows. While he is Abba Father he is STILL the Great I AM! If we are to call him Father and be his children shouldn't we know him and what he is truly like?

Father, remove the blinders that causes me to see you through a lens of religion that is shaped by the world and give me the faith to see you as you truly are and the strength to be the man you call me to be.

In Him,

David

Did you hear that?

Christopher is 3 1/2 and when he goes to bed at night we play a short audio tape for him with a story on it and then a longer music tape. When the story ended and he was ready for me to change tapes we had the following exchange.

Christopher: "Daddy, daddy, did you hear that?"
Me: "Hear what Christopher?"
Christopher: "Did you hear that noise?"
Me: "No, the only noise I heard was you calling me?"
Christopher: "You didn't hear that noise?"
Me: "No, what did the noise sound like?"
Christopher: "Um, it sounded like a Pooh story."
Me: "No, you're not getting a Pooh story but I will turn on your music for you."
Christopher: "Okay, I will try again later.

The Pooh tape is very long and he will not go to sleep while listening to it. I had to walk away and laugh, after starting his music for him. Where does he get this stuff? Like Mary, I will write them on my heart. I love my kids.

In Him,

David

Growing

This past Saturday I spent most of the day attending a seminar on The Truth Project sponsored by Focus on the Family. If you have not heard this video series is dedicated to helping believers develop a Biblical world view. I can't wait to go through the video series with Janelle and then we will launch some small group studies. Just the small amount of time that I have spent with the material is helping to reshape my thinking.

Saturday evening I attended a sportman's dinner and Rick Burgess of the Rick and Bubba show was the keynote speaker. He delivered a challenging message that reinforced the changes that the Spirit began with the events earlier in the day.

On Sunday we had a great lesson on Jeremiah that reminded me of the dangers of being lukewarm, thinking that we are religious when we are not. We followed that with worshipping with the Woodbine Family a church that feeds both the physical and spiritual needs of those who attend.

There are times in your life when you can actually see the Spirit moving you and causing you to grow. The scary part of it is waiting to see what the deceiver will do to counter this, but there is hope in knowing that God has provided an escape. What an awesome ride when you see God's hand working in your life.

In Him,

David

Busy Weekends

Last weekend I helped some friends move on Saturday and trimmed our hedges. Sunday was full with Bible study, Worship, mowing the yard, getting cleaned up again for Sunday evening praise, an ice cream "supper" then home.

Today it was mowing, watching some football, letting the boys play in their pool and playing with them.

Next weekend is home to East Tennessee for UT football, visit with extended family and friends.

The final weekend is The Truth Project seminar and a dinner with Rick Burgess speaking.

All these things are good but the time with my family is the best. And sometimes I need to remind myself to slow down and listen for the quiet whisper.

Right now I am cooking dinner and then the boys and I will wrestle....Let's get ready to rumble!

Enjoy your weekend!

In Him,

David

7 Years Ago

Okay, I get an F for originality as Walt brought us this reminder this morning, but wording is my own.

7 years ago tonight I was watching tv and getting ready for a normal week of work. 7 years ago tomorrow was another normal work day. The following morning though, that Tuesday, the world stood still and nothing will ever be the same. That Tuesday 7 years ago was September 11 and in the morning hours terrorists took over several jet liners and attacked America on her own soil. The skies became silent as all plane travel was ceased in the U.S. That day people started showing up at churches and synagogues to pray because they did not know where else to turn.

7 years ago Friday, all business on Wall Street and on Capital Hill stopped as the President called for a National Day of Prayer. 7 years ago one week from now, church buildings were filled up as in no other time in my memory. People turned to God because they realized they could not depend on themselves or their government to provide everything they need.

We mourned those who died needlessly 7 years ago on Tuesday, but we neglect those who are dying hopelessly around us every day. Yes, I am writing to myself here. How can we mourn the tragedy that occurred 7 years ago and ignore the hope provided 2,000 years ago? 7 years ago that tragedy was like a prophet of Israel calling the people to repent and like Israel, some remained faithful but many forgot the lessons learned 7 years ago. What lessons do you carry with you from 7 years ago?

In Him,

David

RAIN!

It is finally raining in Middle Tennessee again. The weather reporter (I don't call them forecasters for that is surely an inaccurate description)said that this was the driest August in over 60 years. Tell that to my garden. The squash has pretty much quit producing. We are still getting tomatoes but not at the abundance that we once had them.

I guess there is a spiritual metaphor there in that the seeds were planted in good soil, they produced well for a while but when they failed to receive the proper attention and water...they quit producing. I can have a good heart, be plugged in well at church, be productive...but if I don't stay plugged in, neglect the important things...I too can dry up and die.

Work is keeping me very busy but I find that very rewarding. The change has been good for all of us. We can dare to dream again instead of just survive.

The boys are calling their daddy to come play so we will meet in blog world later.

In Him,

David

Finally Home

My family is finally home. I flew back on August 3rd and they got back here last night (the 13th) at 11:45 pm. It was a VERY LONG 10 days. If you read my previous blog, I was home less than 24 hours when my car was rear-ended and totalled out. I have spent the majority of the time I wasn't at work looking for a replacement car. I think I found a good one but I am hesitant to "pull the trigger" on the deal. When it was just me I was much more spontaneous with my buying but now that I have a family I want to make sure that I think things all the way through.

The boys are watching Sesame Street while Janelle is out shopping. It is great being able to just be a family again.

Have a great week. In Him,

David

Rear Ended

Apparently if you drive long enough in Nashville you will be involved in an accident. Tonight I was involved in one. I was coming home from my first day back at work after spending a week away at camp when an ambulance with no lights or siren that had been stopped at a redlight decided to pull out across 3 lanes of traffic. The car to my right was turning anyhow, the car to my left still had an open way to avoid an accident and I had to lock up my brakes to keep from broadsiding the ambulance which is now 1/3 of the way into the intersection. Unfortunately the large truck behind me was unable to stop and now my car has significant damage to the rear end. As I told the driver of the other vehicle though, not to worry, things can be replaced that the important thing is that no one was seriously hurt or killed.

It is a valuable reminder though that life is short. You never know when an accident may occur, you receive the news that you never wanted to hear, etc. Not that I am taking a fatalistic view of these occurences but am using it as a reminder to tell those around you that you love them, never get too caught up in material things and that the eternal thing is really the only thing that matters.

So the yard I planned on mowing tonight remains unmowed. The post camp blog that I had planned on writing tonight remains unblogged. The garden I intended to work on remains untended and the project that I planned on completing remains incomplete. But they will wait for another day.

In Him,

David

Alone

It is unusually quiet around the house. Janelle and the boys are currently east of Knoxville on their way to camp for a week. They are riding in our van along with Janelle's parents. They hope to knock 500 to 600 miles of the trip out tonight, leaving them with 200 to 300 miles to drive tomorrow. Traveling with kids it is best to make the second day a short travel day. The van was loaded and we have a luggage carrier on the roof that is packed as well.

That leaves me alone tonight to do laundry, eat some leftovers, work in the garden and a few chores around the house. I have compiled a "honey do" list to work on as well.

The nicest part about camp is that most of the staff has been together for years so it is like a family reunion when we all get together....and it is. While we see each other far less than we desire, it is great to have those kinds of relationships in Christ.

Well, I must get busy so enjoy your weekend.

