Updated Photos on New Church Building Page

click on the “New Church Building” page above next to “About Me” and check out the new pics! 

Birthday Wishes and Pouring Concrete!

No guest blogger today, he is a no show…  He had a busy week this week, traveling to see his sisters graduate (one from college, one from high school), but he did write the article on the plane.   Somehow it needs to end up in my inbox though…. 

Today I am excited to go to the land and watch them pour the concrete for the foundation!  Considering that we should have been ready to open the building in July, this has been a long time in coming!  I will post pictures here and possibly even update the “new church building” page at some point. My Aunt and Uncle come to visit tomorrow from Boston.  I am really looking forward to it. 

 

But the biggest news is Trish is turning 39 years old TOMORROW!  

Send her birthday wishes in the comments section, she will love it!!! 

Happy Birthday Baby!  I love you!

 

A “Giving” Conversation

Last night we had a great time hanging out with close friends of ours.  We ate great food and talked for hours.  There is something very healing about well spent time with friends.  It is like a refreshing station along the marathon of life.  We talked about all kinds of things, but one of the most interesting topics was giving.  Why is it that so many churches guilt people into giving?  Why does the church feel it needs to convince people to part with their money, like the church knows better how to spend it that we do?  I understand fully that it takes money to run a church, our church needs money too, but I don’t think that it is fair how we manipulate people into giving.  The bible is clear on how to give properly and it is all centered around motive.  We should WANT to give, not be coerced into giving.  If you give grudgingly there is no blessing in it.  Giving out of gratefulness is what is needed.  There is nothing more exciting than seeing how your giving helps others.  We have been so blessed, all of us, and I think everyone has it in their heart to give, especially when you can see that your giving is really making a difference in another person’s life. 

 

When there is a clear understanding of what the money is going to, and the results are apparent, I think people will begin to see the benefit of giving and then start prioritizing their own expenditures so they can give more.  Do you think I am right?  Have you ever been guilted into giving?  What would make you want to give more?  Have you ever put off buying something you wanted so you could help a friend out?  Isn’t that the way it should be?

Is It Really Almost Summer?

I woke up this morning to our heater running!  Looking outside I understand why – it is about 40 degrees and foggy with a light mist raining.  Today is the Air Force Academy’s Graduation.  Complete with President Bush speaking and the Thunderbirds flying – but they wont fly in this fog!  I am glad I am not there… here is the weather on my igoogle hompage…

44°F

Fog
Wind: E at 0 mph
Humidity: 98%

Today

68° | 50°

I am waiting on a phone call from a friend in Texas that is a data base guru.  I swear this guy can take a number and show you 15 different ways to analyze it. He is helping me with some of the metrics and numbers from our church.  I am excited to see what we can learn by looking at some of the data I have been collecting for the past few months.  I am also excited about our new worship leader.  We have extended an invitation to a young man named Kevin that has agreed to lead our worship experience.  It is an exciting time for our church.

With the kids out of school, the foggy cold day, and me officing from home, I am a little curious to see how this all works out today!  Thank God for noise reducing earphones! 

 

Flying Kites

I am thankful for the break last week.  It is hard to get away when so much is going on, and I feel badly when so many people have to be involved in taking up the slack when we do go, so thank you to those that stepped in and helped make the weekend happen!  There is concrete on the Church property too!  They began pouring the foundation last week!  Finally!

 

We towed our trailer to Canon City and stayed there a couple nights.  The weather was unsettled, so there was a little sun, a little rain and a lot of wind!  Alison bought a kite in the gift shop, a really cool one that has the dual controls so you can do tricks with it.  We got it all put together, and began our attempts to get it airborne.   Over and over again it would go up about 5 feet then go nose first into the ground.  I was beginning to worry that it was a cheap kite that would be more frustrating than fun.  But as I was looking at it I realized that the nose was too far up in the rigging.  A kite like this has three connection points on each side, and if the rigging is off, it doesn’t fly at the right angle.  I wrapped the front connecting strings around the cross support a few times on each side, and with that it soared straight up into the sky!  It was a blast!  It was windy enough that you could hear the kite’s nylon vibrating like a motorcycle and it would go back and forth and do great loops!  It was a lot of fun. I loved flying kites as a kid, so to do this with my kids was a special time.  (if you enlarge the picture below, and look carefully at the speck – it is actually the kite!  It was really high, and Taylor got a new camera that she didn’t have all figured out yet)

