Inside My Head

Living is a House Full of Girls

2011-09-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

So it has been way too long since I have written an update on my two beautiful daughters. It dawned on me when I was trying to get out the door to work today and Lily was being held by Kasey, but was really fussy. Finally, Kasey put her down and she crawled across the room to me and looked up at me with those, "Pick me up" eyes. I held her and she was happy as could be. She just wanted daddy to hold her before heading off to work.

Lily is 9 months today. She is crawling all over the house and is really starting to interact with the world. She even has started saying a syllable of things like "Bah" for ball, "Dah" for dog, and "Oo" for shoe. And Kasey tells me she said "Daddy" today. She points at things she notices or wants to know more about. Probably the cutest thing she does is dance to music which mainly consists of head-bobbing. She even dances to her own music when she is excited about things or just for fun. She loves her bath, the beach, and babies. She kisses all of her baby dolls with the sweetest open mouth, slobbery kiss she can do. When we are lucky, she will give us those kisses as well. Kasey tells me she is really into boys already. At storytime at the library and at the splash park, she goes crazy pointing and yelling at different boys without paying attention to the girls. She loves to do "Row row row your boat" with Elly while riding in our wagon. Her favorite food is banana. If you try to give her just half a banana, she will scream until you give her the other half.

Elly is now 2 years and 3 months and tries her best to run the show. She has her imaginary friends Barney, BJ, and Baby Bop, and girl, and boy. She even tries to use these friends to help her in her schemes. Like when we are putting her to bed, she sends Barney downstairs and tells us we have to go get Barney. Since she is a social butterfly, she is definitely ready for school already. When people ask her how old she is, she says, "Two...soon I'll be 5. Then I can go to school." Elly and Lily love to be in the bath together and have so much fun. Not too long ago, Elly was waiting to get in the bath and Lily was in her plastic tub. To make more room, I put Lily in the big tub and dumped the water out of her tub into the big tub. Some of the water poured on Lily, which prompted Elly to start clapping and yelling "Yayy!!!!!!! Lily got baptized!!!"

Since Elly is her mother's daugther, she is extremely picky with food. If it was up to her, she would just eat pizza, chicken nuggets, and cheese. When something she doesn't like is put in front of her she will often ask for ketchup or peanut butter to put on it, and then proceed to lick off the ketchup or peanut butter without actually eating the food. She has mastered riding her bike with training wheels so that it is even hard to keep up with her now. Every night we sing songs and pray. We love praying with her, because we get lots of laughs and great insights into her little head. One time she prayed, "Thank you that I did not eat my brocolli." and another time she prayed "Thank you God that I get to go to school one day...school one day...school one day." (Mary had a little lamb) Also, she has started wanting to have "Bible study" with us during the day. She gets one of her little bibles and we have another one of her bibles. We then read the stories. When we get through the Bible, she says, "Now we talk." She apparently picked this up from going to women's bible study with mommy the first week when child care was not set up yet.

My other beautiful girl, Kasey, is becoming a master chef. She recently made homemade chocolate, peanut butter icecream that proved God loves us. Needless to say, life is always exciting around here. Never a dull moment in my house full of girls.

Happy Father's Day

2011-06-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

This Father's Day post is a day early since we will be traveling tomorrow.

Many people are blessed right now to have their biological father in their lives. I was blessed to have my father, David, in my life for 17 years. During those years he was my example and taught me so many things. Especially about how to love God, love your family, and love your wife. What a gift to have a dad who loved my mom so much. He also taught me about discipline and hard work, how to laugh and how to play. I will always have fond memories of and lessons from my dad. Similarly, my wife Kasey lost her father at an early age. The loss of our fathers was one of the first things that drew Kasey and I together.

But there are two other men now in my family who we now call father who we are also blessed to have in our lives. These two men, Rector and Gary, though they already had children of their own, fell in love with my mom and Kasey's mom and became fathers to the both of us. After a few years after my dad passed away, I prayed that God would send a loving, Christian man into my mom's life so that she would not be alone, who would love her as Christ loved the church just as my dad had. And God answered that prayer when Rector came into her life. I thank God for the joy, love, and leadership that he brought to her. Similarly, Kasey's mom lost her husband and Kasey was left without a father in her life. But I am so glad that Gary came into her life, a loving, Christian man who provided love, joy, and leadership for her family. Both of us feel so blessed that our mom's have that special person in their lives to share the rest of their lives with. To share in the good times and bad, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer. And as memories sometimes fade of our dad's love, we have a living example of how to love your wife and family. Thank you Rector and Gary for loving our moms. What a blessing!!

And thank you for being a father to us when we had lost our own. Thank you for loving us just like your own. For being there for us for anything that we need. For being a listening ear and source of wisdom and advice. For providing Godly leadership for our families. For showing us an example of lifelong growth through the reading of God's word. For being like our heavenly Father and adopting us to be your own. We thank you for coming in and taking over a role that every person needs. You have filled an empty space in our lives. Elly and Lily are so lucky to have a special Grandad and Grandpa that they would not otherwise have had. You have brought joy into our lives and are answers to prayer. We are so grateful to have someone to tell, Happy Father's Day. So...Happy Father's Day.

Life and a Radical Commitment

2011-05-24T18:12:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have written, so I thought I would just write an update on life. Elly is now almost two and is such a joy. She just talks and sings songs non-stop all day long. Her laugh and smile is precious. She is really into "running fast" lately as well, which I think she is picking up from the boys at church. Lily is now 5 months old and is growing so big. At the rate she is growing, she will catch Elly by the time she is a year old. She is now into rolling and looks like she will be crawling in no time. It is interesting how different her and Elly's personalities are even at such an early age. Lily seems like she is going to have a more shy, quiet personality like her dad, while Elly is more outgoing and loud.

As for Kasey and I, it is hard to know where to start. I will just say that God is good. God has been taking us on a journey that only time will tell where it leads. We have been learning that though we have both grown up in Christian homes, in a lot of ways we have missed the point. In many ways, our lives have looked no different from the culture around us. Though this is prevalent in American Christians, we are trying to start living differently. We recently read the book Radical: Taking Back your Faith from the American Dream, by David Platt, which has made a big impact on us. Mainly because it sheds light on the global mission of spreading the gospel and how often the church in America is just focused on ourselves and how our lives are often not much different from the culture.

At the end of the book, it provides a one year challenge which we are participating in and would appreciate your prayers that this would be a life-changing year for us which I believe it already has been and it has only begun. One of the things that we are doing is sacrificing every possible dollar in order to to spend it on specific, urgent spiritual and physical need in the world. For us, this means not spending money on things we would normally spend money on such as eating out, eating desserts, entertainment, etc. Also, we hope to go on a mission trip to another country at the end of the one year so please be praying about where we will go and that the Lord will use us to spread his glory.

Also, I thought I would mention this because I would not want this to ever come as a surprise to anyone. But Kasey and I have discussed eventually moving our family to another country for a year or so in order to spend time in another culture. And we could even see ourselves becoming missionaries for longer than that if that is where we are lead by God. Of course, this is very new discussion for us, but we have finally reached the point to where we will follow God no matter where that takes us. So please be in prayer for our family as we seek to be lead by the Spirit. We are trying to be all about spreading the Love.

Facebook Success!

2011-03-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

We recently watched "The Social Network" about the beginning of Facebook which was incredibly interesting to me. Then just this week, because of the new messaging system that Kasey got on Facebook which allows you to see all the messages you have ever sent to someone, we stumbled across the first messages that Kasey and I ever sent to each other.

This night in 2005 I had seen Kasey in the library and she was looking for a disk. I helped be her lookout man while she went behind the counter to see if anyone had turned it in or something like that. Thus leading to our first Facebook exchanges. And here they are for your viewing pleasure. :)

Kasey (Sept 22, 2005): the disk was not mine :( Today was not my day.

Darin (Sept 22, 2005): Man, that stinks that it wasnt your disk. And after all that trouble I went to to be the lookout man. :) Well, I hope your day goes better today. Also, if you arent busy on Saturday night I was wondering if you might want to go do something. I would ask you in person but I dont have your number and figured I probably wouldnt see you again before then and I would get real embarassed at your house. Well, just let me know. Talk to you later.

Darin

P.S - I'm not gonna lie, it feels really weird asking someone out on facebook.

Kasey (Sept 23, 2005): I'm game for saturday. Even though it is really lame to ask someone out on facebook, jk. I am actually in marching band, cool I know, so I have to play at the football game saturday. I should be done around 6 or so. My cell phone # is 386-334-6829

Kasey

And thus was the start of our dating relationship. Now almost 6 years and two kids later, I am glad I was not afraid to sink as low as asking someone out on Facebook. Thank you Mark Zuckerberg!

The Love Family Christmas Letter 2010: Doing Christmas a Little Differently This Year

2010-12-07T18:35:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! What a wonderful time of year as we get the opportunity to celebrate our Savior entering the world. I am so glad he came! I know that it is only through Jesus Christ that we find true peace and joy in this life and the one to come. 2010 had been such a tremendous year of blessing for the Love family. Darin got a new job working as an accountant for Wyndham Vacation Ownership. We were able to take full advantage of the home buyer’s tax credit by purchasing our very first home! We have continued to be amazed at watching Elliana grow and develop. She is such a blessing from the Lord. She is 18 months and talking up a storm. She is very much a daddy’s girl which will be very helpful in the near future when baby sister arrives. She loves to be outside and is incredibly social. She cannot stand to be at home when there are people to see and places to go!

As you all know, we are expecting our second precious little girl any day now. The due date is December 18, but of course the baby does not know that. She will come whenever she is ready. Having a baby at this time of year has caused us to do Christmas a little bit differently this year. I like to think we are doing a “mild” version of Christmas. We have very few plans. The key word is flexibility. As far as gifts go I should go ahead and let you know that my gift to the world this year is giving birth! This has caused me to really stop and think about what is most important during the holiday season. It also has made me have to decide what are the things our family could just do without this year? Obviously we are limited on both time and money this year with our new addition arriving shortly. First of all, I realized that our house only having a few decorations put up (less to take down!) including our Christmas tree that stands a proud 12 inches is ok. Secondly, we really are not buying the traditional gifts for family and friends, most of whom have already expressed their understanding in this area. Lastly, we are just taking things slow and simple. Our focus has shifted a little. Darin and I have been convicted that what matters most at this time of year is how we can be a blessing to those around us who need it the most. We are looking for every opportunity to give and show love to those who are poor, lonely, and hurting. The holidays can be so painful and difficult for so many who are struggling.

So, I end this year’s Christmas Letter with a challenge to anyone who reads it. Find as many ways as you can to show God’s love to those who need it most this Holiday Season and don’t get too caught up in all the other “small stuff” that can so easily distract us and cause us stress.

We look forward to sharing the news of our baby girl’s arrival with you very soon!

Grace and Peace to All of You,
Darin, Kasey, and Elliana Love

Elliana Update

2010-09-08T18:28:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to take the time share about my precious daughter Elliana. She is now 14 months old and is practically a big girl. I may be biased but I do not think there could be a cuter baby. (Until our next one gets here and then she may be just as cute) But I have never seen anyone who can make more people smile than she can. She says "Hi" to just about everyone she sees at least once and sometimes many, many times. The younger children at church flock to her like she is Mickey Mouse. In fact, she is sometimes overwhelmed by the number of children trying to give her hugs and kisses. (I hope this is not a sign for things to come.) But she is very social and loves to be around other people. She is always the happiest when she is out seeing new people or new things.

Her vocabulary is increasing more and more every day. And she probably understands most things we say at this point which is amazing to me. Some of her favorite words right now are eat, more, happy, hi, bye, shoes, outside, momma, dog, baby, phone, toast, cheese, and thank you. She loves to read books! It is the cutest thing reading to her at nightime right now. She wants to know what all the pictures are and loves to make animal noises. Her favorite to do are "Moooooo!!!", and "Roarrrrrrr!!!", and "Ooo Ooo Ahh Ahh" She also loves when we do "Cocka-doodle doo". One of her favorite songs is the Old McDonald song. She loves to dance to that song as she does to most music in general.

She also loves animals. She knows a lot of animals from her Baby Einstein videos. We just took her to Animal Kingdom and she had a ball. Some of the first animals we saw were monkeys. I said, "Look Elliana, monkeys!" To which she replied, "Ooo Ooo Ahh Ahh". What a little monkey. She also recognized a lot of the animals. When we saw the Giraffes on the safari she said, "Raff!!" and also said "Elephuh" when we saw the elephants. I am continually amazed at how well she observes and takes things in.

She does not stop for a minute. She is has to be doing something whether it be building towers out of plastic containers and saying, "Tada!" (This is one of her recent accomplishments that she does on top of the stool.) or reading books, or throwing balls across the kitchen. Even though Elliana was a tough baby because she would never stop for a minute, it is awesome seeing how that was just who she is.

One of her happiest hours of the day is right before bedtime. She loves to play right before bedtime and then read books. Then she gives us kisses. Lately, right after she finishes giving kisses she has started going, "Jeee Jeee". At first I thought, "Why is she saying cheese?", but Kasey realized that she is actually trying to start Jesus Loves Me. She knows that right after she gives kisses I start singing Jesus Loves Me and so she now starts it by herself when she knows it is time. So cute. Then when I lay her down in her crib she will just lay there on her back until I finish praying. Once I say Amen, she says, "Night night" and rolls over and goes to sleep. Precious times, precious memories. I will be surprised if anyone else has read this far, but I know I will enjoy reading this later on in life.

