Yeah, its as good as it sounds. Right now its going down real smooth.
We're back in Johnson City after an enlightening and moderately productive time in Beckley. I feel confident in saying that week is going to rock up there and once the word gets out, people are going to want that week. I don't think we were quite prepared for the "Appalachian Pride" that we encountered at times but it is going to end up being a great, great place with some amazing people.
We fly home tomorrow. I'm really ready to be home. Its been a long week, a lot of meetings and travel and it wears on you after a while. Its exciting to see some of the stuff the crew out here will do this summer. I won't get to be a part of these weeks but I know the groups showing up will make a difference and be blessed by what they do.
I finished Divine Nobodies last night. Solid. I'd recommend it to just about anybody. A good dose of perspective for me. I've jumped into a re-read from Giglio "I Am Not..." They are combining to give me a great deal of peace as I'm reminded just how big God is (no clue on that really) and how insignificant my piece is or can be when I am off point. It has led to some real soul searching and I trust the time of reflection and conversation and my best attempts to be still and know are for a reason.
Right now though, I'm finishing off the drink and anticipating the weekend with my family. It will be the best thing I've done in a long time.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Sunday, April 22, 2007
I Think I'm Gonna Pee My Underwear
What a weekend.
Maybe it was the good weather or maybe it was because I'd been home for a few days but it was a good, good weekend. I took Friday afternoon and we enjoyed a lunch thanks to a gift certificate from my parents and then headed to Lowe's to reinvest some of our tax return in the house.
I spent Friday evening putting up new miniblinds in the downstairs which totally changed the feel of our living room and kitchen. Later that evening our friend Nathan Davenport came by to spend the night on his way to some fundraising for PBT.
Saturday morning started early with a good book, good conversation with Nathan and some good coffee. And and Carter went on a special trip for Saturday morning donuts which thanks to Carter (no, seriously) didn't last the day. It then transpired into one of the best days I can remember in a long time. Lots of work outside, Carter and I mowing the lawn and him helping me with projects in the garage(all sorts of tasks he called "man work") with his newly purchased red and black tape measure. (His part of the tax return, the least we can do for him providing our only child deduction of the year.) It now stays in my tool box right next to daddy's tape measure.
Around lunch time, Carter and I were watching some basketball while I fed Brynn a bottle. Carter and I were finishing off the last donut when Carter asked me, "Daddy, do you know why donuts have holes?" "No" I replied. "Because God wants the to have holes." was his answer. It may not have been a conversation on justification or baptism but it was another sign of how aware of God he's becoming.
After a fulfilling day working around the house as a family, we settled down for a nice relaxing dinner. After dinner Brynn slept, Carter played his leapster and Ang and I played some cards.
Carter ended up having a bath seeing as it was church the next day. He and Ang were sitting on the couch, she was cutting his nails and I had Brynn who was falling asleep after her 5th bottle of the day. Carter was a little ticklish and he and Ang were laughing when he uttered the line of the day. "I think I'm gonna pee my underwear."
It was sometime around there that I realized that a day like that was the best thing about my life. My family, us hanging out, the fact that the joy I felt there and the fun we had was better than anything else. I also realize the more I am around our kids that they are all the beautiful things about us in their purest form. Not that Ang and I are all that beautiful (well, Ang is) but personality, little quirks, sensitive hearts, they are there. Even Brynn in her simple beauty brings a joy we were lacking before. She's at the point where she smiles and giggles, where she watches Carter wherever he goes. It's beautiful.
Carter walks around the house singing songs now. Lately its been the only line from his new Veggietales movie which simply states, "We are the pirates who don't do anything." Beautiful.
He's also learned some lessons from the Lone Stranger, he even quotes a line about how he can't do things by himself but he can do anything with God's help. I find him putting more and more things together and its intimidating but amazing.
I think my favorite moment of the day came after Carter was supposedly in bed for the night. He came back downstairs, I think he didn't like how big his t-shirt was and wanted a smaller one. I got him outfitted to his happiness and was walking out of his room when he left me with this: "Hey dad, do you know what is so cool about when I wake up tomorrow?" "Nope." "We get to go to church!!!"
Could it get any better than almost peeing your underwear and getting to go to church?
Maybe it was the good weather or maybe it was because I'd been home for a few days but it was a good, good weekend. I took Friday afternoon and we enjoyed a lunch thanks to a gift certificate from my parents and then headed to Lowe's to reinvest some of our tax return in the house.
