Michigan

We are having a great time with our friends in St. Joe, Michigan.  I love the Colp's, being here makes me remember how much fun we have always had together.  I love even more that Ella is so in love with her Mimi and Uncle David.  She has them wrapped around her little finger.  God has so been good to both of our families though even just two years ago we never would have said we would be where we are.  Transitions are hard but what comes out in the end is always better than what was there before. Refined - Gotta love that - when you can look back and see why God choose to do what He did.

"Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

LOVE THEM - BEAT BRAZIL!!!

Words and Thoughts

"May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer." Psalm 19:14

Help me today O'Father to show you in every way.  Above all may my girls look at me and realize that their mom serves a God that is life-changing.  

oh yea!

Pumped!  Dave bought me a double jogging stroller and it just got here.  I can't wait to put it together.

Man, I love this girl.  Even though I sometimes feel like she never listens, she always thinks she knows best, and she wakes me up EVERY night in the middle of the night by crawling in my bed.  Today was just one of those perfect days where you get to stay home all day, everyone in their jammies, without anything to worry about.  

Psalm 37:4, "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."

GAP

Went to the Gap Outlet today.  Bri needed pants before she left for college.  Man, I can't believe she is going to be a Freshman in college this fall.   It seems like just yesterday she came walking into our youth center as an unsure 6th grader.  Now she is headed to Cedarville to major in Youth Ministry and minor in Women's Ministry.  Pouring into her life has been a privilege.  You think that as a Youth Pastor you are helping change these kids and then when you stop and look back over the years you realize how much they have changed you.  Bri's going to make it - even though no one would have blamed her for throwing in the towel - she overcame and set the example for the believers following behind her.  I wish I would have known the truth she knows when I was her age.   

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 

Be strong in me now o'God.  I am nothing without you.  

Gosh, today is one of those days I really miss my best friend.  

There is nothing like a best friend.  I need her even when I don't know it.  I would do anything for First Church in St. Joe, Michigan and The Vineyard to be closer together.  

God is good - even when we are apart.  

So looking forward for August 22nd!

Love you Crystal!

The Love of Christ

 layed next to my sweet baby girl last night as she drifted off to sleep.  she has an obsession of playing with my hair and humming a song each night.  Tonight instead of wishing she would hurry up so I could get back to doing all that I had to do I laid there and stared at her precious little face.  I thought about how much I loved her.  I can't even describe the intensity of my love.  It is completly all that I am and all that I have.  I would do anything for her, give up anything for her, go anywhere for her. 

This must be how God felt about His son as he watched Him.  He probably watched over his every move as he walked upon this earth.  I am sure there were times when Jesus, as a baby, was sleeping and God himself reached down and touched his precious little face.  Each time Jesus fell down and hurt himself God the Father probably wanted to pick Him up and comfort him, let him know that it was going to be okay.  I am sure that as Jesus was taken before Pilot and handed over to be beaten and crucified He wanted to intervene and take the beating for His son.  Each time they slashed his back, God himself, fliched back in horror as He watched His only Son go through this terrible event. 

Imagine how much God loved His son.  Now, imagine how much God loves us.  He loved us so much that He gave up his only son.  He sacrificed His son for us.  The same son that He delighted in and cherished.  He gave him up for us.  So that we could live and have life to the fullest.  This is amazing to me because I couldn't imagine sacrificing Ella for anyone.  I just love her too much.

Thank you Father for your sacrifice.  I love you so much, you have given so much to me.  I am so unworthy of your son.  I did not deserve the precious gift that you gave.  I pray that my life is glorifying to you in all ways.

Finally

So I finally got Luke Dooley to help me figure out this whole Blogger thing (I know I stink).  I am excited to have anything other than a 3 year old and a 7 month old to share my thoughts with.  

God gave me a word yesterday.  I have been in a continual grumpy mood for the past three days.  Addy is teething and seriously I haven't slept for three nights.  It is so getting old but I continually used lack of sleep to excuse myself for grumbling and complaining about anything or everything as Dave would probably tell you.  

2 Corinthians 6:4-6 says, "Rather as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way; in great endurance, in troubles, hardships and distress, in beatings, imprisonments and riots, in hard work, sleepless nights and hungar, in purity, understanding, patience, and kindness..."

Seriously, sleepless nights is on the list.  It probably shouldn't even be there  I would rather not sleep than be beaten, put in prison or HUNGRY!  

Okay so, new outlook today - I can make it and  I will glorify God in my sleepless night.