Christianity and Aliens and Foreigners

2010-06-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

Recently in the news there has been a lot of discussion about immigration and border control, etc. A lots of jokes have been made and very hurtful things have been said about foreigners living in our land. And the sad thing is a lot of these things are being said by people who claim to be Christians. Recently, we have heard things and have seen things posted on Facebook and been forwarded emails that have said things that are portraying ideas that are in opposition to what the Bible teaches. So it has been on Kasey and my heart to write this post discussing the Christian response to foreigners living among us. This is something that we did not think about much before it was brought to our attention by another sister in Christ. It became very close to Kasey's heart when she worked with students in Fort Worth schools. Several of the children and their families that Kasey worked with were undocumented residents . Once she put faces with the discussion instead of just having the stereotypes that we tend to have, it gave her a whole different outlook.

Here are a few verses to start the discussion:

Exodus 22:21"Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.

Leviticus 19:33" 'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him

Leviticus 19:34The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 23:22" 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'

Leviticus 25:35" 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you.

Deuteronomy 10:18He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing.

Deuteronomy 24:19When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands.

Deuteronomy 26:12When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.

Psalm 146:9The LORD watches over the alien and sustains the fatherless and the widow, but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

Jeremiah 22:3This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.

Ezekiel 47:22You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.

Zechariah 7:10Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'

Malachi 3:5"So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me," says the LORD Almighty.

Philippians 3:20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Hebrews 11 : 13-16
13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth. 14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

A lot of times in the Bible, the foreigner and alien is listed along with the poor and the widows. For most of the time they are in the same category. These are people who have left their land looking for something better, just as it discusses in Hebrews. They did not leave lives of luxury and peace to come live in America. They probably left lives of extreme poverty and severe injustice and mistreatment. They may have come here so that there children might have food or so that they might escape a life of living in a tent or shack. And even in America, most of them live lives that most people would not want to live. They live in the parts of town a lot of people won't go to, in houses that would be considered unliveable by a lot of people.

And according to the Bible, God has a heart for people such as these. Though most of these verses are from the Old Testament, the New Testament is full of verses talking about helping the poor. These are the very people that Jesus and his disciples wanted to help. For we are not any better than immigrants. We just happened to be born in America instead of another country. Why does that give us a right to mistreat those who were not born in this country?

A lot of Christians try to say, "Well they should just try to come into this country legally." As if that is an easy thing to do. I am doing Friendspeak right now with a man from Columbia where I use the Bible to teach him English. He has been trying to get his papers for 6 months now with help from a lawyer and for some reason he has been unable to get them. So he cannot work. He lives with his sister who is a citizen and owns a business here in Orlando. But since the U.S will not give him his papers he may have to move to Canada. Its obvious to me from the news that the U.S is probably not just handing out citizenship very easily.

Another thing Christians say is, "They receive our benefits but do not pay taxes." Actually, they probably pay just as much taxes as they would if they were a citizen. They pay sales tax on everything they buy. Most of them probably rent so there is no property tax. And the majority probably do not make enough money to owe any income taxes anyway.

But these are not the kinds of arguments that Christians should be making, because we are called to be different. What Christians say and do will not make sense to those in this world. For we are called to love and care for people such as these. When we know an immigrant among us, our love and compassion will compel us to reach out to them and invite them in. To share of our wealth and the things that God has made us stewards over. For we know that God loves all people, no matter where they happened to be born. What an amazing blessing to have been born and raised in this country, so that we have more to give and more opportunity to help people who do not have as much. Especially those who do not have food, shelter, or clothing.

If we as Christians do not have an attitude that is different from our nation, then we will not be doing what God has called us to do. For even though it is said to be, America is not a Christian nation. America seems to worship money and security more than God. And besides, our allegiance does not fall under this country anyway, for our citizenship is in heaven and we long for a better country, a heavenly one.

My Brother Seth

2010-02-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

I've been thanking God a lot lately for my brother-in-law Seth. When we moved into our house a couple of weeks ago, he did a lot of stuff for us. He changed the locks, installed a shelf in our closet, fixed the door handle on our back door, and many other tasks. He brought smiles to people's faces throughout the day. Every time I start my water distiller now and read "Avoid steamhurt", I hear Seth talking like a caveman. Then last week, he was able to get in contact with my nephew when nobody else could. So we have been very blessed to have Seth around lately.

But this weekend, Seth had something happen to him in which his skull was fractured causing it to protrude into his brain. The doctors said it was very serious and he is lucky to be alive. He had to go into emergency brain surgery and have four plates put into his head. As soon as we found out the news, we alerted everyone we could think of to start praying. And it was amazing the amount of people who responded in such a short time saying they were praying for Seth. I counted at least 16 people who responded in a very short time with a message of encouragement and saying they were praying for him. This doesn't even include the number of people who were praying for him without telling us. For sure, his whole family was praying without ceasing as even my sleeping was full of dreams and prayers for Seth.

The good news is the surgery went well. Right now the doctor feels that is was a successful surgery and there should not be any swelling of the brain. What an amazing testament to prayer working!! I want to thank anyone who is reading this who was in prayer for Seth. But even more than showing the power of prayer, I have a great feeling of the testimony that this will hopefully be for Seth. For what it tells me is that God is not through with Seth yet. In the few short years I have known Seth, he has been in life threatening situations twice. Both times having to be sent to another hospital because of its seriousness. The previous incident was a diving incident in which he had to be put in a pressure chamber. Both times he has survived. This tells me God has a purpose for Seth and is not ready to welcome him home just yet no matter what may happen to him. With the seriousness of the two accidents, his purpose must be something great. I can only imagine how good his testimony will be when in "in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

The hard part for Seth is not done. He is in a lot of pain right now. Because of other factors in his life, the painkillers are not effective and he has a long way to go before the pain will be over. But my prayer now is this. That this will be a major turning point in his life. That though God did not cause this incident, He will use it for good. Just like the refiner's fire, that this pain and experience will strenghthen Seth like nothing else could. That he will realize that if he could get through this with the help of God and the numerous amounts of prayer going up for him, that he can get through anything. (Philippians 4:13) And he will know without a doubt that God has a purpose for his life ahead of him. That he will have hope and realize what a strong testimony he will have to share with others when its all over. I look forward to seeing the hand of God at work.

And while I am writing about miracles and the hand of God at work, the whole time I have been writing this I am home alone with Elliana and she has been quietly playing with her toys. If you know Elliana, thats saying something.

Please continue to lift up prayers for Seth. For he still has more pain and battles ahead of him. But as a warrior of God, he can know that God will give him strength. And when he feels like he can't hold up his arms any longer, we will be there to support him. (Exodus 17:8-16) Thanks for your prayers.

Its Been a While

2010-02-23T16:07:00.000-08:00

So it has been quite a while since my last post and lots has changed since then. So I thought I would just sit down and write about what is going on in the household of Love.

As I am writing Elliana is talking away. "Ah bah bah bah. Ah bah bah bah, deahah." She is such a social baby and loves to talk all the time. She loves to make people smile and will just look at them and smile until they smile back. She is the entertainer of the nursery. They will put her in her exersaucer and then sit the other kids in Bumbos all around her and let her put on a show. Every time she is around other children she just laughs and screams and flails her arms with excitement. She has recently learned that she can clap her hands. She now claps for herself for almost everything she does.

Another one of her favorite pasttimes is to pull herself up in her crib and then let go and fall down. Then repeat. She can have fun doing this for long periods time. She hasn't yet mastered the art of crawling. She can crawl backwards but is more interested in standing up then she is crawling. She likes to pull herself up on things and then push away to see how long she can balance. I may be biased but she is the cutest baby in the whole world.

In other news, we are settling nicely into our new house. Yes, its true. We are homeowners. We were blessed to have so much help from family and friends to make the move go really smoothly. Now we have tons of projects and chores to keep us busy. I am also really enjoying my new job at Wyndham. Kasey is thrilled to hear me be excited about my job and tell her all about my day. I actually get to come home and eat dinner and spend the evening at home. Yay!!! I even had time to write this short blog. I hope everything is going well with everyone. Peace.

Random Thoughts

2009-09-29T13:31:00.000-07:00

• I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

• Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out.

• How are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

• I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

• Was learning cursive really necessary?

While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

• I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

• MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

• Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get dirty, and you can wear them forever.

• If Carmen San Diego and Waldo ever got together, their offspring would probably just be completely invisible.

• "Do no t machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this ever.

• I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV… there's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

• I wonder if cops ever get mad at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

Daddy's Hands

2009-09-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

I have always loved the song titled Daddy's Hands but since our precious daughter Elliana was born it has brought a whole new meaning to me. I hope that she will always know and remember the love in my hands. Here are the lyrics:

I remember Daddy´s hands, folded silently in prayer.
And reaching out to hold me, when I had a nightmare.
You could read quite a story, in the callouses and lines.
Years of work and worry had left their mark behind.

I remember Daddy´s hands, how they held my Mama tight,
And patted my back, for something done right.
There are things that I´ve forgotten, that I loved about the man,
But I´ll always remember the love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I´ve come to understand.
There was always love in Daddy´s hands.

I remember Daddy´s hands, working 'til they bled.
Sacrificed unselfishly, just to keep us all fed.
If I could do things over, I´d live my life again.
And never take for granted the love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I´ve come to understand.
There was always love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I´ve come to understand.
There was always love...In Daddy´s hands.

I hope Elliana has plenty of good memories about Daddy's hands as she grows up. I will share one now that she won't remember. We were getting her ready for her bath tonight so I took off her onesie but left her diaper on as I carried her to the kitchen. We always leave her diaper on until right before she gets in her bath just in case. So when I got to the kitchen I held her as Kasey took off her diaper. I then put my hand under her bottom to lift her into her tub. Then...Pghhppppssspghghghghghhhpppp. Yes I will always remember...when she pooped in Daddy's hands.

Letter to the President

2009-05-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been super convicted about how the abortion laws need to be changed and I felt compelled to write a letter to the President (though I don't really think it would ever be seen by the President). But, why not? What have I got to lose? So I wrote this letter. I haven't sent it yet but I am thinking about it.

Dear Mr. President,

During the time that you ran for office, I heard many comparisons between you and Abraham Lincoln for various reasons. I hope that you can live up to these comparisons, but in light of a certain comparison that I have not heard before. Lincoln was president in a time in which there were two sides of an important moral issue. The country was divided over a landowner’s right to own slaves. Though this was very much a hot topic at the time, we can all see now that viewing a slave as less of a person and taking away their rights because slaveowners felt that they had the right to, was not morally correct.

You also have become president at a time in which the country is divided on an important moral issue. The country is divided at this point in time on a mother’s right to end the life of her baby. Though this is very much a hot topic as of now, I hope that one day our children and grandchildren will look back on our country’s history and wonder how we could have possibly had a law that saw unborn babies as less of a person and felt that we could take away their right to live because some mothers thought they should have the right to.

In the case of owning slaves, the correct moral decision won out, and I pray that in this case it will too. But I am afraid that God is being taken out of our country, and thus our country may not ever make the correct moral decision for whatever reason. Just as you may not have ever been able to become President had the law not changed, many unborn babies may not ever be able to put their mark on the world if the law does not change.

Though I have always been opposed to abortion, my recent experiences are what has prompted me to write this letter. For in a few days or weeks, my first child will be born. It was at approximately nine weeks into my wife’s pregnancy that my views about this issue became so much stronger. In week nine of the pregnancy, I was able to look at an ultrasound of my precious girl. We could see her wiggling her little arms and legs and her heart beating and it was the most amazing thing in the world. Considering the fact that you have two daughters yourself, I assume that you too have had this experience. To deny that there is a life inside the mother at that point would be a slap in the face of the God who created that life inside of her. For I am a firm believer that God loves all the people he creates from the moment he creates them.

I agree with Byron White in his Roe vs. Wade dissenting opinion that “I cannot accept the Court's exercise of its clear power of choice by interposing a constitutional barrier to state efforts to protect human life and by investing mothers and doctors with the constitutionally protected right to exterminate it.” I really don’t understand the argument that women have the right to choose. There are so many situations that the government takes away our right to choose because our actions would infringe upon someone else’s rights. The law currently denies us the right to choose to murder, to steal, to rape, etc. Why should mothers be an exception that they should be allowed to choose to take away the life of their unborn children? If we were at the doctor’s office at nine weeks looking at our baby wiggle and the doctor intentionally ended the life of our baby in front of us, I would say that was murder. But if for some reason, we told the doctor to do it, how does that change anything? There should be no person living who has the right to take the life of a child, no matter what stage of life that child is in. Just like the slaves who lost their lives because treating them as a person might inconvenience the slavemaster’s life, thousands of babies are losing their lives because of the inconvenience it might put on the mother.

I am proud that our country changed its perspective in the way it viewed the slaves in this nation and we have become better for it. And I pray that in the future, our perspective will finally change to recognize an injustice that half the nation does not yet see. For in the Declaration of Independence, they declared, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men.” Somewhere along the way, certain people ignored the fact that all babies are created equal and that they are endowed by their Creator with the right to life. They have lost this right to life for now, but just as slaves eventually won their freedom, I hope that one day our unborn children will receive their full rights as citizens as well. What a mark to leave in history to be the President to stand up and use similar words as Mr. Lincoln in the Emancipation Proclamation, “…the Executive Government of the United States, including the military and naval authority thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom.”