I spent Friday evening putting up new miniblinds in the downstairs which totally changed the feel of our living room and kitchen. Later that evening our friend Nathan Davenport came by to spend the night on his way to some fundraising for PBT.
Saturday morning started early with a good book, good conversation with Nathan and some good coffee. And and Carter went on a special trip for Saturday morning donuts which thanks to Carter (no, seriously) didn't last the day. It then transpired into one of the best days I can remember in a long time. Lots of work outside, Carter and I mowing the lawn and him helping me with projects in the garage(all sorts of tasks he called "man work") with his newly purchased red and black tape measure. (His part of the tax return, the least we can do for him providing our only child deduction of the year.) It now stays in my tool box right next to daddy's tape measure.
Around lunch time, Carter and I were watching some basketball while I fed Brynn a bottle. Carter and I were finishing off the last donut when Carter asked me, "Daddy, do you know why donuts have holes?" "No" I replied. "Because God wants the to have holes." was his answer. It may not have been a conversation on justification or baptism but it was another sign of how aware of God he's becoming.
After a fulfilling day working around the house as a family, we settled down for a nice relaxing dinner. After dinner Brynn slept, Carter played his leapster and Ang and I played some cards.
Carter ended up having a bath seeing as it was church the next day. He and Ang were sitting on the couch, she was cutting his nails and I had Brynn who was falling asleep after her 5th bottle of the day. Carter was a little ticklish and he and Ang were laughing when he uttered the line of the day. "I think I'm gonna pee my underwear."
It was sometime around there that I realized that a day like that was the best thing about my life. My family, us hanging out, the fact that the joy I felt there and the fun we had was better than anything else. I also realize the more I am around our kids that they are all the beautiful things about us in their purest form. Not that Ang and I are all that beautiful (well, Ang is) but personality, little quirks, sensitive hearts, they are there. Even Brynn in her simple beauty brings a joy we were lacking before. She's at the point where she smiles and giggles, where she watches Carter wherever he goes. It's beautiful.
Carter walks around the house singing songs now. Lately its been the only line from his new Veggietales movie which simply states, "We are the pirates who don't do anything." Beautiful.
He's also learned some lessons from the Lone Stranger, he even quotes a line about how he can't do things by himself but he can do anything with God's help. I find him putting more and more things together and its intimidating but amazing.
I think my favorite moment of the day came after Carter was supposedly in bed for the night. He came back downstairs, I think he didn't like how big his t-shirt was and wanted a smaller one. I got him outfitted to his happiness and was walking out of his room when he left me with this: "Hey dad, do you know what is so cool about when I wake up tomorrow?" "Nope." "We get to go to church!!!"
Could it get any better than almost peeing your underwear and getting to go to church?
Friday, April 20, 2007
Nothing Substantial Here
Currently Listening To: Mat Kearney: Acoustic EP
I had Starbucks with 2 youth ministers yesterday.
Just that statement fills me with joy.
I really, really like youth ministry. I believe in it.
We need more people who will step up and be great youth leaders. We don’t need more lazy ones who live for events. We don’t need programmers. We need people who minister to and with youth.
I finished my reread of Velvet Elvis last night. I think I enjoyed it more and found better stuff the second time around. I found more I disagreed with and some thoughts that I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around but I like nonetheless.
Here are a couple lines that I’ve been chewing on for the past 24 hours.
“Missions is less about the transportation of God from one place to another and more about the identification of a God who is already there.”
“Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God has made you to be and anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it.”
This has been a nerve wracking time for me. I hate the registration deadline. I know it’s not all about the numbers but I find myself tying my self worth and ego to how many people like Know Sweat. Some of it is a frustration to me when I sit in people’s living rooms and want to help them but don’t know if enough people will sign up that we can help them.
We were talking in the office the other day about ego. Ego sucks. How we allow ourselves to take the wrong things personally, how we worry so much more about what other people think than even what God thinks. Forget that, we worry more about others than what our spouse might tell us at times.
And somewhere in all this rippling of life, I was reading about a peace that transcends understanding. And I liked that thought.
I started a new book last night that comes recommended from my buddy Wilson. I find that if he recommends a book or a CD, it is usually worth my time. I’ll put it this way, I can’t remember a time he told me to check something out and after doing so I thought I should send him a flaming bag of poo.
It’s about shedding religion to find God.
I’m finding a tension between two thoughts. One is all about numbers. The other is all about maintenance and status quo. Materialism and maintenance. Maybe that is too harsh. I find it in my own personal life.