 

 

Sometimes in life if it is not working the way we think it should, all we have to do is make a little adjustment and things begin to soar for us too.  If you find yourself repeating patters that make you wind up nose first in the ground, look around and see if there is something little you can change that may cause a huge difference.  Maybe an attitude towards something or someone.  Maybe a habbit that needs breaking.  Maybe you are paying too much for a thing that keeps you from being able to really enjoy life.  Maybe it is hanging around a person that keeps brining you down.  These are all things that with a few minor adjustments can make the difference between you flying above – being the person you were created to be, or floundering around on the ground.  If you aren’t sure what needs to change, ask someone that you are close to that has a positive outlook on life – then suck up your pride and listen!  Here is to soaring above!

 

Camping – Unplugged, Unavailable, Unraveled

One of the things our family loves doing more than anything is packing up our travel trailer and heading to the mountains.  (Second only to packing up the travel trailer and heading to the beach – but in CO. there are not any beaches close…)  We are doing that very thing today!  we will be out of town for a couple days and with Memorial Day monday I probably wont be back on the Blogosphere until next week.  Look for great pics and posts then, and have a great weekend.  Find a way to unplug all your electronics – I will be unplugged.  Find a way to be unavailable to the normal interruptions - I will be unavailable.  Find a way to rest and relax to unravel from all the stress – I will begin unraveling in about 4 hours!

Graduation

Last night was a great night, watching our twins graduate 8th grade.  It is funny how now all these graduations are celebrated.  I have even seen kindergartners wear caps and gowns!  I think it is a great way to celebrate passages as our kids grow. so here they are with a friend toasting the night afterwards.

Alison, our “loves to be in the spotlight” girl presented the teacher with a gift from the class – a signed box of Fruit Loops.  (the teacher apparently called this group her Fruit Loops).

Trish and I with the Graduates!

Close family friends and the Graduates!

Now off to high school!  They sure grow up fast. 

Last Day Of School!

Today is the last day of 8^th grade for our twins.  They have had one of the best years ever and it is really hard for them to think it is over.  They have been in 4 different schools in 4 years, some big, some small, and the connections they have made this year are the best yet.  Friday night they had a graduation party for the kids in their class.  Boys and girls – our first boy/girl party.  It was interesting to say the least!  The highlight was the silly string fight in the backyard.

 

Tonight there is a ceremony for the 8^th graders at the school.  I am sure it will prove to be an emotional day.  

 

Guest Blogger #1 “The Scrap Booker!”

I am really looking forward to seeing other people’s perspectives and hearing their stories, so today is the first of something I hope we will do on a regular occasion. Leanne is a good friend of mine that goes way back to one of my first ministry jobs. She was on the team that lead Children’s Ministry at Chapel Hills. She has an incredibly servant spirit and she is one of the most creative people I know. The thing I appreciate most about Leanne, besides how supportive she is of her friends, is that she is a doer. She not only can come up with great ideas but she can make them happen too! That is not always easy. She is a fantastic mom, and works really hard at making a home for her husband and beautiful daughters. She does a great job setting boundaries with work and family and has been writing curriculum for a while now.

I love what she writes about taking time to reminisce, and I think we have all been there when you return to “real” life and all the pressure and routine begins to squeeze out the nostalgia… (The views expressed around scrap booking are not representative of the blog sponsor – just so we are clear… I cannot imagine an entire weekend of it!)  Her post is below:

 

 

I have just returned from a weekend away, feeling very blessed. I love to scrap book and this weekend I went with a group of ladies to scrapbook at a hotel, Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. Some people just can’t fathom sitting at a table for 14 to 16 hours a day just scrap booking. It is awesome, though. I spread all my stuff out on a table and go back in time and reminisce. I try to go to this type of retreat at least once a year. I end up scrap booking almost a year of family history (I am quite proud to say that I am currently only a little over a year behind). The best part I have to say is when I come back from these retreats: my love for my family and God is completely rejuvenated. It’s like coming back from the perfect vacation, honeymoon or date with your spouse. I feel completely reconnected. This type of weekend away gives me permission to stop and smell the roses. I look at all the pictures and see how fast my kids have grown. Life really does go by fast. I look at all the fun things we did, whether it was in the back yard or on a trip. I look at all the things God worked out for His good, that at the time I couldn’t see. I look at the pictures and just truly feel blessed. On the drive home, and even that evening, you couldn’t remove the smile or light heartedness that I felt.