This was undoubtedly a hard move to make by Abraham Lincoln because of the number of people who disagreed with him. Likewise, going down this path would be difficult for you as well. But steering the country away from the path of injustice and leading them down a different path is worth the price you would have to pay. I love the quote by Robert Francis Kennedy in which he states, “It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring, those ripples build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.” Just as Lincoln sent forth that tiny ripple of hope that helped build the current which wiped out slavery, you too have a great opportunity because of the position you are in. I realize that your current viewpoint on this moral issue may currently be on the other side, but I am writing this letter because everyone has the ability to cross the line. I support you as President and may God bless you in every decision that you make.

So what do you think? Any thoughts, suggestions, etc.?

CPA!!!

2009-05-19T18:11:00.000-07:00

1. Corporate Personnel Annoyance
2. Constantly Prying Auditor
3. Counting Party Animal
4. Calculator Punching Analyst
5. Couldn't Pass Again
6. Could Put-you Asleep (Okay, that ones a stretch)
7. Clint Patterson Amigo (One of the few readers of this blog)

Whatever it stands for, I am now one of them. I just found out to today that I got my license. Yes, I have been climbing the mountain of Nerd-dom and have reached its peak. You havent lived until you have killed a conversation by telling someone you are a CPA. Guess its not the most exciting thing. Its just a temporary gig anyway until I become a professional Frisbee Golfer.

P.S. - I dont do taxes :)

Daddy Loves You

2009-05-14T11:09:00.000-07:00

I thought up a song for my daughter the other day while in the shower. I always get a lot of good thinking done during that time. She is due in just over four weeks. It goes like this (to the tune of Jesus Loves Me):

Daddy loves you, Yes I do.
I cant wait to me-et you.
Little one, keep growing strong.
Don’t you worry, it wont be long.
Yes Daddy loves you.
Yes Daddy loves you.
Yes Daddy loves you.
I cant wait to me-et you.

Pretty good, huh..I knew I should have been a song writer. And I think she really liked it.

Anybody else have any good made up songs? Or even any memorable songs that you sing to your kids or your parents sang to you. I like singing to my precious daughter.

Baby Love!

2009-04-27T17:53:00.000-07:00

Our precious daughter will soon be arriving. The countdown has begun (47 days) until my princess is due. She is already showing how cute she is by sticking out her tongue at us for the ultrasound. But she can be shy also as she doesnt like to get her picture taken. Sounds like she takes after her daddy. And she will be as beautiful as her mommy!! So as the day gets nearer, I am getting more excited and also more nervous. Any good advice from any parents out there? I also need good ideas for fun daddy-daughter activities or traditions I should do over the years. Any suggestions? Maybe memories of things you did with your dad (if you're a girl) or things you do with your daughter or have heard about.

Opportunity Cost and Christianity

2009-03-31T08:48:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the materialism that permeates our culture in America, both in Christians, Non-Christians, and even churches. On my 1.5 hour commute yesterday, I had an interesting thought that uses information I learned in my college Business Economics class (yeah, I know, who would have thought I would use that stuff).

The thought I had was that I think as Christians, we should do a better job at thinking about Opportunity Cost when it comes to how we spend the money and resources that we are blessed with. So what is Opportunity Cost? The definition on Investopedia.com is, "Opportunity Cost is the cost of an alternative that must be foregone in order to pursue a certain action. Put in another way, the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action."

For example, if a gardener decides to grow carrots, his or her opportunity cost is the alternative crop that might have been grown instead (potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins, etc.). Another example is the opportunity cost of going to college is the money you would have earned if you worked during that time instead. On the one hand, you lose four years of salary while getting your degree; on the other hand, you hope to earn more during your career, thanks to your education, to offset the lost wages.In both cases, a choice between two options must be made.

So how does this relate to Christianity? Well, I think we live in a time where people do not think about the opportunity cost of them buying a $250,000 house, a $25,000 car, a $1,500 t.v, a $20 dinner, etc. If we take a serious look at the amount of money we spend each year on entertaining ourselves, I think it would probably surprise us. I just wonder how much the average person who claims to be a Christian spends on things like video games, movies, hobbies, cable, ball games, and other things entertainment related. A lot of times I think the main reason people would adjust their budget or how they spend money on things is because of their own financial reasons. But I am suggesting that as Christians, something else should drive our spending habits.

For example, the opportunity cost of buying a $250,000 house instead of $150,000 house with a 30-year loan would be $100,000 plus all the extra interest over the life of the loan, plus more taxes and insurance for a total of over $300,000 in opportunity cost. So what could be done with $300,000? Well, I looked at the World Vision website to see what could be done with that much money. $300,000 could buy 24,000 chickens, or 4000 goats, or even 600 dairy cows to help the poor people in other countries get nourishment and extra income. Or you could buy almost 17 deep water wells that would provide safe water for as many as 5,000 people. Or imagine all the clothes that could be bought to clothe the poor or meals that could be bought for the homeless. So what the true opportunity cost of choosing to live in a nicer neighborhood or get a bigger house is that 5,000 people will not have safe water, thousands of families will possibly die of starvation or go without clothes. And that is just the impact of one person choosing their house. Imagine the opportunities if all Christians based their decisions on the good they could do instead, and spent less on housing, transportation, food, entertainment, etc. We really could change the world.

I heard on the radio this week the illustration given that if we were walking by a lake and saw a little girl screaming for help and drowning, we immediately have a choice to make. We can either help save her or let her drown. The point was clear that the correct decision would be to do whatever you can to save the drowning person. The radio guest then made the point that thousands of people are dying every day in third world countries because they do not have food, water, or medicine. Just like seeing the little girl, when we know that children are dying in other countries we have a choice to make. We can either help save them or let them die.

Now I often hear the argument that people that have nice houses use them for God's purposes, so that can be good thing. So I guess they will have to decide whether or not what they do with their house will outweigh the opportunity cost. Thats what opportunity cost is used for. Helping choose between two alternatives. We can either use the money that we have to use on ourselves or others.

And this does not just relate to individual Christians. I know a church that has started a campaign to raise $9 million to renovate their building. Imagine what the opportunity cost is of that much money. Just multiply all the above examples by 30. And yet it seems so many church buildings are being built, renovated, or expanded all across the country by those who claim that their mission is to help those that are poor and needy.

And opportunity cost does not just relate to money. Our time is also an important resource. A guy who spends an hour watching ESPN could have spent that hour with his family, or reading the Bible, or feeding the homeless.

The Bible states in Mark 12:31 that the second greatest command is "Love your neighbor as yourself." Considering this is the second greatest command, we should definitely look at our lives to see that our lives reflect this. Does the way we spend our money show that we love our neighbors as much as we love ourselves? For every $5,000 we spend on ourselves, do we give at least that much to help others? Or do we tend to spend most of our money on ourselves and not consider what benefit that money could do for our neighbors both in the U.S and in other countries. Or for every hour we spend relaxing or having fun, do we spend any time serving or loving others?

I encourage everyone to consider the opportunity cost when we make decisions in our lives. Because we usually have two choices. We can either spend money and resources on ourselves or we can use it to help others. My prayer for myself is that I can start choosing the latter.

A Letter from Dad

2009-03-08T13:07:00.000-07:00

In our Wednesday night Bible class, we are studying a book called Crazy Love which has a weekly video clip that we watch as well. This week's video clip was talking about how it benefits us to think about death and asked us to share with the class someone you knew who died abruptly and tell about their accomplishments and any regrets that they may have shared with you. It then asked us to share with the class what regrets we might have if we died abruptly. This immediately made me think of a letter that my dad had written just months before he died in which he mentioned things he learned from having cancer. I do not know if it was sent to anyone or if it was just a journal type letter but I thought I would share it. I typed it up just as the one is that is typed up in my Bible. It was neat that he wrote this up and his insights can live on for a long time.

Saturday, October 2, 1999

My cancer is in remission. Two weeks ago I had a C-T Scan that showed that there was no cancer in my esophagus. The doctor ordered another test, and endoscopy for last Friday. The pictures were sure different from the pictures that were taken in July. It looked so clear of tumors that I could not believe it. There were a couple of nodules that he took biopsies of. Those came out negative. I am so thankful that my life has been spared. In the doctor’s visit yesterday, there was some sobering news, though. In July, he said that there was a 70% chance that the cancer would reappear. That is still the case. He told me that I had taken my limit of radiation therapy. If the cancer reappears in the esophagus, there is nothing that they can do for me. He said that the chemo, without radiation, is only minimally effective. If the cancer spreads to other places, that is treatable, just not where all the radiation was done. I started back to work full-time last Monday. I have felt OK this week. I have not done anything in the evening so that I could rest. When I found out that I had cancer in July, I gave up my calculus classes. I did not want them to be taught by a substitute. I had no idea that Permian would do what they did. In August, just before school started, the principal that handles the class schedules told me that the calculus classes would be held in reserve for me. I could have them back when I was up to it. (That surprised me. I thought that I was giving them up completely.) Well, I will get one of the classes back next Friday, at the end of the Nine Week grading period. I will get the other one back at the beginning of the second semester.

I taught our Bible class last Sunday for a discussion leader who was out of town. The topic was “Why Does God let Satan Hurt Us?” I decided to talk about things that I had learned in the last 3 months. I will briefly list the points I made.

1. Our God is an awesome God. When I heard the word, “cancer” I knew I was going to die. The pictures from the scope down my throat were awful. Three months later, my throat is clear. That is more than I thought possible in July. God, who made the world, can do amazing things.

2. The importance of the Christian family supporting one another. I have been blessed abundantly with card and prayer-grams and prayers of people I know. I looked forward to the mail coming. Knowing that so many people cared gave me a reason to continue.

3. I benefited from facing death. It made me think about what is really important in life. It made me admit how very fragile I am, and place my life in God’s hands.

4. There is a peace from God that comes to those who live Godly lives. Some may think that I live a boring life, but it is a life that if I die tomorrow, I would have no heart-breaking regrets.

5.Hardships have strengthened our family. Jana and I are closer than we were a year ago. My boys have seen their father in a time of weakness – very different from seeing their father as a maker-of-rules. My sisters and my parents have spent much time taking care of me.

6. This illness has made me take a good look at commitments that take me away from my family. Time is so short. I hope that I can balance the demands away from home with spending time with those I really care about.

7. Life is so uncertain that if you think that you can plan your life, you had better think again. I had just reached a level of professional respect that I had worked all my life to achieve. I had plans for the future. Those plans melted in a moment when the doctor said, “You have cancer.” The lesson is that we should always realize that we are in God’s hands. We should guard against feelings of self-importance.”

David Love

He Leadeth Me

2009-02-28T14:02:00.000-08:00

Ever since my dad died, this song has been a comfort to me. My mom was looking in dad's bible after he died and was reminded of this song and it has been special to us ever since. I sometimes turn on my Acapella cd and just listen to this song or sing it in my head. It gives me comfort when I dont really know where life is headed. When I dont know what job I am going to have, or where we are going to live, or how good I am going to be at being a dad. I am glad that as Christians, even when things are tough, even when the economy is bad, even when we or our family members or friends are hurting or struggling, we can know that God is leading us. And where He leads us is peaceful and good.

He Leadeth Me

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heavenly comfort fraught.
Whate'er I do, where'er I be,
Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me.

Chorus:
He leadeth me, He leadeth me!
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll'wer I would be,
For by His hand, He leadeth me.

Sometimes 'mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden's bowers bloom,
By waters still or troubled sea,
Still 'tis God's hand that leadeth me!

Repeat Chorus

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the victory's won,
E'en death's cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me!

Repeat Chorus

He leads me, He leads me!
By His own hand, He leads me!
His faithful foll'wer I would be,
For by His hand, He leadeth me.

Scriptural Reference: “He leadeth me beside still waters, He restoreth my soul.” Psalm 23:1-3

25 Random Things

2009-02-01T09:58:00.000-08:00

So on facebook, there is this thing going around where you just write 25 random things about yourself. I thought that sounded fun and decided to do it on my blog. Hope you find it interesting.

25 Random Things

1. I really wish I could have played for the Dallas Cowboys and hold the record for the smallest running back ever to rush for 1,000 yards.

2. If I did play for the Dallas Cowboys, I would give most of my money away because I don’t know why anyone would need $50 million dollars.

3. My favorite movie is Rocky and I love underdog movies where the person who is against all odds wins, probably because I see a little of Rocky in myself and feel like just another bum from the neighborhood. Karate Kid is another good one.

4. In college I beat Super-Mario Brothers all the way through with no warps without dying one time. This took many long hours and attempts but I succeeded in proving myself to my roommates.

5. I am very competitive so I constantly work on having fun while playing games with people and not caring if I win.

6. I really enjoy doing nothing.

7. I once got shot with a B.B gun. The b.b. is still in me but I do not set off metal detectors. The doctor just told me that "Lots of people have shrapnel in them from war and their perfectly okay."

8. I have no idea what I want to do with my life. Though I majored in Accounting, I find it incredibly boring and it does not make me happy in the morning knowing that I am going to work.

9. I like to play Frisbee Golf. It is like regular golf execept the course consists of 18 holes in which you throw a frisbee towards a chain basket. I went on a Frisbee Golf trip during one of my spring breaks during college where we played like 15 or so golf courses from Abilene to California. That was fun! And the courses are almost always free which fits my budget better than regular golf.