In Him,

David

Bedtime, baths and stories

Right now it seems like a chore to bathe the boys, read them stories and put them to bed but I have to remind myself to enjoy these times. Before long they will be bathing themselves and not wanting anyone in there...and rightfully so. Soon enough they will read to themselves or go to bed after watching tv or being on the computer and we will no longer have that cuddle time. Before we know it, the problem will become getting them out of bed in the morning not the getting them to bed at night.

God has blessed us with two wonderful boys. I just need to be reminded to enjoy the time with them and not be so task oriented at the end of the day.

In Him,

David

Staying Busy

Between training at the new job, raising two boys, maintaining a garden, trying to get back into bike riding and attempting to be a good Christian husband, I have been staying very busy.

The new job and the garden are both going well. The boys are growing bigger and bring new joys every day. Every day I am thankful to be Janelle's husband and to be so blessed.

My mother was in last weekend and we went to a wedding for a young lady who grew up in my home town. I have known her since she was a baby. Janelle took the boys to a birthday party on Tuesday for their friend Sam's birthday. I got up at 4:20 to go riding this morning and now am toooooooo tired to think of anything witty to share. Maybe this weekend.

I mentioned in my last blog that Bill and Sabrina were in town on the 6th. Since I was leading singing at church that night I was able to call on Bill to lead a few songs for us. It was great being able to sit back and sing with BoWill again. I love the relationships we have in Christ. What a blessing!

In Him,

David

Catching Up

This holiday break seems like it is my time for catching up. I have been so busy lately that there are several things I needed to catch up on. On Friday I caught up on the garden, we had some massive zucchinis. I also got to catch up with some play time with the boys. We went to Lipscomb on Wednesday and Thursday evening for Summer Celebration and were able to catch up with some old friends.

Friday we spent the day down in Murfreesboro with Janelle's family. I cooked pork ribs to go along with the zucchini and the corn on the cob that we had for dinner....delicious. We went to the fireworks in Murfreesboro and ended up spending the night down there. That led to the next opportunity to catch up, on sleep. When we got home Saturday we had some serious napping to catch up on the lost sleep.

Saturday evening we caught up with some errands, blew up the pool for the boys to play in and caught up with some cleaning in the garage and the laundry. Today I am catching up on my blog and this evening we will catch up with some old friends, Bill and Sabrina Collins from Gulfport, their son Will and his wife. Now you are caught up with what is happening around here. Have a great Lord's Day.

In Him,
David

Black and White

Recently I heard a story about a school system where the teachers were not "marking" papers in math class. They did not want to damage the kids creativity, therefor in that system 2+2 can =5. With NASA planning a manned trip to Mars, I wonder if these educators would be comfortable volunteering to fly on that mission if their former students were the engineers on that project? Would they want to stay in a hi-rise if their former students with the architects? I for one want to make certain that those professionals follow the standards. There is black and white, there is right and wrong, there is truth and lies. It is time we stand up for what is right.

In Him,

David

Moving Great Poppa

Today we spent the afternoon moving some of Janelle's grandfather's stuff from his current residence to an Assisted Living facility. Great Poppa will be 95 on Wednesday and he needs the help that a facility like this can provide but it is hard giving up his independence and leaving the place that he and Granny spent their final years together.

I felt bad for him as his possessions are being packed up and hauled off either to his new home, taken by family members or being sold at an estate sale. While we tell ourselves that this world is not our home, it is still difficult to divest ourselves of the items that we collected over our lifetime....especially if those things were collected with a loved one who is no longer with us.

My heart breaks for him but inside he and I (all those involved) know that it is for the best. How do you tell him that you admire the strength that he is showing during a difficult time like this? We love you Great Poppa.

In Him,

David

First Week

Today marks the end of my first week on the new job. It has been a long time since I felt I did not know what I was doing. Being Director of Media Buying and before that an Operations Manager of a TV station I am used to being the guy people go to for answers. Now I am the one with all the questions, learning a new computer system, new IT storage systems and an entirely new job with its own phraseology and acronyms. I like the job and will persevere and at some point look back at this time with fondness.

You know, I probably felt the same way when I was in fifth grade and we went to the Church for the first time. It was near VBS time and when we went to VBS they sang songs I had never heard, had phrases and words that I had no idea what they meant. Now I have been in the Church for 30+ years and I know the phrases, the songs, etc. I must remind myself though that there are people out there who don't know all the terms and it is our responsibility as believers to make the message simple to those who don't know the phraseology, God will take care of the rest.

In Him,

David

The Truth Project

Last night I went to a video presentation for the Truth Project that was hosted by the Hillsboro church. This series is presented by Focus on the Family and is designed to answer the question "What is Truth" by giving a biblical perspective of a worldview. I am looking forward to taking the full class during the simulcast training session on September 27th. If you would like to learn more go to http://www.thetruthproject.org/ I am encouraging everyone I know to attend, it looks very interesting. Here is a brief preview.



In Him,

David

Father's Day

This past weekend was Father's Day weekend. We took the boys to Dollywood on Friday and to see Christopher's face when he saw Bob and Larry from Veggietales was worth the entire trip. He was one excited 3 year old boy. He was also very excited when he got to see Chris and Martin from Zooboomafoo at their animal show at the park. Maybe the best part of that day was when he put his tired head on my shoulder and said "lets go home daddy, lets go home."

As a parent it is wonderful to see that excitement and awe and to also feel the love of your child as they wrap their arms around your neck as they want to go home. WARNING: Obvious spiritual application coming up! As children of God do we still approach the days with wonder and awe? Do we see the amazing love expressed in all of creation and the undying love of the Father when he sent his Son to die for us? Do we still want to climb into the Father's arms and say "Lets go home daddy, lets go home"?

In Him,

David

This is my beloved son

See my comments at the very bottom...something about that dream led me to this blog.

In Matthew 3 we have the following exchange between John, Christ and the father.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"

15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented.

16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

I used to think that God was saying this as a follow-up to what had just occurred. I am now wondering if God was saying this as the omnipotent one who knew what Jesus would endure the next 40 days and the next 3 years. Encouraging words from a father "you can do it son", encouraging words from The Father "I know you will do it Son."

"I am well pleased" - Jesus will be in face to face confrontations with Satan and will prevail.

"I am well pleased" - Jesus will spend 3 years teaching disciples to spread the word of God's love, entrusting the eternal message to man.

"I am well pleased" - being a man, loving life, feeling pain; will willingly go to the cross-suffer-die to redeem mankind.

"I am well pleased" - the plan from the beginning of time is fulfilled in Christ.

As a son I longed to please and get the praise of my father. As a child of God I want to be pleasing to The Father. "I am well pleased", amazing words, amazing love, amazing grace.

--------------------------------------------

Last night I had a dream where my father (who has been gone for 18 years) was driving and my brother and his four girls and me and my two boys were all in the car with him. It all seemed so natural. I know I moved my legs in my sleep trying to hit the imaginary brake to get my dad to slow down as he was driving in my dreams. The conversation seemed so real. In my dreams I could still see his face and still hear his voice and in my dreams he was able to interact with my boys, his grandsons that he never got to meet here in life. Dreams can be wonderful and dreams can bring an occasional tear. I still love you too dad, very much.

In Him,

David

New Job

Today starts a new chapter in our life. Today I turn in my letter of resignation and in two weeks I will have my first job in 19 years that is not television or advertising related. The old job was a blessing and I am thankful for it. It allowed me the freedom to take time off to do Katrina relief work, attend funerals for friends and early off on days when we had something special planned (birthdays, camping, etc.).