I have 5 things in my Moleskine right now that are written under the heading “thoughts to explore”. One of them is the last 10 minutes of a sermon I heard recently while I was traveling. One of them is this idea that “perfect love casts out fear.” Actually, that isn’t an idea it’s I John 4:18 which means I need to do more than think about it. I’ve been fascinated by this word fear. What do we really fear and what is fear really all about. And in the midst of this is the challenge of Philippians to live up to what we’ve already attained. Being holy namely.
Right now I’m watching a squirrel dig up my grass. Actually he’s either looking for where he buried nuts last fall or he’s burying some. The way he is acting, I’d say he’s hungry and a little TO’d because he can’t remember where he buried dinner for Thursday night.
I wonder what it would be like to bury nourishment all over the place and then be able to go dig it up when I needed it.
I had Starbucks with 2 youth ministers yesterday.
Just that statement fills me with joy.
I really, really like youth ministry. I believe in it.
We need more people who will step up and be great youth leaders. We don’t need more lazy ones who live for events. We don’t need programmers. We need people who minister to and with youth.
I finished my reread of Velvet Elvis last night. I think I enjoyed it more and found better stuff the second time around. I found more I disagreed with and some thoughts that I couldn’t quite wrap my mind around but I like nonetheless.
Here are a couple lines that I’ve been chewing on for the past 24 hours.
“Missions is less about the transportation of God from one place to another and more about the identification of a God who is already there.”
“Your job is the relentless pursuit of who God has made you to be and anything else you do is sin and you need to repent of it.”
This has been a nerve wracking time for me. I hate the registration deadline. I know it’s not all about the numbers but I find myself tying my self worth and ego to how many people like Know Sweat. Some of it is a frustration to me when I sit in people’s living rooms and want to help them but don’t know if enough people will sign up that we can help them.
We were talking in the office the other day about ego. Ego sucks. How we allow ourselves to take the wrong things personally, how we worry so much more about what other people think than even what God thinks. Forget that, we worry more about others than what our spouse might tell us at times.
And somewhere in all this rippling of life, I was reading about a peace that transcends understanding. And I liked that thought.
I started a new book last night that comes recommended from my buddy Wilson. I find that if he recommends a book or a CD, it is usually worth my time. I’ll put it this way, I can’t remember a time he told me to check something out and after doing so I thought I should send him a flaming bag of poo.
It’s about shedding religion to find God.
I’m finding a tension between two thoughts. One is all about numbers. The other is all about maintenance and status quo. Materialism and maintenance. Maybe that is too harsh. I find it in my own personal life.
I have 5 things in my Moleskine right now that are written under the heading “thoughts to explore”. One of them is the last 10 minutes of a sermon I heard recently while I was traveling. One of them is this idea that “perfect love casts out fear.” Actually, that isn’t an idea it’s I John 4:18 which means I need to do more than think about it. I’ve been fascinated by this word fear. What do we really fear and what is fear really all about. And in the midst of this is the challenge of Philippians to live up to what we’ve already attained. Being holy namely.
Right now I’m watching a squirrel dig up my grass. Actually he’s either looking for where he buried nuts last fall or he’s burying some. The way he is acting, I’d say he’s hungry and a little TO’d because he can’t remember where he buried dinner for Thursday night.
I wonder what it would be like to bury nourishment all over the place and then be able to go dig it up when I needed it.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
A 100 Calorie Post
Okay, okay, I know it is time for something substantial. I continue to put out these posts that give you enough that you feel like you read something but nothing that really seems quite worth the time and leaves you wanting more. I vow to leave something of significance at least to me by the end of the week. In the meantime here are a few things I think you should hear.
Last week I was off doing some set up for the St. Louis week. A week I might add that I think is going to be a phenomenal one. Anyway, in the midst of the days I/we had the opportunity to stop at a couple Starbucks. Now, I have to admit to you that one of my favorite things to do at a Starbucks besides order drinks is to check out their bathrooms. Almost every Starbucks out there has a unique bathroom. A lot will use tile, some will have some cool material on the wall, they are always a little dark and mysterious but in a clean way and they always leave me wishing I could go home and renovate a bathroom in our house using the bold colors and free spirited design. Alas, Starbucks is no longer doing this with new locations. They now all come boring with white and beige tiles and paint. The stink. I hope it is not a sign of the new Starbucks. My friends in Quincy tell me they are getting a Starbucks and my hope for them is a colorful and unique bathroom that inspires and doesn’t disappoint or look like a gallon of steamed milk exploded all over the walls.