10. I think we live in the most materialistic, selfish nation in the world. And I dont think Christians talk enough about how money should be spent to try to seperate ourselves from this culture. How can we live in big houses,drive nice cars, buy expensive things, and still claim to love our neighbors who are on the street with nothing or who are starving in other countries?

11. I have the best wife in the whole world. Growing up I never imagined I would have a wife as beautiful, loving, and as fun as her.

12. Sometimes I wish I was taller. Especially when I am around tall people and I have to look up to them to participate in the conversation.

13. I think the bigger bites that you take, the more flavor you have in your mouth. Thus you enjoy your food so much more. Therefore, I take big bites of food and always have to be told to slow down. But I enjoy eating lots at a time.

14. In middle school, I got arrested at Six Flags and was put in Six Flags jail for an hour or so until my youth minister came and got us out. So if you are ever with friends on the Yosemite Sam River ride and want to impress them, do not through a basketball at one of the characters. They have cameras and they frown upon that.

15. I am left-handed. They say that you turn right-handed when you commit your first sin. Thats not true.

16. I think a cool super-power would be able to read other's people's minds. Kind of like in "What Women Want" but with everyone. I might not ever tell anyone I had this power. It would provide lots of entertainment if you needed it, allow you to help people more, you would never worry about what people thought of you. It would be a good one.

17. In the movie Tombstone, I like the scene where Doc Holiday is as sick as can be and is still helping out Wyatt Earp. One guy asks him, "Why the heck are you doing this anyway?" Doc responds, "Wyatt Earp is my friend." The guys replies back, "Heck, I got lots of friends." To which Doc says, "I don't." Sometimes I feel like Doc Holiday. I dont have many people I consider good friends. I am not sure why this is. I guess I just have a hard time with connecting with people. One friend that I hope I have for a long time is Clint. Just like Doc, I would go out of my way to help him out when he needs it, since good friends dont come easy for me.

18. I have a hard time with prayer. I think God hears our prayers but I am not sure how God acts in the world. Sometimes I think the things we pray about dont even matter that much really. But I think it is necessary especially for our own relationship with God.

19. If I was a girl, my mom would have named me "Hope Ann Love". Unfortunately my mom had three sons. Soon me and Kasey will have a daughter. I have always wanted to be a dad and we are so excited and cant wait. We'll see what the name will be.

20. The church I went to in college was called New Life, an inner city church where we picked up kids from the community and brought them to church and it had lots of people from the community. I love the community that we had there and the relationships. The Lord's supper was celebrated after the service around tables of about 8 people where we talked about it, and then shared a meal afterword. This is the closest I have come to experiencing what I think church should be like. I also miss my teenage boys who I did a Bible study with. I hope that I had at least a little impact on them and that they have made wise choices as they have grown up.

21. I look up to both of my brothers. I want to learn to give unselfishly like my older brother. I want to be able to use my gifts to benefit others like my younger brother.

22. My mother's love amazes me.

23. Our t.v is only a 8.5x11in (like the paper) t.v. It looks really funny in our living room. We have to move the couch closer to watch t.v. I kind of like it though. Except for the fact we cant really invite people over to watch a movie. (Unless their young and its Alvin and the Chipmunks, then they love it)

24. Oftentimes my wife asks me what I am thinking and my only reply is "Who let the dogs out?" This is one of the great questions of life.

25. I may be in the minority of people who went and voted in the Presidential election but did not vote for anyone for President. I thought about writing in Jesus.

It's All About Me

2008-12-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

This will probably be a best seller. It's All About Me

My Communion Talk this Sunday

2008-11-15T14:03:00.000-08:00

I am giving my first Communion talk at West Orange this Sunday. So I am writing this out just to prepare myself. Here is what I plan on saying.

"My senior year in high school we had to take my dad to the hospital for what we thought was a severe asthma attack. However, it turned out that the cancer that he had struggled with the last couple of years had made its way to his lungs, one of the most vulnerable parts of his body. So his body and health went downhill fast. Within a few days, he could no longer breathe on his own and had to have tubes to help his breathing. With these tubes in him, he was not able to talk so whenever he wanted to talk and had the energy, he would write out what he wanted to say on a pad of paper.

During one of my visits on these days, one of dad's old friends came in to see him that he had not seen in a very long time. I was surprised to see that when he came in my dad motioned for the pad to write something to him. I was very interested to see what my dad would say to his dear friend on these last days. He began writing and seemed to struggle with what he wanted to say. He kept writing and scratching out his words and rewriting for a couple of minutes. When he finally finished writing he handed it to his friend. His friend read it and smiled and then handed it straight to me. What he wrote on that pad of paper has changed my life forever. On that peice of paper which I still carry in my Bible to this day, he only wrote four words...."Darin is my son."

Of all the things he could say to his friend, he wanted to tell him about me? I was amazed at how much love he had for me and how proud he must of been of me to have wanted to make sure his friend knew that I was his son. In those four words, he showed me how much he loved me. That he was proud of me. I was not the perfect son by any means. I thought of all the times I had messed up and let him down. Any yet, through it all he loved me and was proud to call me his son.

As the years have gone by, this one event has had a tremendous impact on my view of God. Because I saw how a dad can love his son even when he doesnt always deserve it. And yet our heavenly Father loves us so much more than any person could ever love us. 'For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.' (Romans :38-39) In fact, His love for us is so great that he even sent his Son to give his life for us so that we may have a relationship with him. That we become children of God. Because of that act of love we have hope. God loves us and is proud of us as his children more than we could ever imagine. Because of Jesus, I know that one day I will get to see my Heavenly Father and once again here those wonderful words. "Darin is my son." Oh what a wonderful gift. As you pass the bread and cup, feel free to look at the person next to you and tell them 'God loves you and cherishes you' as we commune together and remember God's love for us."

Point Man

2008-10-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

Does any other man look at role of being the spiritual leader of your family and get overwhelmed thinking about it? I have had some great spiritual leaders in my life. My dad was a great spiritual leader for our household. His Bible was every color imaginable from his underlinings and study that he put into it. As kids, we knew that our dad loved the Lord, he loved our mom, and he loved us. Both of my grandfathers were also great spiritual leaders. When you were around Papaw (mom's dad), you wouldnt go more than a couple of hours without hearing Papaw give some sort of a sermon or encouragment based on the sriptures. For him, thats all there was. Pawpaw, (dad's dad) started a church out where he lived in which he served his whole life. And both dad and my granddads raised their family to know the Lord. What a rich heritage I have.

Yet I am afraid that in my life, I have not yet followed in their footsteps. Sure, I am a good person who loves the Lord. But I have not shown the leadership and love for the Lord that they lived day in and day out. I have not immersed myself in the scriptures on a daily basis. My prayer life has been at times, nonexistent. I can make time for a lot things, but God has not been on the top of my list. At work, I hear people say things that I dont think they should say and yet am silent. As I consider raising a family one day, I have a long way to come to be a true spiritual leader in my household. My wife needs me and my kids will need me. I have been reading a book called Point Man, by Steve Farrar. It is about how a man can lead his family. I would recommend this book to any man who wants to be a spiritual leader in their family. One of the quotes I liked from the book says, " We need some men who have a passion to be better fathers than they are accountants. We need some men who have a passion to be better dads than they are attorneys, salesmen, foremen, pastors, or doctors." It also has an interesting perspective of the Industrial Revolution causing the breakup of families because it took men away from their homes and families and out to their jobs. Anyway, I havent finished it but it is a good book.

I think as a nation, we have seen a decrease in the number of men who are spiritual leaders in their family. We have seen a decrease in knowledge of the scriptures. And I think the effects of this are showing. I hope that next year, I can write about this same subject and tell you that I have come closer to where I need to be. I hope to tell you that I have made it a habit to feed daily on God's word. That I have made talking with God a daily occurence. If there is anyone out there who wants to share in this goal with me, I would love to hear from you.

Also, Happy Birthday Michael!!

Quote of the week: (Talking about the day he was born) "I'm awesome! I came out and I was like 'Mom, how can I help you?'" - Michael Simpson

Fireproof

2008-09-29T08:36:00.000-07:00

If you did not go see Fireproof in its opening weekend, then you should definitely try to go see it soon while it is still in theatres. Me and Kasey probably only go see like 2 movies a year, but we wanted to go see Fireproof in the theatre to support it since it is a Christian movie that made the theatre. And it was awesome! It has a wonderful message and I want to tell everyone I know that they should see it, especially people who are married. It is about a Fireman and his struggling marriage and faith. If you cry in movies, you should bring some tissues.

Portrait of a President

2008-09-26T20:18:00.000-07:00

Though I enjoyed watching the Presidential Debate because I like watching debates, what I enjoyed even more was watching the hour-long special before the debate called Portrait of a President. Both of the candidates have incredible stories and come from two totally different backgrounds. The special highlighted such things as the impact a father has when they are absent or an alcoholic. It talked about personal struggles and personal convictions. It talked of their families and how they got where they are. It showed the impact that a professor can have on a person when they tell them they are not reaching their potential. It showed how important it is for men to make their fathers' proud and carry on family legacy. It talked of turning points in their lives. Truly fascinating. I think no matter who is president, they are there because they love this country and they want to make a difference. Hopefully, I will get to see the next segment of Portrait of a President next week. I love hearing people's stories. Everyone has such a unique and fascinating story.

I remember on one Spring Break campaign I went on, every night a couple of different people would share their life story. I dont think I will ever forget how amazing that was. Especially when people are honest. When you truly hear someone's story, you see them in a totally different light. You know where they come from and how they got to be who they are. Suddenly your perspective of someone can change when you hear their story. I think as Christians we should always want to hear people's stories because when you know their story, you better know the person and it is easier to love them and reach out to them. Knowing someone's story brings you closer together as well.

So I will make it a goal over the next couple of weeks or the next month to find out someone's story.

Debt

2008-09-01T07:44:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was going to have my brother, Dustin, write a post about debt. He and his wife have gone through the Dave Ramsey course on debt and are now currently teaching the class to others. It has been very beneficial to them in their lives, especially their spiritual lives. Here is a post that my brother wrote about debt:

Debt
Many people are surprised to discover that the Bible has a lot to more to say about money than we are used to hearing about. Usually we only hear about 2 passages: the rich young ruler of Luke 18, and Matthew 6:24 (A man cannot serve two masters). What I think is really interesting is that if you look at only these two verses, you miss the majority of what God teaches about money and his people. There are roughly 800 money references in the Bible. I have not been able to study all of them, but they do not all point to a life of poverty as we seem to be taught.

Darin did a great job of outlining some of the verses that indicate the importance of using money for God’s glory and not our own. My goal here is to show you the Bible’s stance on another money issue: debt.

The Bible never goes as far as calling debt a sin. (Although, I wish it had) The Mosaic Law even gives clear instructions on how debt is to be handled amongst God’s people( Deut 15: 1-3, Deut 15: 3&9, Deut 24:6, and several others). However, the Bible does go as far as saying that debt is a really, really bad idea. Consider these two verses:
Proverbs 22: 7 - The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.
Matthew 6:24 - No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

No, debt is not a sin, but it does make you a servant to whoever you owe money to. In other words, your lender is your master. Now, Jesus says that you cannot serve two different masters. If you are a servant of VISA or MasterCard, then you cannot be a servant of God.

The idea that you are a slave to the bank is a foreign idea to most Americans. Debt is just a way of life, right? Well, look at it this way: What does money represent? What do you have to do to get the money that you have. Here is what we do in corporate America: We put a monetary value on the work that you do, and then give it to you in a paycheck. So, then the true cost of an item is not really the dollars and cents, but the amount of work that you had to do in order to buy it. We have essentially converted 40 hours of work each week into green bills.

Now, how much of your paycheck goes to debts? This includes credit cards, student loans, car payments, mortgages, and anything else that you have in your possession that you did not pay cash for. I’ll give you a few minutes to calculate it up.

… … … … …

Now, compare that number to the amount that you give to the Lord’s work. That can include church contributions, missionary funds, K-Love, anything that benefits God’s earthly kingdom. WHICH ONE IS BIGGER???? For the vast majority of Americans, we give 10% or less to God, and about 50-60% to our true masters: our lenders.

Why weren’t we taught this stuff? Well, the truth is that we were supposed to be taught it at a young age. Go back and read Prov 22:7 again. (It is up a little bit on the page.) Do you know what is in verse 6?
Proverbs 22: 6-7
6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. 7 The rich rules over the poor, And the borrower is servant to the lender.

What are we supposed to be teaching our children? I have heard the verse used many times when a parent wants to teach their child not to pick their nose, or to pray every night, or many other things. But, in context, what did Solomon mean for us to be teaching them?

Well, the fact is that many of us are already in debt. So, when you are convicted that you need to dump all of that debt that you have, how do you do it? Well, the bible tells us the answer to this one too. (Surety is an old English word for debt)
Proverbs 6:1-5
1 My son, if you become surety for your friend, If you have shaken hands in pledge for a stranger, 2 You are snared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth. 3 So do this, my son, and deliver yourself; For you have come into the hand of your friend: Go and humble yourself; Plead with your friend. 4 Give no sleep to your eyes, Nor slumber to your eyelids. 5 Deliver yourself like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, And like a bird from the hand of the fowler.

In short, do absolutely everything that you can in order to get out of debt. There are many different resources to help out with that. I strongly recommend programs such as Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University or Crown Financial Ministries. They both have excellent programs to help get people on God’s plan for their finances.