While here I met Janelle, got married and now have two wonderful boys. I have a church family that loves and supports us and have met many wonderful people through my job. It has been a wonderful experience and now it is time to move on.

The new job is in the health field which will offer more security in these economic times. It also offers new challenges and I am really looking forward to getting started and building my new career. Thank you for all who have prayed for us and offered words of support.

In Him,

David

Cardboard Confessions

I haven't posted a You Tube video here so let the experiment begin. I found this video very touching. We talk about transparency and confessing our sins, please take time to watch and see these examples of it being lived. God does heal and forgive.




Need I say more?

David

Recovery and Renewal

Yesterday I went to the doctor concerning a sinus infection that I have had for over two weeks. The last few nights had been barely tolerable and sleep only came when the desire for it overcame the pain that was racking my head and jaw. Being on a new "insurance plan" which is a Health Savings Account, I had been reluctant to see the doctor not wanting to spend my own money and having no idea what it would cost under the new plan. Foolishness!!! I should have gone 2 weeks ago and been done with this. As now, I am on the road to recovery and feeling better every hour.

As for the renewal, that comes on two fronts. #1, I had two interviews with a company on Monday and even with my sinus infection and the pain racking my brain, I think I did very well. I am hoping to hear from them soon. I don't think they caught on to how I felt and it was a good experience meeting their people and talking to them. That evening I went home, ate dinner and went to bed. I slept over 12 hours that night.

Renewal #2 has come from reading a new book on prayer recommended by a friend and then we had a lesson on prayer this past Sunday in class. I think God is getting my attention, "we need to talk more". I am working on it. It still isn't where I want it to be, but it is getting better.

I guess you could say that any time spent with my family is a time of renewal as well, they bring me so much joy. So that makes 3.

In Him,

David

Friend In Need

Reading John Dobbs blog and the raw emotions expressed there reminded me of a conversation I had with Janelle soon after we learned of the loss of John Robert. I was looking for the right thing to say when I realized there isn't really anything anyone can say to make the pain go away. If there was, someone would have thought of it a long long time ago and everyone would have used it until it became cliche and was no longer of any comfort.

Second, the pain lets us know how deeply we truly loved. The pain is worth having experienced that love. Its hard to see it at the time....but time does begin to bring relief and somewhere the memories of the happy times out number the tears.

Third, some words bring no comfort at all. Cliches like "God must of needed another angel" come to mind. God is big enough and powerful enough to create angels enough. God did not reach down his hand and cause pain just because he needed another good person around him...he is not that petty.

Reading John's blogs reminded me that it is okay to be angry with God. I wish someone would have told me that when my father died. Instead at times I had the mixed emotions of the pain of the loss of my father and the guilt of being angry with God. Be angry and sin not.... don't let the anger turn to hatred but it is okay to cry, scream, shout or wail.

Also, sometimes there are no answers to the "whys". Why did God not protect? Why did God not answer all of our prayers? Why were they there? Why did I not take more time to ___?

Finally, if you are afraid to go because you don't know what to say...go anyways. Be a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen and a friend to turn to in the loneliness. If you don't know what to say try "I love you and I am sorry for your loss". You can also sit there quietly, people will let you know when they are ready to talk.

I am definitely not an expert, counselor or anything like that.... these our just some of my observations. Go out and let someone know you love them.

In Him,

David

Memorial Day Weekend

This past weekend we went to my mother's house for the Memorial Day holiday. On Saturday we all loaded up and went to Dollywood. This weekend was a reminder of how quickly they grow up; watching Christopher ride the rides this time and seeing how much fun he had there at age 3 compared to when we were there last summer. It also a huge reminder of how young they still are when the same "big boy" cried over his chicken bites being too hot.

After time with The Family on Sunday, we went back to Dollywood on Monday. This time Christopher and Jacob each got to drive the cars in the 50's section. Christopher and I rode the River Rampage and the River Battle rides together and we both go soaked while having a great time. He wanted to ride the River Battle again but it was getting late in the day and we had other family to meet in Metcalf Bottoms. Once again we played in the water and we worked on building a dam with his cousins. It was a great time.

Jacob lived up to his nickname....Jacob the destroyer by breaking a couple of things at grandmother's house before we were even there a few hours. The second item was destroyed when both his mother and I thought he was asleep.

It was a great family vacation although I did not get enough "together time" with Janelle as I got sick on Saturday afternoon and she came home feeling run down. Even with the illness and destruction, we created some great memories for the boys and as we were reminded...life is precious and use wisely the time that you do have together.

In Him,

David

Loss For Words

It's the kind of news that grips you in the gut and makes you want to throw up. It is the news that makes you shed countless tears and wish you had the wisdom and grace to be able to comfort friends who are hurting. It is the kind of news that no parent ever wants to hear. On early Wednesday morning our dear friends John and Maggy Dobbs found out that their son had died in a tragic accident. John Robert was 18 years old and scheduled to graduate from high school at the end of this week. In stead of planning his graduation party his parents are now preparing for a funeral. What do you say to a family when they are going through this?

I remember when one of my father's cousins died. I remember the words his mother spoke to me, Bess said "David, no parent should ever have to bury a child." Her words echo in my mind even as I sit here typing. No parent should ever have to bury a child and yet it happens every day in the world. And even though it does happen every day, I am still at a loss for words and maybe that is the way it should be. Maybe we should just grieve, hold each other, love each other and use the time to heal.

In Him,

David

John's blog is located at http://johndobbs.wordpress.com/
The local news account of the accident is located here www.sunherald.com/278/story/578234.html

What to say

I had a profound thought yesterday morning at breakfast and thought "I need to blog about that". Unfortunately I did not do it and now, a day later, the thought completely escapes me.

The garden is doing fairly well. We have blooms on the tomato plants, the squash plants are growing and the green beans have really taken off. It is fun having Christopher help in the garden, listening to him talk about it and seeing things grow through his eyes. At 3 he is really a sponge now, absorbing all kinds of information, what an amazing time.

Jacob is running up and down the halls, singing and laughing. The greeting he gives me every time I come home is amazing.

This weekend we head for the Smokies. Can't wait to be back in the mountains, they have a way of reviving the soul. We will spend time with family and friends so every trip back home is special.

Enjoy the week,

David

Weekend Update - I'm Chevy Chase?

We had a busy weekend. Friends from Chattanooga came up Saturday and we grilled out, got c up to date with each other's lives since their move and played Settlers of Cataan. The boys got to play with their daughter and all had a good time.....well, until the kids got overtired but they still had fun.

Sunday seemed like football weather, rain, wind, cold. I called Mark Bell and asked him how we missed out camping in weather like this. We now have a running joke that anytime our two families plan on camping together, no matter how good the forecast is looking, the weather turns south in a hurry. So instead of camping the boys took mommy out for lunch for mother's day. Janelle got to talk to her parents in China and I spoke to my mother in east Tennessee.

Monday was adventure day. With the big earthquake in China we were on the phone trying to get through to family and friends over there to make sure everyone was okay. We are close to 3 couples over there including Janelle's parents. Her parents and the Cooks are both in the same city which is about 500 miles from the epicenter. They all came through okay. Will and Brittany are in another city and apparently had a nap interrupted but are none the worse for that.

Last night was the Macho Monday. 12 guys got together for dinner at Vittles, talked about manly things while the TV was on ESPN. We had a good time and it was fun catching up with everyone. With all of us married, most with kids, its hard to find time to just hang out and talk. We are going to try it again next month on a Turbo Tuesday and another Meat and 3.... no salad and muffin places for us! Have a great week.