Unfortunately, like the exercise routines, it is easy to fall out of that routine/feeling. Monday morning comes and it takes me almost 45 minutes to comb through my daughters long hair. Could no one find a brush this weekend? What about spelling words, math facts and reading logs? Poof, my lovey dovey mood is shattered, gone in mere minutes. Asking for or even desiring another weekend away after just 12 hours, seems, well…quite ridiculous. However, I desperately want the feeling back that I had the night before. Where did that perspective go? The “There is not enough time in the day” pit is calling my name and wants me to return (I just recently read Beth Moore’s book Get Out of the Pit). So, I am back to reality. I have a choice to get in that pit or not. I can choose to keep a God perspective or keep a me perspective. Some days I do better then others. Sometimes I get up and exercise, sometimes I don’t. Life… it is not easy. All I know, is that I can’t wait another year to stop and smell the roses.

Thanks for letting me share my heart and my struggles.
Leanne

 

 

Thanks for sharing Leanne!

So what do you do to pull off the side of the highway of like and smell the roses? Is it scrap booking? Is it camping? Is it movie watching? Do you read books? Share your thoughts!

Ice Cream Truck, Man Hugs, Finals Week, Donuts & Bowflex?

Today; a miscellaneous posting of anything

As I am sitting here trying to think of things to write about there is a news story about a sex offender owning and operating an ice cream truck in California… That’s just great, you cant be sure of anyone anymore, but the ice cream man? Well, Eddie Van Hallen did write a song about a while ago…

Tomorrow is the first post of the guest bloggers, I will introduce her to you and share here thoughts in tomorrow’s post, this should be fun.

I was thinking about “man hugs” today – how far men have come in sharing physical contact but how awkward it still seems… (I was watching Obama and Edwards do this on the platform when Edwards announced he was supporting Obama) A man hug is what you get when two men approach one another and begin with a handshake, then (awkwardly) move into a one armed embrace with the opposite arm. Depending on how familiar with the man hug the guys are, inadvertently one man will move the wrong way and it will look like they are going to kiss – which makes it even more awkward! Always remember men, move to the side of the FREE ARM! This allows for a loose embrace with much less contact necessary providing the encouraging feeling of “I’m there for you” without the homophobic panic that results from feeling the other man’s stubble on your cheek! The confusion that can result from this embrace being poorly executed is enough to keep you from wanting to participate in the activity all together… that is why it is especially funny to watch two Presidential Candidates trying to make it look cool and polished on camera… (they didn’t by the way – that’s why you got to read this part!)

Finals are almost over in our home. Our 8th graders (twins) have been studying really hard and doing a great job. I am a proud parent! It reminded me of all those nights of sleepless studying in college. I almost missed Finals Week – there is something about the community that develops between students when the added pressure of comprehensive essay testing comes around… remember the blue books? Remember showing up to the 8:00 am test with bed-head from the 2 hour “sleep” you got after you realized that no matter how hard you studied at 5 am not much more was going to stick in the gray matter – but by that point you had consumed so much Kettle coffee that you couldn’t sleep if you wanted to? And by the way – your alarm has been going off for an hour so you could get up early and “review” your notes one more time before the exam – but you slept through it and nearly missed the test altogether! Yeah – I almost miss those days!

Okay, enough rambling… I have to go to work, I have a bunch of meetings this afternoon and have a lot to do before then… I have been working out nearly every day, not that you can tell yet. Trish went to the store this morning and brought back a dozen donuts… she even picked a couple cream filled ones for me… I hope my will-power stays intact this morning – they are calling my name! But no – I am going to lift – I love my Bowflex – I love donuts, I love not having a gut – I love cream filling… wish me luck, this may be harder than I thought. Hopefully I wont get cream filling on the Bowflex!