Other verses on debt:
Proverbs 22:26-27 - Do not be a man who strikes hands in pledge or puts up security for debts 27 if you lack the means to pay, your very bed will be snatched from under you.

One Body

2008-08-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

I went to church the other night and I listened to a sermon in which a guest preacher was talking about influence. He started talking eventually about the influence we have on our brothers and sisters in Christ and talked about a lot of the verses that talk about loving each other and us all being members of one body. Then he read from Romans 15:5, which states in the King James version, "Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus" The New International version reads "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus"

Then he proceeded to tell a story of a man who was a different denomination who came into his church building because he was working with some Haitian kids and he wanted to see if he could use the building to have an event for the kids. He said he told this man that he could not let him use the building because they were "not of a like mind". He said that when the man was confused, he shared with him verses and ways in which they were different and for this reason he could not let him use the building. He said the man went away puzzled and didnt understand. The preacher then went on to say that we have to be on the same team and to be on the same team you have to play by the same rules.

From then on, I did not hear another word that the preacher was saying. The man who walked away confused after being refused the church building was not the only one puzzled. Especially in a sermon where he was also talking about loving one another and being members of one body. Though this man was a different denomination, to the preacher he was not even of the same body because he did not do things the same way as him. I assume that this man was a Christ-follower. He definitely was for doing good things since he wanted to do things for the Haitian children. I don't know that having everything "right" is a prerequisite to being a part of the body. If that is the case, then nobody would be.

There are always going to be differences between brothers and sisters in Christ. But just because we do not do everything the same does not mean that we cannot be unified. Recently, there was a big sermon series listened to in churches all across the world called One Prayer. I got to hear one sermon while I was at church with my brother and sister-in-law in Texas. In this sermon, he talked about how his one prayer would be for the church to be one. In the sermon I heard, he states that we should be unified and all have One Enemy, One Heart , and One Purpose. He also states that "Unity is not the same as uniformity." If you have a chance, listen to this powerful sermon by Craig Groeschel called "Make us One". http://www.oneprayer.com/church/lifechurchtv/en (If the link does not work, go to http://www.oneprayer.com/ and click on messages and then go to the "Make us One" sermon.) I would make time to take 30 minutes and watch it. Instead of channel surfing or surfing the web, take the time to watch the sermon. He makes some really good points about this very important topic. The guy from the different denomination who was turned away probably did not feel loved by our brother. In fact, he probably walked away thinking about what a divisive church the Church of Christ must be.

This happens all over, but since I have come to Florida, I have been to Churches of Christ that don't even fellowship with other Churches of Christ because of the way they do things. But this is never mentioned in the sermons I hear on us being members of one body, or the sermons on unity, or the sermons on loving one another. Listen to the sermon if you get a chance and I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject.

Also, I read another blog from a preacher in Abilene named Mike Cope who is an amazing guy and a wonderful preacher. I have his blog linked on this web page. His blog address is http://preachermike.com/. He has a very interesting post today, August 22nd, called 21st Century Restoration Movement(s) that relates directly to this subject. He also links some books dealing with the subject.

Happy Birthday Kasey!!

2008-08-15T10:29:00.000-07:00

My wonderful wife's birthday is today. I look forward to spending many more birthdays with her. Our 2nd anniversary was also on August 12th. It has been the best two years of my life. I am definitely the luckiest guy in the whole world!!

For those of you who dont know her, I always dreamed that I would marry the most beautiful woman in the whole world. A woman who every time I saw her, it would take my breath away. Every glimpse of her would be a treasure that I would cherish forever. Her eyes would sparkle like stars in the night sky. Her smile would make my heart pound for joy. She would brighten a room with her presence. Her inner beauty would radiate from her so much that it would be even more attractive than her amazing outward appearance. She would have a heart of gold that cared for all of God’s creation. Her words would bring joy and laughter to everyone around her at just the right times. Mercy and grace would flow from her in abundant measures. She would uplift and encourage those who feel like they have no hope. She would love and care for her family and friends and always make them feel as if they were the most important people in the world. She would be compassionate and kind to everyone. Her great wisdom would show in everything she does. I would love listening to the sound of her voice and the sound of her singing would be the most pleasant music on earth. One dance with her would provide enough excitement for a lifetime. When she was away, I would long for the touch of her hand and the scent of her hair. Her life would be lead by her loving God and Father in heaven. Her passion would be for serving God and his people. She would be slow to judge and quick to forgive. She would be athletic and love doing activities with me. She would be a wonderful cook. She would make me my favorite cake on special occasions. Having her in my life would naturally make me into a better person. She would believe in me and help me become the person that I have the potential to be. She would be great with children and children would love her. She would think that I was extremely funny and laugh at my jokes. She would think I was good-looking even when I might not think that of myself. She would love me for who I am and appreciate the things that I do. She would lead a simple life and share with those who are in need. I dreamed she would be someone I could grow old with. She would be with me when times are good and when times are bad. She would hold my hand and pray with me at morning, noon, and night. She would be the most beautiful creation God had ever made. Looking upon her would make me thank God for how majestic and wonderful He is....Well,the Lord has blessed me and my dreams came true. I always dreamed of having a wife like Beau :).

If you know Kasey, please share your thoughts or stories about her on this day we get to celebrate her life. (For those of you who get emails, you can comment on the blog site for all to see).

Money

2008-08-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

I think about money a lot. Mainly, I want to make sure that I am doing the right things with my money. Money is one of the top things talked about in the Bible. What we do with our money shows where our heart is. We have to be on guard against getting and keeping money for our own selfish desires. This is an extremely hard thing to do.

One of the main things I have been wrestling with lately is retirement savings. I know it is important to save for retirement. But on the other hand, I dont want to be rich. My brother and I had a good discussion about this a while back. On one side, wealth could be good as long as your heart is good. When you have money, your character really shows. So if you accumulate wealth, and you use it all to benefit other people who are in need then this could be a very good thing. However, if you are accumulating wealth so that you can have a bigger house, a nicer car, security, etc., then this can be a very bad thing. Especially while so many people in the world have nothing but the clothes on their back and have a hard time getting food and shelter. The hard thing for me is putting my trust in God and not putting my security in money as I have talked about in earlier posts.

Here are some scriptures I have been reflecting on lately.

1 Timothy 6: 17-19 - 17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.

Ecclesiastes 5:10 - Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.

Hebrews 13:5 - Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

James 2:15-16 - 15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

1 Timothy 6:6-10 - 6But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. 8But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. 9People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. 10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Acts 2: 44-45 - 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need.

Matthew 6:24 - No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Luke 18: 18-23 - 18A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
19"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother."
21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. 24Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! 25Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Luke 12: 15-21 - 15Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
16And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. 17He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

Proverbs 18: 10-11 - 10 The name of the LORD is a strong tower;the righteous run to it and are safe. 11 The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it an unscalable wall.

What are your thoughts on saving for retirement, wealth, money struggles,etc.?

P.S. - I also think the other extreme of having lots of debt is also a bad thing but I will tackle that in another post (or let my brother, Dustin, do a guest post since he has thought about that and studied that more than I have)

Florida!

2008-07-22T07:50:00.001-07:00

Kasey and I are now official residents of Florida. The Sunshine State where it rains all the time. I have been honked at an average of 25 times a day (maybe a slight exaggeration). I have probably driven like 100 miles more than I should have in the past week because of being lost. It is definitely weird not being in Texas and I do miss my family. But I am definitely looking forward to all the experiences and fun times in Florida. We got season passes to Wet n Wild for going one day so I am now starting my Florida tan.

We went to Spiritual growth workshop this past weekend and it was truly a blessing. We got to see all the Clines and a lot of our other friends from Florida. I also got to hear Randy Harris speak which was good. One of the things he said was that Christians are not as distinctive as they should be. He referred to the book, Unchristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity...and Why it Matters. Two areas that I remember that he said that people should be able to look at Christians and notice areas where they are different were that Christians should be the most calm people because we know how it all ends. Also, Christians should be the least materialistic people knowing that you cant keep anything when you die and in light of the Bible's teaching about money. At least, that is a summary of what I took from those two points.

Recently, I have been thinking about how I need to get better at how I respond to homeless people. In Orlando, I constantly have homeless people ask me for money on the street. I think if you were an observer, you would not be able to differentiate me from anyone else or tell if I was a Christian by just observing me. I tend to walk by people and act like I cant hear them or just ignore them. I know this is not right but I am still trying to figure out what my appropriate response should be. I think I have written about this in a post a while ago. I know I cant help everyone. Well, this is just an example of something in my life where people could not tell if I were a Christian or not. What are some things in your life that are not different from non-believers that probably should be?

What is your Strong Tower?

2008-05-27T08:09:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I listened to a sermon that talked about Proverbs 18:10-11, which states, "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. The wealth of the rich is their fortified city; they imagine it as an unscalable wall."

Where do you run to when you encounter troubles? Is your instinct to look to the LORD and run to him? I think in my life I too often have put my faith in money. I seem to think if I can get my bank account to a certain amount then everything will be wonderful. I imagine that if my retirement fund is so much, then I will be secure. So Proverbs 18:11 really hits home for me. Why do I think wealth is a fortified city, with an unscalable wall?

God has really been working on me in this area. Recently, I did something I havent done before. I gave away something big, something worth a big chunk of money to someone who really needed it. Instead of looking out for number one, I put the need of someone else first. I hope to get many opportunities to do this in my lifetime. If we truly love our neighbor as ourselves, how can we accumulate riches while others are in need? I do not want my treasure to be wealth here on earth. And yet, even though I know it is better to give than to receive, my human nature always seems to want to receive.

So my prayer is that as I grow in the LORD, I will become wise in how I use my money. I want to be a generous and giving person. Someone who gives not just out of my excess, but even when it might mean things are harder for me. That is hard. Most of all, I want the LORD to be my strong tower. I want to be the kind of person who puts my hope in the LORD. So even if I am in poverty, even if I am in poor health, even if I am in pain, I am safe in the arms of the LORD. When things get tough, I want my instinct to be to run to the LORD.

What things do you in your life sometimes imagine as your strong tower that you would like to replace with the LORD?

It is a Journey

2008-05-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I was having a lot of questions. Since then I have been given some good books to read from one of my good friends here in Fort Worth. I have not got to read as much of them as I would like but am looking forward to reading them. My Christian life is a journey in which I will never really know all the answers. As someone who is very logical, this can be really hard sometimes. Even in my Christian tradition growing up, we seemed to think that we had everything right. Which as I grow older, I am learning that is not true.

I am glad I have a wonderful Christian wife to help guide me in this journey. She helps keep me on the right path and lets me know when I might be wondering off even if I am not meaning to.

Also, I have been reading the Chronicles of Narnia books lately. They are really good. I definitely want to read some more C.S Lewis books after this. Well, I dont have much to write right now but I just wanted to post so that I can get back in the habit.

Job

2008-04-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

Tonight in my small group we were talking about good angels and bad angels and we were reading out of Job 1. I dont like the book of Job. It is very problematic for me. What I dont like about the book of Job is that God has the power and authority to save Job's family. He has the power to protect them. Yet he doesnt. He gives them over to Satan to do with them as he pleases. How is that good?

I always try to put stuff into things I can relate to. What if I had a family and I was in charge of what happened to them. My children love me and I have always taken care of them. I have worked hard to provide for them. My oldest son especially is a great son. He loves me a whole lot and is a great son. Then one day, someone comes to me and says "The only reason your oldest son is so good and loves you is because everything is so good for him." And so I say, "Tell you what, do anything you want to him and I give you permission."

So this person goes at it and kills my sons girlfriend. And I let him do it. Then he goes and kills my other children, his brothers and sisters, because he was really close to them. And I let him do it. I have the power to stop any of this. Then he gives my son a disease that is overwhelmingly painful. Night and day, I just listen to him moan and even though I have the power to stop this, I let it happen. The whole time my son is saying, "Daddy, I know you have medicine for this pain. Please relieve me!" But I continue to let it happen. Now let me ask you this. Am I a good father? Try to separate your thoughts from the fact that this is a story similar to that of Job in the Bible and ask yourself that question. Would you say I was a good father?

That is the question I struggle with when I read Job. The Goodness of God.

Does God have a different moral code? It is hard for me to dismiss this story by saying that "I cant see the bigger picture." I just dont understand. I dont see how a good God can just hand people over for Satan to kill. It's just a hard pill to swallow.

Today in worship, we were singing Blessed Be the Name of the Lord and we got to that verse where we sing "He gives and takes away. He gives and takes away" And my eyes filled up with tears. As I was standing there with tears rolling down my cheeks I was thinking about my dad whose was taken from this earth by cancer when I was in high school. I was thinking about what it would be like to lose my wife. Did God let my dad die? I didnt realize tonight that the verse is almost word for work from Job. Why, if he has the power, does he stand back and let Satan take over for a while? I pray that somehow I will come to an answer for this question.

Now even as I write this, I do believe that God is somehow working through all things. I just write this to say I have no idea how. I write this to say that sometimes God doesnt seem so good. I hope thats okay to say. I still want to stand and say "May the name of the Lord be praised," But I guess its hard sometimes.

Alive and Well

2007-01-25T18:42:00.000-08:00

So apparently my blog sucks. Or so some people have told me. Apparently when you dont write on your blog, it sucks. So I am writing to let everyone know that I am alive and well. Married life is great! Ever since I got married, the last thing on my mind was writing on my blog. And also, reflecting on my life now and my life in college, I took for granted how much free time I had to do whatever I wanted when I was in college (like writing on my blog, playing halo, taking naps, getting exercise, hanging out, playing frisbee golf, etc.)