David

Geocaching

I enjoy getting out from time to time to geocache. I have seen parts of Nashville and other cities that I would not have known about if it were not for this game. If you don't know about geocaching, it is a high-tech treasure hunt using a gps unit. Go to geocaching.com to learn more or to sign up for free.

To participate in geocaching you need a gps unit (your guide), coordinates of the cache that you will be seeking and it helps to know where you are. The gps unit will lead you to the coordinates and then it is up to you to find the hidden treasure. Easy enough, as long as those satellites are in the sky that allow gps units to know where they are. If they aren't there, then there is no game.

Our spiritual walk is similar to geocaching. We have the Spirit to guide us and the word to give us the "coordinates" for the treasure that we seek. We can constantly know where we are if we bother to check our guides.... but if there is no power in heaven, then there is no need to participate. It is the unseen power of the Father that allows us to continue and it is his love and mercy that gives us hope. Good luck on your treasure hunt.

In Him,

David

Thoughts on the Men's Retreat

This weekend I attended a men's retreat with several others from our congregation. Clarence Daily, who has spent 68 years in ministry was the main speaker. While listening to Brother Clarence I was reminded about the story of the Apostle John in his latter years. When John spoke it is said his message would be a simple "My little children, love each other". While Clarence spoke I kept thinking of John and that same message. How blessed we were to hear it emphasized again from someone we all love and respect.

With the theme "Who's gonna fill their shoes?" my mind first goes to my own life. Having lost my father while I was a young man, I hope I have done all right at trying to fill his shoes. I hope that people who knew him will see him in my life and that is my hope for my boys. I hope that I am the proper example that I can train them to fill my shoes, not so that I can be praised as a great father but that they can reflect the glory of the Father.

The other thought that I had was when Jesus was told to keep his disciples quiet his reply that even if they were silent then the rocks and hills would cry out (please excuse me for taking it out of context). If we don't train our children to fill our shoes, to do what they should, then God will raise up children that will. If we don't step up and fill the shoes of the giants of faith that went before us, God will raise up leaders that will.

I am confident that the church will go on.... I need to make sure that I am part of that by doing my part.

In Him,

David

The Truth Project

On Sunday evening I attended services at Hillsboro in Nashville to learn about The Truth Project. Hillsboro is hosting the special satellite training session that will occur on September 27, 2008. If you have not heard about this, click on the title above and it should take you to a link for The Truth Project. This series of lessons is from Focus on the Family and it helps Christians develop a world view from a biblical perspective. I am excited about this and cannot wait to attend.

As a bonus, your church could host the video simulcast if no church within a 20 mile radius has already agreed to do so. Janelle's uncle has already conducted 4 small groups through this curriculum and is currently working with a fifth group. His excitement is contagious and after I saw some of the video clips, I can't wait to learn more.

In Him,

David

Visitor in the night - Part 2

Reading Trey Morgan's original post on visitor in the night reminded me of a story that happened when I was in eighth grade. Our family was building a house out in the country in East Tennessee. The basement was complete and habitable and we moved in. While the upstairs was enclosed it still needed all the work; electrical, plumbing, drywall, etc to be done. The way the lower level was situated the front of the house was underground, where the bedrooms were located, while the back of the house containing the kitchen and living room was at ground level with windows and a sliding glass door looking out on the backyard. With the bedrooms being underground, the rooms were very dark especially when you closed the doors at night (side note: as a teenager these dark, cave like bedrooms were perfect for the guy wanting to sleep until 1 or 2 in the afternoon). Anyhow, on with the story.

One night we are awakened to dad hollering and mom screaming and a lot of banging going on in their room.... it went down like this. In the middle of the night, in their very dark bedroom, my father awoke to feel a hand pressing down on his chest. He smacked it away and it thumped down on his chest again, enhancing he fear. He pushed it away again and the hand smacked him in the face. My mother wakes up wondering what is wrong and dad tells her that someone is in the room with them. Mom starts flailing away, occasionally hitting the "intruder" but mostly landing blows on my father can feel. After a brief period of time with this going on, my father finally gets my mother to quit striking him, regains his composure, arises to turn on the light to find the room empty except for he and my mother, their door securely closed.

As it turns out, my father had been sleeping on one of his arms which went to sleep. When he rolled over the now asleep or "dead" arm flopped over striking him on the chest. He had no feeling in that arm or control over it so when he pushed it off with his good arm it would just flop back on him and in the pitch black of their bedroom he had no idea on what was going on.

I hope you enjoyed this story as much as our family has through the years.

David

Favor with all men

John Dobbs comments on "Why do the lost seem so far away" got me thinking of lots of random thoughts. Why was the early church so successful in evangelism? Definitely their zeal was a huge factor of it, but the latter part of Acts 2 explains a lot of it as well. "46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved." Enjoying favor of all the people. Their kindness, their love, their generosity was appealing to all who witnessed it.

Often time we become focused on agenda evangelism. We set out to convert someone but we have not taken time to show them the love, kindness and generosity it takes to grow in favor with them. I'm not saying that we don't evangelize, for that is our purpose as Christians, what I am saying is that we take the time and build relationships and trust with those we are seeking to engage in biblical discussions. I think of myself as a good person yet I know this is something that I need to work on in my life.

If you click on the title bar to this blog topic it should take you directly to JD's blog

In Him,

David

Plans and reality

I had planned on planting a garden this weekend to help us save on the food costs. Yes, I am the same guy who as a teenager swore I would never have a garden once I grew up after toiling many a hot summer's day in "my father's" garden. Yet here I am planning on purpose to plant a garden of my own. Sad thing is, the more I think about it, the bigger it gets in my mind.

Anyhow that was the plan. Reality is that on Thursday I guess the pollen got the best of me and I ended up sick Friday on throughout the weekend. I still don't have much of a voice but am able to return to work.

As a young man I planned on getting married around 26-30, starting a family, having lots of money and no worries. Reality is that I was over 40 when I married, have two wonderful children, not so much money and worry more than I should.

In my plans my kids would get to spend lots of time with their grandparents, get spoiled by them, etc. Reality is that my father died 13 years before I married. Only one of his grandchildren (my brother's oldest daughter) got to spend any time with him and by that time his body was robbed of it vitality by both chemo and the effects of a brain tumor.

I can plan for the future, my retirement, kid's college, etc. but that does not mean that any of it will come to pass (but is wise to prepare as if it will). I can live for today and be a good husband, father, example and enjoy all that God has blessed me with and choose to be happy.

In Him,

David

All things to all men

A few blogs back I discussed fellowship and this kind of follows that line of thinking but in a different tact. Paul wrote the following to the church in Corinth "19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21T o those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." - I Cor. 9

Paul did whatever he could to bring others to Christ yet in so many churches across our country we are seeing the opposite. There are members everywhere who want everyone to become Pauls in the sense that they want everyone to transform into what they want or expect them to be. If the minister does not preach the right kind of sermons, if they sing the wrong kind of songs, these people take their Bibles and head somewhere else or even worse they cause so much discord that they split the church into two warring factions. It is their "right" to have their opinions and they want everyone to conform to them. Total opposite of what Paul said.

