Our Lives Are Not Our Own

It would be great to see you…..

When I met Nikki I knew what I wanted.  One of the quickest decisions I’ve ever made.

The slowest decision I’ve ever made?  Every other stinking one.

Nikki balances my self-criticism by saying that once I do make a choice I am unshakeable. Maybe.

All I know is when you are called to take a big leap of faith yet struggle with making day-to-day decisions, the conflict in the mind is unkind.  The two extremes sort of go together like beef-cola.

We have the seniors studying Ecclesiastes for the next couple of weeks.  As their safe high school bubble of security is about to burst their world is about to get a lot bigger.

They need to come to the conclusion, much like the Preacher, that very attractive things exist in this world which they will discover are very meaningless.  It’s a scary thing to realize, and once they do they will have a life-changing decision to make.  They just need to make the decision and locomote.  God will do wonders with people who move.

We once again listen in on the speech from William Wallace, “Sure it seems impossible, but what happens if we don’t at least try?  Nothing.”

(*any day which includes an excuse to type the word “Twinkie” is a good day.)

We hosted a prayer service on 1-22-11.  It’s easier to talk about our dreams, make plans in our minds, and visualize the future than it is to take action.   It was good to put feet to faith.

God has put forth a large amount of change in our professional lives and now is adding personal change to our docket.  Adding a child and a home by the end of the year is a possibility.

We have been looking at homes.  We’re thinking long-term livin’.  The Lord may move us once again but we are going in with the idea this is the home we will raise children in, it will be the home we create many family moments, and it will be the home with the living room in which I will sit with my shotgun, and various weapons, as I await meeting our daughter’s first boyfriend.

We feel like we are ourselves for the first time in a long time.  When I was on a church staff I didn’t quite feel myself which in turn made Nikki not feel much like herself.  It was a weird time.  We now work in the very same building but it has a much different feel. We want to continue to be who the Lord created us to be as we continue to move forward with “our” ministry.

In an attempt to continue being such a positive person I will now unveil the top nine things I am thankful for on Feb. 1, 2011……

1. A day off of work watching the trees in the park receive a healthy dose of powdered sugar.

2. My wife.  (I already covered why my wife is #2 in a previous post.)

3.  Difficult people.  My sandpaper.  You know who they are.  If we’re honest we would realize we are someone else’s sandpaper.  What?  Me?  No way!  They keep me praying and they help reveal my own weaknesses.

4. The ability to sing off-key.  It’s a talent.  (I can sing on-key, but it would rob my lady of much pleasure.)

5. Nightly re-runs of The Wonder Years

6. Like-minded spouse

7. Chicken bog (oh hot sauce, where is thy sting?)

8. Aldi

9. Something to look forward to…..

I smell chicken bog.  Goodbye.