Married life is wonderful. It is the best feeling in the world to wake up every morning next to your best friend, to always get to come home to your best friend, to go to sleep next to your best friend, and share life with someone. God is a genius. When he realized that it was not good for man to be alone, he created this beautiful creation for him to spend his life with. And the two become one. In my opinion, God made the perfect creation when he made woman. Somehow, I got the best one. (I dont know how that happened, but this beast is blessed) As I share my life with Kasey, it is amazes me every day how much more complete and happy I am when she is with me. She is perfect. I love just being with her.

We have found a church home in Fort Worth that we are still trying to get involved with. We are in a small group of young marrieds that we enjoy. We are about to start getting involved more with the youth. I miss New Life a whole lot. The church we are in now is too big and it is harder to get to know people. That was the thing I loved about New Life. You could really get to know and spend time with people at your church. I miss spending time with my junior high kids and seeing them grow up. I miss the communion around the table where you get to talk to your brothers and sisters and fellowship. I miss Grant's and the other children's prayer requests at church (along with everyone else's prayer requests) At New Life I felt like I was a part of other people's lives, knew what was going on in their lives and could help people. I miss Damon's sermons and Matt's song leading. So being in a big church is a big change that we are still trying to get used to.

I am working in Fort Worth and Kasey just started an internship for school that she is enjoying so far. She will graduate in May and only has to drive to Abilene every other Tuesday this semester. (Yay!!) We live in a one bedroom apartment right now which is just the perfect size for us. It would be nice to have another room so people could stay with us, but we will get there eventually.

Well, that is at least somewhat of an update on my life. Hopefully, at least for today, this blog is not in the "suck" category.

The Three Most Important Words

2006-07-11T09:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend I got to go to Houston and see my fiancee for the weekend. Of course, those three days were entirely too short. I had a wonderful time just being with her, talking with her, laughing with her, dancing with her, looking into her eyes, holding her, and the list goes on. When she left I was sadder than I have been in a long, long time. I hate to be away from her and the next four weeks will seem like an eternity.

This weekend I learned a lot. One of the things that I treasure is hearing and seeing Kasey say "I love you." Even when I do not feel worthy or deserving of her love, she gives it to me with all of her heart. When I am feeling down and out, nothing lifts me up like looking toward Kasey and hearing her say those three words. They let me know that she will always be there. Despite all the mistakes I make, or troubles I cause, or things I forget to do, or whatever, she will always be there beside with a forgiving heart to say "I love you." That is the greatest gift in the whole world.

So today, tell someone "I love you." They need to hear it. It cant be said too much.

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World Cup Insights

1. Watching the Italy players surrounding the golden soccer trophy looked very much like Idol worship.

2. Soccer players have very strong heads. They are good at using them for both precision headers and precision head butts.

3. Who would want to run that much?

4. Someone said ending the World Cup with penalty kicks is like ending the World Series with a homerun derby. I agree. I would have loved to just see one goalie get a hand on the ball even if it still went in. You can kick the ball to the left corner, right corner, or straight at the goalie and it will go in.

Insights from My Summer

2006-07-03T18:31:00.000-07:00

Studying for the CPA exam is not Fun!
Studying for the CPA is still more fun than selling books door to door.
10 weeks is a LONG time to be away from your fiancee.
I like playing games (card games, dominoes, board games, etc.) a whole lot.
Family and Church Family are great blessings.
Daytona Beach is more fun than Odessa.

Welp...that is all I got.

My Relationship With God

2006-06-21T11:52:00.000-07:00

It has been 25 days since I have seen the love of my life. Not an hour passes in which I do not think about her and how I wish I could be in her presence. It seems that no matter what I am doing, I long to be with Kasey. Everything is better when I am with her. We could be walking, talking, eating, lying around, watching a movie, playing games, going to the beach, doing chores, etc. No matter what we are doing I am happy because she is with me. Since she is like 1,000,000 miles away, I have to write her letters or emails, and am always eagerly waiting until the next time we talk on the phone. She is part of me. Many of the things I do, I do with her on my mind. She affects my life because I want to make sure that I am the best I can be for her. I want to please her and serve her the rest of my life and would do anything to make sure that she is happy. This descibes my relationship with Kasey.
Today as I reflect on my relationship with Kasey, it makes me long for that same relationship with God. I long for not an hour to pass without me thinking of God and being in His presence. What if I could talk to God for hours or even read from His Word without falling asleep or getting bored? I long for a relationship with God that truly affected every decision I made in every day. Is God a part of me as much as Kasey is a part of me?
Being in a serious relationship with Kasey is teaching me about what a relationship should look like. It takes time and effort to make the relationship grow. My love for Kasey increases everyday with every moment I talk to her or spend with her. Then why dont I take the time and effort to grow my relationship with God? I dont really know. But I am working on it.
I pray that my relationship with God will always be the center of my life. That all my other relationships will help me improve or learn more about my relationship with God just as my relationship with Kasey has drawn me closer to God.

I want to be an Encourager!

2006-05-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

Well, I just got back from a wonderful trip to Florida and a trip to Belton, TX to marry off my brother. I had an amazing two weeks in Florida with Kasey. She is the best girl in the whole world and I feel extremely lucky to get to spend the rest of my life with her. I got to do many firsts such as kayaking, boogie boarding, going to snake infested dissappearing island, picking out wedding cake, and other many exciting other things. But now I am back in the blogging world.

Here is an old post that I started a long time ago and I guess I will just post it today since I dont have too much else on my mind.

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today.." - Hebrews 3:13
"but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:25
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus," Romans 15:5

Kasey and me getting married has taught me a lot about the kind of person I want to be to others throughout my life. As of now, we will get married and move to Ft. Worth in August. The next semester Kasey will have to travel to Abilene twice a week for classes. When I tell people this I usually get two different reactions. A particular instance today helped me see how much I want to be an encourager.

I was talking to a friend telling them about our situation, to which they replied, "That is a tough way to start a marriage." Another friend walked up at that time and said, "I think its a great way to start a marriage!"

These are the two reactions I get. Some people focus on the fact that it will be tough. They end up saying "But yall can get through it." Great! Now I know that I can get through it. I dont want to just get through it. It does not leave me feeling good when the hard things are focused on but then telling me that it can be overcome.

Other people rejoice with me in the fact that I am getting married and that encourages me. They focus more on the fact that I found the love of my life and that it is a wonderful thing. They focus more on the fact that with God directing my life and a wonderful Christian woman beside me, I can do anything that is in front of me. I leave them feeling great about myself and the decisions I have made. This is the kind of person that I want to be. I want to rejoice with those who rejoice!

In the future when someone tells me they are going to be going on a mission trip to Africa, I want to rejoice and encourage them and tell them how great that is instead of saying, "Are you sure? Did you think that through?" When someone tells me they are going to have a baby, I will rejoice with them even though it may be hard on their life or marriage. Because they probably know it will be hard. But they need people to tell them that God is great and rejoice with them. So I write this to say that I like encouragers and that is who I want to be. I want to be the type of person who lifts others up, who lets others know that God is in control. Who encourages others and rejoices with them, even if inside myself I am thinking that it will be hard for them.

Women, Gifts & the Body of Christ

2006-05-05T06:45:00.000-07:00

It is amazing to me how many different perspectives about scripture that I have heard lately that I have never heard before. First of all, in Mike Cope's blog, his series on the Bible was excellent. Click here to read them.

But what I want to talk about in this blog is women's role in the church. But instead of me saying much, I want to give you a link to someone who presents it better. Recently someone sent me a link to a sermon that Mike Cope gave to the Highland Church of Christ in Abilene. Highland is one of the more progressive Churches of Christ in Abilene. Since I have only visited Highland a couple of times in my career here at ACU, I called Highland Church to make sure I gave accurate information as to what women are allowed to do in their service. At Highland, women are given opportunities to serve in the body of Christ that they are not given at other churches. They are able to read scripture, lead prayers, do announcements, give testimonies (primarily on Wednesdays), give the communion thoughts, and also serve the communion (this is done on a volunteer basis so it is mainly men still). One thing they do not do is the preaching which is mainly done by Mike Cope.

The decision to involve women more in the church service was not a quick decision. It was thoughtfully and prayerfully considered for a number of years. From what I have heard, the elders carefully studied scripture as they tried to determine how they should lead their church. This sermon is one that Mike gave to the congregation during the process of women becoming more involved. Click here to go to the web page where the sermon can be found. It is about an hour long if you want to listen to it in one sitting. But I do encourage you to make the time at some point to listen to it. It is very good.

I would love to hear other people's thoughts on this subject because different people have different perspectives and viewpoints that I otherwise might not hear.

The Mexican Fisherman

2006-04-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

In one of my businesses classes the other day Steve Wages came and spoke to the class about how success as the world defines it can be hazardous to your family's health. I wanted to share the handout that he gave us. I am not sure who it was written by but it is a great story. He had also shared this in his Ministry to Fathers class because it relates to people keeping their priorities straight instead of running after earthly treasures.

An American businessman was at a pier in a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied only a little while.

The American then asked why didn't he stay out longer and catch more fish?

The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs.

The American then asked, but what do you do with the rest of your time?

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor."

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and, with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat, you could buy several boats, eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening up your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But senor, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15-20 years."

But what then, senor?

The American laughed and said thats the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.

Millions, senor? Then what?

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you would sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."

Will your kids be around in 15 to 20 years? How will your marriage be in 15 to 20 years?

I pray that in my life, I always seek to be "poor in spirit." That I consider my God and my family my number one priority and show them that by the time and effort I put in to them.

Do you have any spare change?

2006-04-24T12:36:00.000-07:00

Today, I want to discuss a struggle that I often have inside myself. In the last couple months, I have many instances where people come from out of nowhere and ask me for money to help them out. There is always a story that goes along with it that I always find hard to believe. One time a guy came up to me on ACU campus asking for money because his car was out of gas. Well, I offered to get him gas and take him to his car. After going on wild goose chase, I finally dropped him off at a friends house and gave him money that he needed to make it to San Angelo.

Another guy came to my house because he had been kicked out of his house because he couldnt pay rent. He told a good story despite the alcohol on his breath. So I gave him the $10 he needed to be able to stay in his house that night.

There are so many instances of people asking me for money where I highly doubt that their "story" is anywhere close to the truth. My thoughts tell me that these people are going to use their money for alcohol or drugs or something else that is not what they are telling me. But I often end up giving them money anyway because I feel that I am suppose to help those in need. But then I struggle because I leave feeling that I did not really help them at all but just enabled them to continue getting their fix or whatever. I try to have a heart to help people. I want to help those in need. But when people just come up asking me for money and then exit my life I do not feel that I helped them at all. There is no relationship built so I that I can continue helping them and showing them God's love.

Maybe by giving them money they do benefit because they see love from me that they do not often see. Or maybe they leave me feeling proud of themselves because they just dooped another person with money. So that is a struggle I have been having lately. I never feel good when I give people money because I feel that I have just been taken. I dont know what to do in these situations. When I dont give them money I feel selfish and heartless. When I do, I feel like I have just been taken for my money. Lately, I have quit carrying cash for a different reason. But it almost makes me feel good to tell people that I dont carry cash. Am I really loving when I think this? But am I really loving when I give them money?

Does anybody else struggle with this? What are some suggestions or thoughts about better things to do? I want to learn how to love these people and show love to these people but I dont know if giving them money is the best way.

Storms

2006-04-10T21:24:00.000-07:00

When life’s storms come, we only have God to get us through. The next year of my life is going to be hectic, stressful, and dependent on the Source of my strength. I love the analogy of the calm at end of the storm. Sure we have to go through hard times. We go through things that are not ideal. Things happen that are difficult, trying, and make you want to scream. But there is always hope in that wonderful moment when the storm is over. When the sun comes out and God’s glory is revealed in the peace and tranquility. When you realize you are so much stronger after going through it. When you realize that your dependence on God was the strongest in the midst of the storm. When you realize that the promises of God are for real. He got you through. It was nothing you did.

Then another storm comes and you must rely on God once again. The storms never end. They may be big, small, or even unnoticed. Life is hard. That’s a fact. But I love what cows do when they see a storm coming. They run toward it. Why? I guess they know that the faster they run toward it, the sooner it will be over. The quicker they get to the calm. Yes, life is hard. But don’t fear it. Trust in God and live it. Run toward the storms toward the hope and joy that God promises on the other side.

I Love Kasey Pearson!!

2006-04-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

I wrote a previous post about my amazing fiancee but it was covered up way too soon by other posts. Therefore, this one will be left up longer to honor my love, my angel.

Kasey Pearson (my fiancee) is the most beautiful, most captivating girl in the whole world and I am absolutely enthralled by her beauty. Her beauty goes far beyond the physical aspect, though that is a part of her amazing beauty. Her inner beauty comes from the fact that she is everything that God created her to be. When God looks at her, there is no doubt he looks at her and says, "Wow, I did really good!" She always seeks to follow Him and has an amazing heart. I am constantly learning from her compassion and her empathy for others. Almost every word she speaks helps build others up. And I am always learning through herwhat it truly means to guard your heart and mind. When I see a sunset that is prettier than most, I say "Thats beautiful." And I stand in awe of God, who created sunsets for us to enjoy. When I stare at the night sky with the stars sparkling, I say, "Thats beautiful." And I stand in awe of God who created such a magnificent creation. When I stare into Kasey's eyes and learn about every aspect of her, I say, "Your'e beautiful!" And I stand in awe of God who created a such a beautiful, wonderful woman that is everything I could ever want or desire.