Stick with me here, one of the problems that we may have in America is that we have too many choices in religion. Instead of learning to get along and become more Christ like in our attitudes towards fellow believers, if we don't like what they are doing where we attend we move on to someplace else. And heaven forbid that a brother is caught in error, they are not confronted in love, they are just confronted. I have expressed similar thoughts in other blogs but will rephrase it this way, our rights as Americans does not extend to the church. We are part of a kingdom and are to submit our will to God's will, something I need to constantly remind myself of....especially when I get upset and want to take my toys and play somewhere else.

In Him,

David

Fear and Fun

This past weekend we had camping reservations with three other families and rains of biblical proportion. After the storms passed through Friday, we loaded up and headed off for the campground. I had smartly chosen to take the 4 man tent rather than the 10 man tent. My reasoning was it would be easier to keep the smaller tent warm; what I did not know was that it was also going to be easier to keep the smaller tent upright and on the ground.

With the wind whipping so hard, Janelle had to help me get our tent up (I usually can accomplish this on my own. When it came time to put the rain fly on, I tied it off to stakes outside of the tent pad which proved to be the right decision as the ground was firmer there and there was no problem of these stakes pulling out.

Our friends Mark and Heather had the large 10 person tent. This tent wanted to fly. We ended up tying off the tent poles on the windward side to two trees to keep the poles from collapsing and tying two of the stake loops to rope and staking the ropedown outside of the tent pad. Once we loaded their tent with two air mattresses, a pack n play and 4 sleeping bags, it was grounded.

Now the fear part. We are camped along the Cumberland river which is roaring with all the heavy rain that fell during the latter half of the work week. On two different occasions Christopher disappeared from sight and my mind immediately went to the river. PURE PANIC! Both times he had headed off for the play ground on his own. So many emotions upon finding him safe.

The wind was relentless all weekend and then the weather forecast changed on Saturday for a 60% chance of showers after midnight, so discretion being the better part of valor....we all packed up, went out for dinner and headed home. It was fun, trying, windy and a weekend of building memories.

If you need rain, invite our family and friends to come camping. It is guaranteed to raise the water table of any location!

David

Most Important

It's weird to know before 7 A.M. that you have already accomplished the most important thing you will do all day. Early this morning our 3 year old woke up and I could hear him crying "I want daddy, I want daddy". Janelle carried him to our bed and he snuggled close to me with one arm around my neck and one hand holding onto my arm. Laying there listening to his breathing relax, feeling him relax as he pulled himself closer to daddy, I knew I had already done the most important thing that I would do all day. Laying there listening to him breath and sleep, that was contentment for me.

I think I now have a better understanding of what Jesus meant as he wept over Jerusalem. Like a parent, he longed to pull them close and feel them relax and rest in his arms. He still feels that way about us. Pretty cool.

In Him,

David

Fellowship

In class yesterday we were discussing the topic of fellowship and our responsibility to one another. For so long in our tribe fellowship has been deemed as eating together or hanging out together and sadly we have lost the true meaning of fellowship. Part of what was discussed under the "Brother in Need" blog topic is incorporated into this fellowship. The term we call fellowship comes from the Greek word Koinonia. (NOTE: I am not a Greek scholar)

It was in the study notes that koinonia comes from a word meaning spouse or business partner. Quoting from Wikipedia ""Koinonos" in classical Greek means a companion, a partner or a joint-owner." This companion can be the same as a spouse. This got me thinking that I need to reshape how I approach fellowship. From that vantage, I need to treat my brothers and sisters as I would my own spouse. They are my partners, not a part of some loosely associated fraternal organization. If I would begin to look at them as a partner rather than an acquaintance then maybe I can finally get to what the church is supposed to be.

Again from Wikipedia: "To create a bond between comrades is the meaning of koinonia when people are recognized, share their joy and pains together, and are united because of their common experiences, interests and goals. Fellowship creates a mutual bond which overrides each individual’s pride, vanity, and individualism, fulfilling the human yearning with fraternity, belonging, and companionship. This meaning of koinonia accounts for the ease by which sharing and generosity flow. When combined with the spiritual implications of koinonia, fellowship provides a joint participation in God’s graces and denotes that common possession of spiritual values."

I wonder how much more has been lost in translation. It makes me ashamed of how little I truly know and how much I am missing out on in what the church should be. Is it possible to have the Church as Christ intended in the 21st Century?

In Him,

David

Whirlwind

It has been a week since the last post and life has been a whirlwind for us. I met Janelle last Monday after I got off to take the boys to the park to play while she went to the tax office to work. Just after we had traded vehicles she received a call that her grandmother had just passed away which start the whirlwind of activity. There were phone calls to be made to family spread out across the U.S. plus her parents in China; her uncle had to make arrangements to have the funeral here while coordinating with his brothers and sister. We had to cancel Christopher's birthday party as with family traveling from overseas, the funeral would have to be at the end of the week. As it ended up, the funeral was on Friday on a very rainy day.

With all the family in town, we had a family birthday for Christopher on Saturday. His grandparents from China were there, his grandmother from East Tennessee, 2 great aunts, 2 great uncles and all his aunts, uncles and cousins on his mother's side. It was quite a party and an uplifting way to end what had been a sad week. Janelle made him a Thomas the Tank Engine cake that was excellent and he was quite happy to be the center of attention.

Sunday as always was a day of worship and time spent with family. Not once since Thursday have the boys gotten to bed on time since we were always down in Murfreesboro at bedtime. The good news was there were many games of Settlers of Cataan that week. Oh well, maybe more of a routine this week. Have a great week!

In Him,

David

Brother In Need

For those of you who grew up in the same religious tradition (aka tribe) as I, you know that we were taught that the Bible has different ways of teaching. Two of those ways are inference and example. I am still trying to figure out where I stand on the following and what it means if I end up where I think I am heading. Let's look at the following scriptures starting with Acts 4:

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all. 34 There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Followed by Acts 2:
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

If this is the example set forth in Acts, then why do we still have poor and needy in our fellowship? What is my responsibility to them? What about the believers in Central America, Africa or China? I have never heard a sermon based on the inference of these two passages but I wonder if someone dared would we have an auditorium full of rich young rulers who went away sorrowful because we have much possessions?

I'm not saying that we sell everything we have, move into a commune and sing Kumbaya. What I am suggesting is that we examine to see if we are more American than Christian when in comes to the value we put in our possessions.

I would love your comment.

In Him,

David

Mickey Mouse and Easter Eggs

We had a first with Christopher this morning. Janelle was there and told me about it as I was at work. Christopher was playing with his Thomas train set and was having some difficulty with one of the hills. As he grew increasingly agitated with the problem he finally blurted out in anger 'mmmmmmm Mickey Mouse". Apparently Mickey Mouse is a new expletive in our house. It is a reminder to me to be careful with what I say and to be slow with my temper.

This weekend we are going to Elizabethton for the Peter's Hollow Egg Fight. The boys will get to see lots of family members that they don't know, some of whom I hardly know and fight eggs. The egg fight is nearly 2 centuries old and started when some farmers started arguing whose chickens laid the hardest eggs. So they "boiled them up" and commenced to cracking them against the other farmers eggs. The Egg Fight is an annual Easter Tradition up there but sadly it does not bring in the crowds like it used to. Still it is a great way to touch the past and hopefully pass along something to another generation as a reminder of simpler times. For me it is a way to keep connected with family that I never get to see often enough.

In Him,

David

LOST

Okay, I am finally wading into the LOST foray on my blog. If the theme of LOST is finding redemption then Charlie and Jin had to die. The changed their ways (drugs/murder) and found a new life. That new life led to their death and one and possibly both laid down their lives for others that they loved.