That may be too violent of a phrase to use when speaking of a bathroom.
On an unrelated note I had an amazing evening that began with sidewalk chalk and coloring on our driveway with the entire family. Ang is such a good mom and amazing wife and little Carter and her drew the CRV with our whole family in it, each color coded to their name written on the sidewalk. The middle of the night was a little disappointing as the unthinkable happened, Pujols up with the bases loaded, 2 outs in the ninth and the Cards down by one. Yeah, that’s not how I remember that playing out.
The Pirates?
We are 1-5 at home this year?
Brynn had a doctors appointment last week. She’s in the 97th percentile of weight—13lbs 1oz. She’s smiling and eating like a little hoss. I can’t wait to see those chubby legs hanging out of shorts this summer. I do fear that Ang and I will develop chronic back problems from carrying her though.
That is all for now. Enjoy the 100 calories.
Last week I was off doing some set up for the St. Louis week. A week I might add that I think is going to be a phenomenal one. Anyway, in the midst of the days I/we had the opportunity to stop at a couple Starbucks. Now, I have to admit to you that one of my favorite things to do at a Starbucks besides order drinks is to check out their bathrooms. Almost every Starbucks out there has a unique bathroom. A lot will use tile, some will have some cool material on the wall, they are always a little dark and mysterious but in a clean way and they always leave me wishing I could go home and renovate a bathroom in our house using the bold colors and free spirited design. Alas, Starbucks is no longer doing this with new locations. They now all come boring with white and beige tiles and paint. The stink. I hope it is not a sign of the new Starbucks. My friends in Quincy tell me they are getting a Starbucks and my hope for them is a colorful and unique bathroom that inspires and doesn’t disappoint or look like a gallon of steamed milk exploded all over the walls.
That may be too violent of a phrase to use when speaking of a bathroom.
On an unrelated note I had an amazing evening that began with sidewalk chalk and coloring on our driveway with the entire family. Ang is such a good mom and amazing wife and little Carter and her drew the CRV with our whole family in it, each color coded to their name written on the sidewalk. The middle of the night was a little disappointing as the unthinkable happened, Pujols up with the bases loaded, 2 outs in the ninth and the Cards down by one. Yeah, that’s not how I remember that playing out.
The Pirates?
We are 1-5 at home this year?
Brynn had a doctors appointment last week. She’s in the 97th percentile of weight—13lbs 1oz. She’s smiling and eating like a little hoss. I can’t wait to see those chubby legs hanging out of shorts this summer. I do fear that Ang and I will develop chronic back problems from carrying her though.
That is all for now. Enjoy the 100 calories.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Ahh, Baseball
I'm wondering where spring is.
I'm settling nicely into a routine of watching baseball each night. I am such a junkie for this stuff. Currently I'm watching young Felix Rodriguez chuck a no-no in Fenway. I love this.
This week I'm in St. Louis doing set up for the summer. No, the Cardinals are not in town so I'll not be heading down to Busch anytime during this trip.
So, not much to update here, just feel like you need to hear from me. For pictures of the family head over to the lovely Angela's blog.
Other than that, I've moved to a new drink at Starbucks. Cafe con leche with soy. Big fan, better than milk.
I currently reside in first place as I defend my title in the White Castle Sportsmans Association.
I'm finishing re-reading Velvet Elvis and finding it better than the first time.
I wanting to buy the new Nooma's I don't possess.
I'm anxious to find out about my taxes. So is Ang.
Enjoy your Wednesday, it's time to see who's getting voted off American Idol.
I'm settling nicely into a routine of watching baseball each night. I am such a junkie for this stuff. Currently I'm watching young Felix Rodriguez chuck a no-no in Fenway. I love this.
This week I'm in St. Louis doing set up for the summer. No, the Cardinals are not in town so I'll not be heading down to Busch anytime during this trip.
So, not much to update here, just feel like you need to hear from me. For pictures of the family head over to the lovely Angela's blog.
Other than that, I've moved to a new drink at Starbucks. Cafe con leche with soy. Big fan, better than milk.
I currently reside in first place as I defend my title in the White Castle Sportsmans Association.
I'm finishing re-reading Velvet Elvis and finding it better than the first time.
I wanting to buy the new Nooma's I don't possess.
I'm anxious to find out about my taxes. So is Ang.
Enjoy your Wednesday, it's time to see who's getting voted off American Idol.
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