I look forward to dancing with Kasey the rest of my life. With God as our instructor, life will be an amazing dance as we draw closer to Him and each other. I look forward to all the things I will learn in this dance. I look forward to learning more about her, more about me, and more about God. I look forward to the great times ahead, the laughter, the joy, the excitement, the service, and so many other things. And though we will also go through pain, hardships, and troubles, I would never want to go through that with anyone else.

I love Kasey Pearson! And I want the world to know.

Open Letter to a Homosexual

2006-03-31T18:59:00.000-08:00

Chris Field posted a great letter titled Open Letter to a Homosexual on Wednesday, March 29th, 2006 on his blog. Read it at www.chrisfield.blogspot.com. It is a heartfelt and wonderful letter to any homosexual.

The following post in Chris' blog titled The $1,000,000 Question written on Friday, March 30th also deals with homosexuality but goes in to the question of what to do about it.

Both of these posts have very interesting dialogue in the comments though it takes a while to read all of it. But anyway, those two posts are good.

Lessons I Learned from the SoulForce Visit

2006-03-28T15:24:00.000-08:00

Well, the SoulForce group came to the ACU campus yesterday and from my perspective the visit was a success. It stirred conversations among believers about a topic that is often avoided which in itself is a positive thing. (there were over 100 comments on Mike Cope's blog where he just mentioned they were coming to ACU.) I think it caused us as Christians to learn how to love more and judge and criticize less.

Here are just some of the things that I took from the SoulForce visit. I learned many other things but these are just a few.

1.) I dont like when the term "living in sin" is applied to Christian homosexuals who through their study of the scripture believe that their homosexuality is not a sin.
To me, this phrase seems to refer to someone who is living in an intentional defiance of God. The people who came to ACU are not people who believe that homosexuality is a sin and choose to live that lifestyle anyway. They have come to a belief through their study of scripture that it is okay. Why do we throw that phrase at homosexuals anyway? Arent we all in essence living in sin and need God's grace and mercy anyway. Couldn't everyone possibly be wrong on a couple of issues and the way we live our lives. I hope God's grace covers the areas in which I have interpreted scripture wrong and thus am living my life in the wrong way. As I tried to refer to in my last post, I think we may be wrong in saying that we have it all figured out and seeing anyone as a sinner first before loving them, accepting them, and seeing them as a person first.

2.) I (and I think a lot of Christians also do) am guilty of throwing around the phrase, "Go and sin no more" that Jesus said to people, without trying to really think about how that phrase should be applied.
Here is a comment from a post on Chris Field's Blog:

Who has the right to say "go and sin no more"?

Do we, as Christ-followers have that right? Does it belong only to Jesus? Do we have the right to say it, as long as its not the first thing out of our mouths?

I don't know--when can we say it? It would seem that our answer to this question would have a great impact on our response to this group, regardless of where we come down on the sin vs. heredity debate.

Though I think this message should be conveyed somehow, I think too often we appear judgmental and think we have it all figured out. We have a tendency to label homosexuals as sinners that they should stop their sinful behaviors without truly trying to understand them and love them, and get into their lives. Maybe we spend too much time trying to say "Go and sin no more." Here is excerpt from the account of the woman caught in adultery according to John 8.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

11"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Notice that all the people left. Jesus was the only one left to say "Go and sin no more." Everyone else is also living in a life of sin. There are all on the same playing field. We are all sinners. We all need to go and sin no more. Why do feel the need to tell other people that like we are above them?

3. Why do we think we have to change people?
I liked this quote from a comment on Mike Cope's blog:

Understanding homosexuality is important, but perhaps acceptance is more important. Accept people for who they are right now. Why do we have such a problem accepting people as they are? Don’t you hope that people accept you for who you are right now, even though you are full of flaws? And why do we feel such an obligation to change everybody? I can’t make my nephew change his mind about liking oranges, so how can I expect to change other people’s sexual preferences. Maybe we should just take a huge load off of our backs and breathe easier and let God change whomever he wants to while we throw open the doors and say “Welcome!”

This quote just hit me as interesting. Maybe we should try to love more, accept more, and let God do the changing. This seems to be a reoccuring theme.

4. Romans 2:1
A handout that ACU provided on Monday was called "Awaiting the Redemption of our Bodies: A distinguished New Testament scholars discusses the Bible and Homosexuality with candor and compassion." by Richard B. Hays, Ph. D.
In this discussion he talks about Romans 1:18-32 which he refers to as the most crucial text for Christian ethics concerning homosexuality because it places the condemnation of homosexual behavior in an explicitly theological context. However, here is how he ends his discussion.

One more thing must be said: Romans 1: 18-32 performs a homiletical sting operation. The passage builds a crescendo of condemnation, declaring God's wrath upon human unrighteousness, whipping the reader in to a frenzy of indignation against others. But then, in Romans 2:1, the sting strikes: "Therefore you have no excuse, whoever you are, when you judge others; for in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, are doing the very same things."

We all stand without excuse under God's judgment. Self-righteous judgment of homosexuality is just as sinful as the homosexual behavior itself. That does not mean that Paul is disingenuous in his rejection of homosexual acts and all the other sinful activities mentioned in Romans 1. But no one should presume to be above God's judgment; all of us stand in radical need of God's mercy. That warning must temper the tone of our debate about homosexuality.

In his concluding remarks he also makes these statements:
Those who uphold the biblical teaching against homosexuality must remember that Paul's warning in Romans 2:1-3: We are all "without excuse"; we all stand or fall under God's judgment and mercy.

If homosexual persons are not welcome in the church, I will have to walk out the door along with them, leaving in the sanctuary only those entitled to cast the first stone.

We live, then, as a community that embraces sinners as Jesus did, without waiving God's righteousness. We live confessing that God's grace claims us out of confusion and alienation and sets about making us whole. We live knowing that wholeness remains a hope rather than an attainment in this life. The homosexual Christians in our midst may teach us something about our true condition as people living between the cross and the final redemption of our bodies.

Gary [the author's friend] wrote urgently of the imperatives of discipleship: "Are homosexuals to be excluded from the community of faith? Certainly not. But anyone who joins such a community should know that it is a place of transformation, of discipline, of learning, and not merely a place to be comforted or indulged.

So I am glad I have been educated on Romans 2: 1-3 which teaches me that I am in the same condition and should not pass judgment.

5. The homosexual life is full of pain, rejection, and hardship.
6. The issue is more complicated than we try to make it. Too many people just say "It's a choice" without trying to understand.

Here is a good comment from Mike Cope's blog that I think says it better than I could.

Bob said: “I don’t mean this as being unsympathetic, uncaring or anything else. We should remember, however, that this is a CHOICE homosexuals are making. Choices have consequences, right or wrong.”

I have to say, Bob, that as a teacher and a Christian, I’ve known a lot of gays and lesbians over the years. I’ve had students in my office weeping because their parents would no longer speak to them or acknowledge that they were alive. I’ve had students in my office who were verbally and emotionally abused to the point of suicide. I’ve had students in my office still bearing the bruises and scars of physical violence. And what I can say in every case is that I’ve never met a single person who CHOSE to be homosexual… Sat down and said, “You know, I think being gay would be a great idea. I’m going to give that a try for a while.” Such a choice, given the prevailing views of our churches, our families, and even our culture at large (which has voted overwhelmingly against gay marriage, gay rights, etc.) would be the stupidest and most short-sighted choice a person could make….

So in thinking about homosexuality, I suppose it might be illuminating to remember back to the days when we sat down and decided that our sexual orientation would be straight–looked at the options and said “I think I’ll be a heterosexual.” If it’s hard to remember the day you made that call–if you always just felt yourself to be who you are–then you can perhaps begin to understand where the homosexuals I’ve known are coming from… They didn’t pick this, and many of them have spent a significant amount of time trying to fight it or run from it or deny it–trying to pick something else. I don’t know whether it’s nature or nurture, something genetic or something that comes from things they’ve faced in their lives, but I do know that it’s just who my students feel themselves to be.

Many of the stories we heard from people from Soulforce were about this pain and rejection. And yes, even as Christians we treat them different than we treat other people. This treatment is what they want Christians to stop.

7. We must live in the tension.
Even though we may not agree with other people's views and feel uncomfortable with the issue, we must live with the tension and be Christ-like instead of avoiding the issue or treating people wrongly.

If you are to this point, thank you for reading my thoughts. Sorry it was long, I guess I learned a lot.

Prayers for SoulForce Visit

2006-03-24T11:27:00.000-08:00

I know this post is kind of long, but I liked Larry James words at the end even though they are at the end. So if you know the details at the first, skip down to the end where I ask for prayers and share Larry's words which were actually about the poor but I applied them to this situation.
For those of you who do not know, SoulForce is a gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender (GLBT) activist group consisting of 33 young adults that is on an Equality Ride tour to 19 different religious and military colleges and universities that have policies banning enrollment of GLBT students. Their purpose is to engage in dialogue about the religious-based discrimination that this group endures. Their website is http://www.equalityride.com/. Abilene Christian University is the 7th stop on the tour. According to information from the Optimist (the ACU newspaper), so far the group has been banned from setting foot on four of the campuses already visited including Liberty, Regent, Union, and Oral Roberts which led to almost 40 arrests when group members set foot on campus. Lee and Oklahoma Baptist universities allowed the group on campus and to talk to students but did not schedule forums or activities with the group.

On Monday, March 27th, Soulforce will be making its stop at ACU. ACU has cooperated with the group by setting up forums, informal dialogue oppotunities with refreshments provided, coffee-house conversations, letting them attend selected classes, eating lunch with the SoulForce riders, and providing housing for the riders. Some of these are by invitation only but there are three forums for a total period of 4 hrs and 45 min. that all students, faculty, and staff are welcome to come and hear and participate in dialogue with the group. ACU is trying to model a Christ-like approach by being compassionate, loving, and kind while still holding firm to their beliefs about what is right.

According to the Optimist, the co-director of Equality Ride, Haven Herrin said, "Our main goal is to achieve nationwide dedication to discussion about the suffering of GLBT people in an open and honest format." Herrin said the group is looking forward to the visit to ACU. She said, "I think we'll have heartfelt discussion about the discrimination students feel on campus, in the churches and in society because of their lifestyle. We are going to look at Jesus' teachings and how he loved everyone." She went on to say about ACU, "They have really rolled out the welcome mat for us. Our visit at aCU will be an important step for America."

So take time this weekend to pray for this visit. Please pray that as SoulForce visits campus, everyone in the university will be able to show a Christ-like attitude and actions toward them. I agree that the way the Church has treated homosexual people has not been loving most of the time. Too often we condemn and speak harsh words of people who are different from us. Pray that this visit will open up people's hearts to reflect on this issue. Pray that discussions will open people's eyes to a different viewpoint and the effects of our treatment of people. Pray that we can be in step with the Spirit.

I closing, here is some statements that Larry James made earlier this week on his blog. Click here for the full post. The comments are good too. These words are about treatment of the poor but I think they can be applied to the treatment of this group of people as well.

Is faith about imposing one's point of view about the Bible on others?

Is faith all about convincing people that you actually have discovered "absolute truth"?

Does faith mean that because I am part of the majority class and culture that I should angle for establishing my faith as the singular expression of truth for everyone else?

Or, could it be that faith is really more about humility in the face of life's more than perplexing reality?

Is it possible that the nature of the teachings of this strange guy named Jesus is more about service than imposition? Could it be that what he had in mind was a selfless lifestyle so radical that even in its quietness it could not be ignored?

Is the Christian faith about law suits and arguments that promote one worldview over all others?

Or, could it be that following Jesus actually has more to do with how we treat the chronically, ever-present poor?

Is faith about school-based Bible studies? Or, is it about justice for the poor?

Where should the weight of our influence and energy fall?

Believe me, I don't have anything against kids studying the Bible. But if the agenda is to establish the superiority of one view against another, I have to wonder if it is really modeling the behavior of the founder of the religion being promoted.

Jesus said more about the poor than he did about claiming superiority over others as religious people. As a matter of fact, he said nothing about superiority, unless you count what he said about avoiding it!

If memory serves me correctly, he reserved his harshest criticism for religious folks who claimed to hold title to all truth.

I doubt he would have joined this lawsuit as a co-plaintiff.

Funny how life works out in an eerie parallel to life in the news.

Our most anxious opposition about our housing efforts always seems to involve some religious people who are more concerned about their own rights than they are about reaching out to the urban poor.

Could it be that faith is all about our response to the pain of the world?

Could it be that faith will concern us so much with the injustice and oppression of the weak and vulnerable that we just won't have time to impose any of our theories on our neighbors or classmates?

Is it possible that faith seen in action is more powerful than faith claimed in words or imposed on others as an expression of our rights?

What would the world be like if we and our children sued on behalf of the neglected poor rather than on behalf of their own rights and agendas?

Who knows? God might smile on us all.

My Fiancee

2006-03-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

This past Tuesday night, I got engaged to the most beautiful, most wonderful girl in the whole world. I feel like the luckiest man alive. I am so excited and look forward to spending the rest of my life with her. Kasey is everything that I envisioned the girl I would marry would be and so much more. I could not be happier than I am right now.