For us, we change our ways and find we find life. In death we then have fulfillment of the promise that was given when we changed and we are no longer LOST but home.

In Him,

David

Jubilee or Jaded

What if we still observed a year of Jubilee? What if every 7 years we forgave the debts of others and they forgave ours? What if we left a portion of our fields and the fruit that we dropped behind for the poor to gather? What if I looked at the homeless, the beggar and saw a man rather than a nuisance? What if I gladly gave of my first fruits to the Lord with joy? What if the church took care of the widows and the orphans? What if I let it begin with me?

This Christianity thing is not easy but then again we are called to be holy not common. I live in the most affluent society the world has ever known. We have two cars, a home and food on the table. Can I be happy with that? We have brothers and sisters around the world struggling to survive, can I ignore that? I must provide for my family but I cannot let that "providing" become an egocentric exercise in keeping up with others for appearance sake.

In Him,

David

The Weekend

First of all let me start by saying "Way to Go VOLS". The men won the SEC Regular season title and the Lady VOLS won the SEC Tournament.

The weekend started off kind of shaky but it ended up okay. Getting to the campground Friday afternoon was an adventure. I left at 2:30 on what should have been a 1.5 hour trip but I did not calculate having to sit in a huge traffic jam near the Tennessee River. It took an hour and twenty minutes to go 5 miles, luckily I came upon the exit for Waverly and knew that I could get on Hwy 70 there and make it to where I was going, if only I could get there before the sleet and snow settled in. The weather turned REALLY bad in Waverly and luckily I was able to fall behind 3 semis all the way to Camden, they cut tracks through the muck and I was able to get good traction. At that point the wiser decision was to press on than turn around although every fiber in me wanted to be home with Janelle and the boys at that point. Once I got to Camden I found that the road I needed to travel to the campground had just been salted so I ended up arriving there much later than attended but with no damage to the car or me (except the somewhat frayed nerves).

I had a great time with some regrets. Here we get a good snow and I am not at home to enjoy the snow with my family. Janelle and I watch movies when it snows and I wanted to build snowmen with the boys, hopefully we'll have plenty of opportunities to do both in the upcoming years. The upside was that being away for a little while was a good reminder to how much they mean to me.

Sunday was a busy day. I got up early and drove home then met the family at the church building. We had a fellowship lunch after services, ran a few errands, went home and took naps and then it was back to the church building at 4 for an Easter egg hunt.

Well it is back to work now. Enjoy the week.

In Him,

David

GO VOLS!

I can't blog and not say something about the fact that UT has won the outright S.E.C. Championship (regular season) for the first time in 41 years. Go VOLS!

In Orange and White,

David

Trepidation

I am leaving tomorrow for a guy's out weekend. While I am looking forward to this time I also don't like leaving my family behind for 2 nights. Yes, I know it is only two nights but that is a long time not being with Janelle (in a place without cell service I might add). While I could enter a joke saying "that will be two days worth of talking that she will have to catch up on on Sunday", I won't do that.

Let's leave it at I love my wife and I love my family and I do enjoy the time that I get to spend with them. I will also enjoy being able to recharge my "manly" batteries.

In Him,

David

There still is hope

Last time I wrote about what a sick world we live in. Today a friend passed along the story about a special needs person who in the final game of the season scored 20 points in under 5 minutes of a high school basketball game. Thank God for coaches who know that they are there to mold lives and not there just for the W's. Click on the title above to see the story and in case the link above does not work, past this in your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ek1iIOTsiRo&feature=related Please take time to watch the ESPN version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngzyhnkT_jY&feature=related

In Him,

David

Sick World!

While getting dressed for work this morning I was reminded of how truly sick the world is that we live in. There is a website (apparently very popular) called Second Life where people join to live out a 3D virtual reality persona. People PAY real money to have virtual sex, use virtual products and to buy virtual material for their virtual alter-ego. One of the guys interviewed has become a real life millionaire because he invented these virtual beds and virtual sex toys where people can hook up virtually anytime. Another woman who is an attorney by day is an escort in this virtual world an earns real money by helping other sick individuals live out their virtual fantasies. How long will it take before these people tire of this virtual world and fail to receive satisfaction there or with their real life spouse and begin taking their virtual fantasies to real life?

What benefit can a site like this hold for society or better yet, what does a site like this say about our society?

Busy Weekend

This weekend was incredibly busy. On Friday we left Nashville early in order to take my mother out to dinner for her birthday. Her birthday was Saturday but we needed to have the family dinner on Friday as there was a surprise party for another friend's birthday on Saturday (his 50th).

On Saturday I received a call from Andy informing me that his father had just passed away. We had spoken Friday night and new that the end was near but no one expected it as quickly as it came. So I quickly got a shower and shaved and headed down to Cleveland, TN for a few hours with that family. Got back in Maryville just as my family was heading out the door to go to the birthday party.

We ended up staying an extra night in Maryville on Sunday night rather than driving back to Nashville Sunday afternoon and to Cleveland and back on Monday. That gave mom extra time with the boys which I think all enjoyed. It also gave Janelle and I a chance to sit through a worship service on Sunday evening with no boys to take care of as they had classes for both age groups. What a nice treat.

Monday was a day of surprises. Learned many new things. 1. My friend is a 9th generation decendant of Bach. 2. His father had both been a judge and a clerk as well as an attorney. 3. The family of God is like a spider web....we had more connections with people at the funeral than we could have imagined, which is very cool. 4. His father chose cremation so that he could burn up the cancer that consumed him and it would "not bother anyone again."

And the ever present reminder, while death may have won a temporary victory Reginald Hyberger and all those that die in Christ win the ultimate victory. May we all continue to run our race knowing that the victory has been won.

In Him,

David

Too Much

There is so much going through my head right now (luckily none of them are bullets), but lots of stuff to ponder. Thinking about camp, camping, summer vacation, wishing I had some time to ride my bike, time spent with the in-laws while they are back in the states this summer and the ever pressing job situation. I won't bore you with them now, maybe I will update you on some of that stuff at a later time.

Today is Valentine's Day and Saturday is my mother's birthday. My birthday comes at the end of summer and the closest holiday is Labor Day....a few weeks after my birthday. Janelle's birthday is the day before New Year's Eve so she is sandwiched between Christmas and New Year's. I never had known it any other way, but I prefer how mine is, away from the holidays, then it is about me! This is not a selfish me, just a happy thought. No danger of ever getting the combo Birthday / Holiday gift. There are 4 of us at the office who have our birthdays within 5 days of each other...I always declare that week Birthday Week 200_!

I know people for whom their entire thought process is "its all about me", not just birthdays but all the time. While they can be entertaining at times, many times it is a chore to be around them because they are so self centered. I know I can be self centered at times but I hope my friends love me enough to let me know when I am becoming self absorbed and forgive me.

There are so many other thoughts crowding in on me now that I think I will just end and say Happy Valentine's Day everyone and have a blessed day.

In Him,

David

Movie you have never heard of

I want to recommend a movie that you probably have never heard of, it is called Secret of the Cave. This movie was produced by the students and faculty of Southern Adventist University. I discovered it when I was looking for something for Janelle and I to watch last night. It is a movie that you can watch with your entire family and not have to worry about language and everyone will get something out of it. If you watch it I would like to know what you thought of it.

In Him,

David

Special Days

Today was a special day because it was warm enough to take the boys to the park and play for a while. After that Christopher wanted to go to "the big store" aka Costco and get a slice of pizza. Cheap lunch that the boys enjoyed. After lunch they fell asleep during the van ride home so we sat in the driveway while they slept and I read. Jacob woke up first but wanted to sleep more so I carried him into the house to continue his nap. When Christopher awoke I opened the windows to the backyard to listen for Jacob then Christopher and I went out and played for another hour. As I said, a special day.

Family days are special to me. I also love holidays and birthdays. Next week we have valentine's day and then my mother's birthday. March is the easter celebration and the much anticipated Peter's Hollow egg fight (more on that at a later time). April has Christopher's, my brother's and one of my niece's birthdays. After that we roll into mother's day and Memorial Day. I'll stop there, you get the point. I think it's funny (note: I want you to remember mine regardless of what I say next!) that we celebrate our birthdays which in essence is celebrating our surviving the passage down the birth canal; our mothers are the ones that should be receiving the cudos. With that in mind, how many of us celebrate our re-birth day? Wouldn't it be great if we threw a party every year to commemorate the day we dedicated our life to Christ? Just a thought.

In Him,

David

Soap Box

A friend of mine went to the drug store to get some deodorant and decided to pick up some razor blades. To his surprise, and mine, the razor blades were all in a locked cabinet. When he asked the clerk about this the reply was "its bad out there man, people will steal a package of razor blades and sell them for a dollar just to support their crack habit." He went on to tell how his cousin was hooked at 58 years of age after just one hit of crack.

Now for the soap box. I may be way off base and feel free to contradict me if you think that I am off base. In my opinion the main reason we have problems "in the projects", that we have so many single parents, such a drug problem and many of our other social problems is that the modern day church, all churches not just one particular faith, have abdicated our responsibility to the community and turned it all over to the Federal Government.

There was a time where family took care of family and if your family could not handle it the local church did. It is the churches responsibility to take care of the poor, the widows and the orphans but it is now more convenient to let the government handle that problem. If it was not for the government stepping in to fill that gap, I think you would see the numbers at local churches swell. Why? Because to get help you would have to be involved in that family of believers. It is my opinion that God in his wisdom knew that not only did we need to help the ones who needed help, he knew that they needed to come to us as believers for that help. Not only would they get the things they needed to survive by doing so, they would get the spiritual help, guidance and sense of belonging that came with being a part of and helped by the family of believers. With this would come - if not behavior modification maybe some moral responsibility in the way one conducted his/her affairs.

Now there are no consequences. The Federal Government is going to hand out the check regardless of your behavior because you are "entitled" to that money. Maybe if we took the entitlements away and reinstated responsibility then things would get better in our communities. Maybe if the churches were doing what they should be doing then things wouldn't be so bad out there. What do you think?

In Him,

David

The Weekend

This was a busy yet fun weekend although it started out a little strange. Janelle had to go back to the dentist Friday because her new crown was causing her pain. This meant that I needed to leave work early to take care of the kids. Since I was going to watch them all evening Friday and all day Saturday anyhow, I decided for us to take a road trip, me and two boys ages 2 1/2 and 16 months old. We got there and back no problem and had a great visit with grandmother. Before we left Saturday night I put the boys in their pajamas and they both slept most of the way home and woke up Sunday morning in their own beds.

Janelle had to rush to work after services Sunday so the boys and I joined some friends for lunch, went home and "rested" a little and then it was off to some other friends house last night for a Super Bowl party. There were 14 children there, 11 of whom were 6 or younger. Even with all the kids running around it was a great Super Bowl party and we all had fun. Janelle was able to join us about 6, which made the evening better. I was glad to see the Patriots streak end the way it did, not that I am such a huge Giants fan, more so that I did not want to see a cheater win the ultimate prize in football. I was pulling for Eli in the fact that we were a witness to history, brothers quarterbacking their teams to back to back Super Bowl victories.

Janelle's Job

As I have mentioned in posts past, Janelle is working a few evenings as a tax preparer. As such, she does not represent the IRS or a bank's interest, she is there to serve her clients. It is not her job to question the validity of the client's claims (unless it is totally ridiculous like supporting a family of 5 with only $1,000 in income for the year). She is there to listen to what they tell her, what they have signed and sworn to be true, and to record that information properly for them. She is neither judge nor jury, she is there to help. How often in life do we appoint ourselves as both judge and jury when all we have really been asked to do is listen and to help? I need to work harder at listening. Still struggling.

In Him,

David

Storms

Last night storms came rolling through Music City USA. It was a fast moving system with lots of wind associated with it. It knocked out power in some areas, blew some tractor trailer trucks over, moved some large commercial air conditioner units on some buildings and blew some dumpsters around. After the storm passed through we still had high winds for the next 3 hours. Life can be like that too, a powerful storm passes through wreaking havoc and then we expect the "calm after the storm" but the calm does not come, instead we continue to get blown around. I want God to take away the storms but we are not promised that, we are promised peace - comfort. Even while the storm is raging the master over the storm is holding my hand.

In Him,

David

Raising Boys

Janelle is working part-time during tax season as a tax preparer, leaving me to take care of the boys on many evenings and on weekends. I love spending time with the boys and had a great time with them this weekend. The thing with Christopher is finding the balance, discipline without breaking spirits. I don't think I have ever come close to doing that, but I often remind myself to discipline without breaking his spirit. He's two and he likes to run and push and jump and wrestle which are all natural activities for a young boy to do. I just need to guide him towards when it is appropriate and when it is not. Twice this weekend he played with older boys, lots of running and lots of pushing, which is great because he held his own. The bad part was he was playing where lots of other children were playing and he would get excited and could not distinguish between who was playing his game and who was not. We'll keep working on that. The best part about all that running and jumping was that he went to bed well on Friday and on Saturday and took a 2 and 1/2 hour nap on Sunday. That gave Jacob and me over an hour on Sunday for just the two of us to play....big fun.

We are having a warm snap so the boys are able to go out and play some. We had a great time int the backyard yesterday for about an hour, till we had to go in and eat and get ready for church. Christopher went up on the stage for the first time last night and sang with the other children. I was told he behaved very well, which of course makes me proud. I missed it as I was donating blood in the Family Life Center. It did not take me long to donate but while I was there 2 people passed out (one guy twice) and for the Red Cross people it was all hands on deck tending to them....leaving the rest of us stuck on the tables for quite some time. No matter, it was for a good cause.

Have a great week,

David

Thanks Lamar

What is the opposite of holy?





Think about it............




If you say unholy then you are just where I was 24 hours ago, till a class on Leviticus last night. I think unholy, I think Satan, evil and all that stuff but lets ask the question again, "what is the opposite of holy?" Look what God says to Aaron and the priests in Leviticus 10: 10 "You must distinguish between the holy and the common". That was a wow moment for me. The opposite of holy is common.

How many times have I tried to fit in, not cause a stir or blatantly exhibit my Christianity? How many times have I been satisfied in being common? 6 times in the New Testament we are called to be a holy people and yet I still try to be common. I can fit in and common myself straight to the firey pit if I am not careful. I think this is Satan's most powerful deception yet. I must choose to be uncommon, I must choose to be Holy.