The main thing that I envisioned was a woman who was a strong woman of God. I could tell from the first week that I went out with Kasey that she let God lead her life. That her main goal was to do God's will and seek Him. We had been dating for six months and over the last six months she has helped me grow spiritually like I have never grown before. I see Jesus through her and am learning how to love more everyday. She helps me with my weaknesses and accepts me and forgives me when I do stupid stuff. I am looking forward to growing closer to Christ and her throughout the rest of my life. As I strive to become a Christian leader for my family, I am glad that I will have such a strong support to help me. I thank God every day for the blessing that she is to me.

Did I mention she is amazing? I love every minute I spend with her. She makes me laugh and smile. She makes me better. I just enjoying being with her no matter what we are doing. I am glad that I have finally found the woman that I will "dance" with the rest of my life. It's great to finally know. I'm looking forward to the journey cause every day just keeps getting better and better.

Family

2006-03-13T18:15:00.000-08:00

Well, it is Spring Break and I just got back from a weekend trip to Odessa and Lubbock to see my family. I went with Dustin and Lindsey and it was really fun. There is something about family that is amazing. In my family at least, it is with them that I am most comfortable. They have known me my whole life and know almost everything about me. They know my sense of humor, my likes, my dislikes, my behaviors, etc. Within my family, I see love that is hard to find in other places. A love that is accepting of everyone as they are. A love that wants the best for everyone and is concerned for others in the family. A love for Christ that is the center.

With Lindsey coming into the family, I get to see the welcoming of another person into the family. I got to see my grandmother tearfully give her a hug and say they love her and are glad to have her as part of the family.

But my family is so wonderful because of its deep Christian heritage. Both sets of my grandparents instilled in my parents Christian values that they it turn instilled in me. I just saw my Grandpa(my dad's dad) in great spirits after being in the hospital a week after having Congestive Heart Failure. And I stand in awe. He reminds me that life is a blessing and that I should make the most out of it as long as I am here. My Papaw (my mom's dad) took the time to give me a lesson on how important it is to gather your family around the table for a meal every day because this is the place where values and lessons are taught. I look at my family and feel so blessed.

I pray that one day I will be able to carry on this tradition. That I will have a great marriage to a wonderful Christian woman. That I will be able to raise children that have a love of the Lord. And hopefully they will look up to me as I looked up to my dad. And hopefully my grandkids will look up to me as I look up to my grandparents. Because I see my grandparents as some of the best Christians I've ever known. There is just something about families. The people in your life that have the most impact on you and that you have the most impact on.

I have another family in which I am a part of that I hope to figure out how to do my part in also. I am in the family of God and have many brothers and sisters in Christ. I pray that I will learn to love this family in the same way I do my own family. And that I will be able to pass good values along to others in the same way. Then maybe I will finish my life and feel like I did something good in this world.

Restorers of Hope

2006-03-06T08:09:00.000-08:00

In my first blog ever, I asked the question, "How do they escape the kind of life that they are in?" I encourage everyone to read this post by Steve Holt that Abby's blog directed me to. He seems to be expressing the same kind of questions that I was asking and even comes to a similar conclusion.

In it Steve makes this quote:

Am I naive to think that there must be some way that we can join God in transforming Carmella holistically?

Maybe I am. But I am certain that our response cannot be indifference or ignorance — we must be “restorers of hope” to those who have none.

I like the wording that he uses when he says "join God in transforming." Somehow, and I dont know how, but God is at work in this world. His Spirit is changing lives. He is here and active and does things that we cannot do. We can do all we can but he is the transformer of lives. But we can join him in this spiritual and physical battle against the evil in this world. And since God is on our side, We WIN!!!

Less Time = Less Influence

2006-03-02T19:23:00.000-08:00

Recently as I have been pondering how as God's people we influence people's lives I remembered something from a class I have recently had. Imagine that. I remembered something from a class for more than a month. (And in this class, grades did not matter really but I just enjoyed the material) Anyway, the class was Ministry to Fathers taught by Steve Wages. In this class, he stressed a concept from a book called Point Man (Farrar, 1990) As we talked about how fathers influence the lives of their children, he said the formula was simple. Less Time = Less Influence.

Basically, the fathers who have an impact on the lives of their children are the ones that spend time with their children. They spend both quality time and a large quantity of time with their children. And because of the time spent with their children, they build relationships with their children and have an influence on their lives. Also, we talked about the Attachment Theory which said in order to train or have influence on someone, you first have to show love and develop a bond. Which goes back to spending time with them. Just because a father is in the home does not mean he is not an absent father. Trying to climb the corporate ladder or even just coming home and sitting in front of the television can reduce the amount of time spent with children.

So I liked what Connor said in reply to the last post about Jesus trying to "get involved" in the lives of people. Jesus seemed to realize that there was a relationship between the amount of time and the amount of influence he had on people. The twelve apostles spent day in and day out spending time with Jesus and thus were highly influenced by him. Jesus loved to enter people's houses and eat with them. However, I think it is important to note that Jesus only had twelve apostles who he spent a lot of time with. These are the people who he had a whole lot of influence on. And then they could spend time with more people who could spend time with and influence more people. And with each person influencing a small amount of people they could spread the gospel unto all the world.

Here is a paragraph that didnt make the final cut of my last post that I want to put into this one. Who should confront people about their lives? Should just the people who are close to the person and have a meaningful relationship with them be the one to confront them. I am not really close to very many people so I guess I have a very limited amount of people I can hold accountable if that is the case.

As I think more about these questions on my mind, I want to say "Yes" to that second question. Only the people who have a meaningful relationship with people should confront them about their lives because they are the ones that have influence on their lives. There may be exceptions but I think that is a good starting point. Therefore, I feel bad that I am not that close to very many people.

Now you may read this post and think that this is too simple. Of course Less Time = Less Influence. But then how come I dont act like it. Why do I think that four hours a week with my brothers and sisters at church are enough? Why do I get caught up in the monotony of life and do not make the time to spend with my family of God? How hard would it be to call people up from church and have dinner with people like Jesus did and talk about things going on in their lives? I read a book called "Every Man's Battle" for my Ministry to Fathers class as well. In the book, it said that when it comes to premarital sex, there is hardly a difference between teenagers who go to church and those who do not go to church. So I ponder why the church doesnt seem to have an influence on people's lives. Maybe if teenagers were spending time with other teenagers in their family of God they wouldnt engage in premarital sex. And maybe the answer is simple. We dont spend enough time with our family of God. We dont try to get involved with their lives. We say "Hi, how are you doing. How was your week?" on Sunday and think it is enough. Well, maybe not "we", maybe it is just me. But anyway, I think maybe time is a big factor.

Loving Acceptance vs. Calling People to Change

2006-02-28T11:35:00.000-08:00

As I write this post I realize that I am not good with words so I hope and pray that I expressed what I was trying to say in this post. I would like to hear your responses on both the artice posted and my thoughts and other questions or comments you have on this issue.
My thoughts in this post will be based off a Matt's February 27th post which references this article found on the SoulForce site. (SoulForce is an organization that will be coming to ACU to discuss ACU's policy against homosexual behavior) I commend Matt for bringing up this issue on his post for discussion as it is a question and struggle that I often deal with and think about.
The question that I have to this article is how do Christians lovingly accept those who are in these situations without igniting the problem because of this acceptance. In the article, Lewis Smedes states, "Finally, in the middle 1950's, the church did reverse its policy of exclusion and began embracing divorced and remarried couples into its family circle." I do believe that this was the right thing to do and I am glad that it was done. However, and this is just my observation, this seems to be about the same time that divorce rates began to dramatically increase in the United States. (The statistics I briefly looked at seemed to support this) Therefore, there seems to be a correlation between the acceptance and the number of people who accept that as a choice. How do we as Christians maintain a balance in which we lovingly accept the people yet stand firmly against the behaviors and hold people accountable?
How do we hold accountable the unwed mother who is having her second or third child? Or the unwed couple that is living together? Or the homosexuals? Or someone who spends all their money on luxuries and doesnt help the poor? Or the drug user or alcoholic? Or the divorced couples who have been in numerous marriages? This question is hard for me on many levels. First of all, there is lots of sin in my life so what right do I even have to confront others about the sin in their life. However, we as Christians are supposed to help each other and encourage one another. The question I have is how do we go about that?
Jesus was good at telling people how it is, but how do we do that? His attitude towards the Pharisees, who also were very religious and trying to do God's will, did not resemble loving acceptance. It just seems to me like we can become accepting of everyone without really calling them to change their lives. And that leads to it just happening all the more. It seems to me like we as Christians accept everyone, as we should, but we overlook a major part in that we have to call people to be better. For example, we dont confront people about how they spend their money and so we have a materialistic nation who doesnt do a good job at helping the poor. So basically, I wonder how to integrate loving acceptance and accountability, encouragement, etc. How do we tell people, "I love you, Go and sin no more."
Somehow I think that we need to convey more that the sin is wrong. We seem to talk about God's love and grace more than his justice. If we figure out how to convey that the sin is wrong along with acceptance maybe we will have more people who come to church and try to work through their marital problems. Maybe we will have more homosexuals who go through the counseling and get through their struggles. Maybe we will have wealthy people change thier lifestyles or people who decide to quit sleeping around. But if we have a church that accepts people but does not call people to change, this will never happen. Maybe the church before the 1950's was doing something right, just like the church now is doing something right as well. It seems to me that there needs to be a balance that we have not figured out how to do.

A Tribute to Michael Burris

2006-02-27T08:38:00.000-08:00

Michael Buuurrriiiiiiisss!!!!!! A few years back I had a roomate named Michael Burris. A very memorable roomate to say the least. His memories bring back the smell of tuna, the picture of the giant fish he used to sleep with, and a red velvet backpack. But this blog is about a profound statement that he made one time. He once made the comment, "Sometimes I just want to go to sleep and never wake up."
Oh how true this statement can sometimes be. In my opinion, sleep is one of the blessings in life and is one of my favorite things to do. When you fall asleep, you have no worries at all. You are in a state of peace and rest no matter what yesterday was like or tomorrow will be like. After a long, hard day you can always look forward to when you get to go home and lay your head on your pillow and go to sleep. So wouldnt it be nice to just go to sleep and never wake up. Everyone has had the experience in which you just do not want to get out of bed. You lay there wishing you just had another thirty minutes to enjoy the bliss and happiness that comes with sleep.
And you can also make the connection with death. Oh how glorious that day will be when we finally do go to sleep and never wake up. We will then advance into a place where the peace and rest and happiness never end. Oh how I long to go to Heaven where the hardships of life will be forgotten. Even in the midst of a long, hard life we have the hope of going home to a place where we find "sleep".
So thank you Michael Burris for this deep insight into life. Tomorrow, everyone where sweats to school or work in memory of my old roommate.

Dancing With God

2006-02-25T11:36:00.000-08:00

Does anybody else really love to dance? I love dancing whether it is dancing with Kasey (which is my favorite), freestyle dancing (which I look pretty ridiculous doing), dancing along with people on t.v. (I'm really good at that), doing the hula, celebration dances, and the list goes on. On Thursday Mike Cope posted a really neat blog that included the thoughts of Kerri Lane as she meditated on the word "dance". Click here to read the post for February 23rd. I thought this post was great for many reasons. I think her words explain most of it. When we let God lead our lives it goes so much more smoothly and produces a wonderful feeling. But as she states, this takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness. Sometimes it hard for me to know how to let God lead. Just what exactly does that mean? How does that look? I love the song, "He Leadeth Me" which was in the old song book called Songs of the Church. Acapella did a version of that song and my mom played it for me after my dad passed away. It has meant a lot to me over the years as I try to let God lead my life. Kasey has taught me a lot about viewing life as a dance and relationships as a dance in which God is our instructor. He is the one who teaches us how to dance. When we learn from God how to do things and how to live, things will go more smoothly and we fulfill our purpose on the dance floor. Last night, I got to go to Oplin for Kara Wolfe's Birthday party. Happy Birthday Kara Wolfe!!! This is the second time I have got to go with Kasey to Oplin to dance. There is something about just being with her and holding her that makes things seems wonderful. With God it is the same way. I think he enjoys when we want to dance with Him and we let Him wrap his arms around us. And for me, I have hope and assurance in his arms knowing that all things will be okay. So I hope you dance...and let Him lead.

The Beginning

2006-02-25T11:20:00.000-08:00

Okay, so I have given in to the blogging urge. I will see how this goes. I have enjoyed reading other people's site and thoughts so I hope other people will like reading from mine. In this site, I will write about my wonderings and thoughts that run through my head and also about my life in general. The question in my head right now is, "Why am I so blessed?" How come I was born into such a great life when others have it so hard? I have a middle school group of inner city boys who I love to death. But their lives are so much different from mine. Some are growing up with out fathers, mothers, or both. The neighborhoods and situations they come from make it so hard. One recently got in trouble for stabbing someone with a pencil and has been caught with weed. They struggle with school which may be because they are not expected to do as well. How do they escape the kind of life that they are in? Why is it that I was born into a great family, was blessed with the greatest girlfriend in the whole world, and have lined up a good job before I get out of school? I think Jesus calls us as Christians to help people in these very situations. We are his Body and it is our job to ease their pain, to give them hope, to bring them to life and raise them from the dead by introducing them to Jesus and being Jesus to them. So I pray that God will enter thier lives. That through my example and efforts, God will work through me and let them see how loved they are by their creator. Well, not all of my blogs will be this long. This was just one I had in my head.