In Him,

David

Sick

Okay, I am sitting around feeling kind of sorry for myself because Sunday I spent over 12 hours throwing up. (What a way to start a blog). But really, I felt bad all day Monday, went to work Tuesday and wake up this morning sick again. Poor me. Then I get an e-mail from a friend about a message that I should listen to. I don't know how many of you are familiar with the Rick & Bubba radio show, but one of the hosts, Rick Burgess lost his 2 year old son this weekend while he was speaking at a youth rally in Pigeon Forge. Below is a link to the message he gave during his son's funeral service. I pray to God that he will give me such a faith.

http://216.69.161.56/audio/BronnerMemorial-RicksMsg.mp3

If the link does not work, go to www.rickandbubba.com and listen to "A Father's Heart".

Anything else I might say would be meaningless in light of this powerful message.

In Him,

David


The video is now on You Tube
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PUHUZWyFeg
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7aNDixS2J0
Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUT8Bk6Ou90

What am I doing here?

Have you ever asked yourself the question above? I think we all have or one similar such as, "is this all there is?", "how did I end up here?", "how did I get stuck here?", or "why doesn't God help me find a better job?" I wish I knew the answer but I don't. I know he loved the poor woman who gave her last coin as much as he loved David who was a king and composed those amazing songs to God.

I don't think it matters to God what job we do just that we do it to his glory. God wants us to be happy, but I think we confuse that happiness to mean that we have everything we want instead of its true meaning of knowing that whatever happens to me, God is in control. Its hard to let go and let God be in control. It is hard at times getting up and going to a job that you don't like or live in a place that you don't like. I don't have an answer for that as I struggle with these questions at times myself. I do know that I have a God who loves me and a God who knew I would sin but had a plan to redeem me before he even created the universe. I have a savior who formed the earth and shaped the hill that he would one day have to die on, but did it because he loved me. I have a wife and kids who love me and support me and all of these give me peace.

Where do you find peace/comfort? Do you have a special place that you like to go in times like these?

In Him,

David

Neighbors

What ever happened to neighbors? (sounding like Andy Rooney) When I was growing up I can remember Naitha, Margie and Shirley who all lived on our street just popping in to visit. They would drink coffee with mom while my brother and I would played with their kids. It was fun. There was also Juanita, Helen, Judy and others who lived across town who were often at our house or we at theirs. None of these people went to church with us, they were just friends/neighbors.

Sharon Black lived across the street from us and we were a two person welcoming committee to anyone who moved onto our street. We visited every house and knew everyone. With neighbors like this you could not get into much mischief without your parents learning about it, often before we even got home. None of these people went to church where we did, the were simply neighbors.

We don't get much of that anymore. Now we have to form neighborhood watch groups because nobody knows their neighbors. We come home, turn on the tv, eat dinner, check the e-mail, watch a movie and go to bed and it is tearing away the fabric of our society. People don't trust others like they used to. People are quicker to sue each other, I think in part because there are no consequences....there are no bridges to be burnt because they were never built. Kids can't play outside like they used to. When I was a child, the whole neighborhood looked after each others children. Now parents are afraid to let their children out of their sight.

My circle of friends here revolve around my spiritual family and people that I work with. If you are not in one of those two groups and we are friends, it is probably because our lives did intersect at somepoint due to one of those two groups. My question is, if we are to be light in the world, wouldn't it be smart to begin with our neighbors?

In Him,

David

God Tube

I was getting ready for work this morning and flipped on the tv so that I could see the local weather report. On the CBS Morning show they were doing an interview with the creator of the website God Tube. I whole heartedly support a video site where we don't have to worry about kids running across adult themed videos or links to adult sites. With that said, while he had a very positive interview, what he said near the end troubled me. I wrote it down so that I would not misquote him. The founder of God Tube said this, "instead of going to church, a person can go online. Its Christianity on demand."

"Christianity on demand", it seems that we all want a God on demand, where we want him, when we want him, doing what we want him to do. "Instead of going to church a person can go online", isn't that the problem today? People want to find love behind the anonymity of a computer screen. Rather than face to face interaction they blog, text, IM and e-mail. Now, rather than go to church, we can go to the web..... electronic fellowship?

I'm sorry, I need to meet God on his terms not mine. I need the fellowship I get when meeting with fellow Christians. I need the discussion and teaching when we open the book together. I need to get out of my house at times and go in search of God. I need to meet him in prayer, in study, in fellowhip and at times online but I do not need to substitute the online experience for other ways of experiencing God.

I hope to see you tonight at the fellowship dinner and at the study hour.

In Him,

David

Deceived

My last entry on Joseph created such stimulating conversation (okay, I did say that I was writing this for myself in my initial post...trying to be funny) I thought I would continue on this train of thought a little while longer. For kids the devil is pictured as having horns, tail, red skin and carrying a pitchfork. Classical art does not depict him much better, this sinister, snarling, creature and while the Bible describes him as a roaming lion seeking those he can devour, I don't think any of these adequately portray the deceiver.

How would such an ugly creature be able to lure an army of angels to follow him? No, I see the deceiver as a beautiful, strong creature, seeking only to glorify himself. Now the ugliness of his actions are worse than even the classical artist portrayed. If I saw such an ugly creature coming, I would surely flee from him. No, the deceiver comes as a beautiful woman saying what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. He comes in a bottle that says that he can make the pain go away for a little while, only to be made worse when the numbness of the pills or alcohol wear off. He comes as the promise of a better life if only we had more money, a bigger house and more stuff. He comes saying success is measured by what we achieve regardless of the toll it takes on our family. He comes saying it is the quality of time, not the quantity of time that matters. He comes saying you're a good person, surely God would not condemn you. How could a loving God condemn anyone to hell. He comes saying take care of your family and have your fun..go hunting, fishing, skiing; you will have time for church later.

I wish I could see Satan like the artists portray him. I wish all temptation came to me with a guy in a red suit, with horns and a pitchfork. I wish I could always recognize the subtle ways Satan is trying to deceive me. Instead I have to be on guard, ready for the spiritual battles that are surely to come my way. I hope I am strong enough for the attacks. I hope you will forgive me when I am not. I hope you will love me regardless. I hope I will respond in the same manner to you.

In Him,

David

Fatherhood

Raising two boys has me thinking a lot about being a father, a provider, a role model. It has also caused me to wonder what kind of father Jesus had? I think Jesus had a very good father. In my image of Joseph he provided for his family, taught Jesus his trade, made sure that they were all at the synagogue at the appropriate times and honored all the feasts and sacrifices. I believe that just as God chose Mary to be the mother of Christ, he chose Joseph to be the father. God had all of history and all of mankind to choose from and He chose these two people to raise His Son, I believe that speaks well for Joseph. It also sets a high benchmark for me to emulate.

I want my sons to love God and serve Him. I want them to respect their parents and those in authority. I want them to have good marriages, wonderful children and be good providers and role models for their families. I want them to be happy and to have them long lives. I want them to have a father like Jesus had.

In Him,

David

Happy New Year

Yesterday we spent the day running around. We went to see Janelle's 94 year old grandfather and then went to Opry Mills and Opryland Hotel. On the way shopping, we stopped at a McDonald's to grab a bite at the drive through.....between the time I ordered and the time we got the food, both boys had fallen asleep. I asked Janelle to pull their two cheeseburgers out of the bag and give them to me. As we were pulling away I passed a homeless man and handed him the cheeseburgers and wished him a happy new year. He put the burgers in his pocket, smiled real big and said thanks. We drove off and continued our errands but we felt better because of our random act of kindness. Start your year off better, do something for someone who cannot give anything in return except a thank you.

By the way, Christopher liked the "jungle" at the Opryland Hotel the best. He had a big grin on his face walking through there and was laughing and singing while daddy sang "In The Jungle."