11/20/2009
"I don't live a perfect life
But God knows I'm trying the best I can
And I have wasted so much time
Pretending I'm alright about who I am
Now I'm living the best I can"
- Decyfer Down Best I Can from the Album Crash.
The other night at Bible Study we were talking about being 'Called'. This is kind of a tough subject, what's it like to be 'called'. We talked about some of what was going on in the girls lives, could it be that some of them were being 'called' to go to certian schools? As seniors they all have a lot of decisoins in front of them, decisoins that will have a lasting impact on their lives. I pray for each and everyone of them that they make good decisoins, that they seek out where He is Calling them to, and to be Bold when that calling might not seem like what they want to do.
Funny how it's super easy to think about a prayer from someone else like that huh? But how often do we pray that for ourselves? I think the lyrics above pretty much hit the nail on the head. Decyfer Down has it all figured out, or at least can poeticly express the bottom line for all of us here who are trying to be Christ-like.
"I don't live a perfect life But God knows I'm trying the best I can And I have wasted so much time Pretending I'm alright about who I am Now I'm living the best I can"
Being Called is a personal thing, only we can know what God is laying in our hearts. For me over the years I've discovered it's being a Husband, it's being a Youth Group leader, and soon it's being a Father. These are 3 things I do the best I can. Sometimes my best isn't good enough, and I fail. We all do. But I try my best to make a conceus decision evey day to live my Calling and live a perfect life, which I can't. But God knows my heart, and knows I'm trying.
You girls are at a fun, scary and exciting point in your lives. Makeing decisoins that will alter the course of your life forever. I pray for each of you to know and have comfort with your Calling. God has amazing things in store for each and everyone of you. You will screw up, your going to fall and you may get hurt. But if you girls keep focused on you Calling, on God and make decisions with your heart in sync with thoes things, you will all be able to do amazing things in this world.
None of us live a perfect live, that's just the way it is, that's why Jesus had to come and make such a sacrfice. But you guys can be examples right where you are, and where you will be, and you can make a profound change for someone, or maybe someones.
If I can make it, and be loved by God, then I know first hand that you guys can to. My Calling is here with you guys now, with Sarah and with our soon to be baby. But I wouldn't be here if I wasn't open to the Calling of God in my life. Be open to where your being called, be it MSU, Spring Arbor or Africa.
Sarah and I look forward to finishing out the school year and summer with you girls and we look forward to seeing the awesome young ladies for God you all grow into.
And always remember, regardless of what it seems like, you won't live a perfect life, all you can do is the best you can and seek Him.
God Bless you all.
9/25/2009In less than 3 months our blessing arrives. Wow... The house is getting picked up and put together, really for the fist time. Seems like finaly lots of little things I've been just ignoreing are getting done. There is an 'end date' it seems.
We've finished the shower upstairs, got our windows replaced, put on a new chimney (not by choice, but by necesity mind you) installed a new hotwater heater, rfinished hardwood floors in the nursery, painted, cleaned, even got the covers for all the light switched and outlets we've been lacking for like I don't know... 8 years... Yeah, the Baby is coming all right!
I find myself the last fw days thinking back to the road trip I took to Alaska. Specific things come to mind, chuggun up hill at 12am in the mountains in Wyoming. Stopping at 3am in Montana along the side of the road just to gaze UP. Wow was that amazing. The adventure, the thrill of having no idea what is around the next turn, over the next hill and knowing for a change that this time, this tirp, the drive WAS the trip. Yeah we did it fast maybe, 6 days to drive to Alaska... But MAN it was just an awsome thing to do.
Seems a lot like what I'm getting ready to embark on. A road trip, with twist and turns and dips and hills and mountians. I won't be able to always see what's coming. Some views will be glorious, some not. But the journey is the trip. I can't wait for the journey to start!
Sarah was the first one I think to really say it, we were driving up to the farm tonight and she said 'I wonder what your Mom would say about 'this' (meaning the baby of course) as she pointed to her tummy. 'She'd be driving you nuts' I said with a big smile (it's true!) she laught fighting back tears she said 'yeah probabley...'
I remember back 8 years ago sitting in the basment, it was 2 days after she went home. I was just sitting there stareing at her collection of quilting stuff. I remember thinking what made me the sadest was I knew my children would never meet my Mom here on earth. That was the toughest part for me. It's not something I've put a lot of specific thought into until tonight, probabley on purpose. I sat down there and cried because this wonderful friend, and role model woudn't be here to see and by with my Children. Then I remember the feeling of comfort, comfort knowing that I was wrong. See I know, she'll aways be with my Children now. 7/25/2009
As I think about everything that has happened in the last say, 12-16 months I'm just kind of in shock. Seems like it's been a pretty crazy time. Some ups, and some downs, but mostly turning points. We've experinces new jobs, financial situations, deaths and births in the family and spirtual growth and renwal in several forms.
On the plan coming home from Alaska, we gazed out over the mountains, Sarah says to me "going home is differnt this time." And she was right, when we left last year we were saying good bye to the mountains in anticipation of returning. In fact, a large part of us didn't even want to leave. Alaska is much more than mountains to us, but they symbolize what it is. As we roared to the east leaving Anchorage over the mountains and ice feilds I knew we weren't going to be returning next year, or likley in the near future. Through God, Alaska had taught us what she had to teach.
We're second to God to each other, we have to work as a team, simplicity, be content with the blessings we have, enjoy life, enjoy each other. Listen. To Him, and to each other.
As we gazed on from our cruising altitude the conversation continued, "this has been a turning point, it's differnt than last year, this is like the start of a new chapter". I agreed, it was.
We were taught as much these last two years spending 10 days in Alaska by the kids on our trip, and the people we encountered as we were by Alaska herself. To watch kids, high school kids, grow, to want to server, to want to learn and to want to listen to God is amazing. It's an undescribable feeling. How blessed we've been to accompany and lead these two groups, differnt groups, but equally as awsome groups on the trip of a lifetime, twice.
I couldn't sleep on the plan, my mind wandered, yes, this was a turning point. When we returned home we wanted to be differnt, that's going to be difficult. It always is, it's so hard to keep things going, but we march on trying to keep our focus on Him, not us. The iamsecond.com concept comes to mind ( www.iamsecond.com). Keep God first, and everything else will fall in place...
33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Sounds simple enought right? But really, what does it entail, a lot, an awful lot. I've blogged further down on the whole control thing I struggle with, you should scroll down and read that one...
So where to? My world is changeing, it's differnt. It's awsome. This week I came home from work and didn't turn on my laptop 3 out of 5 days. Why? NOISE. On Tuesday Sarah and I had 'family night' we went out for dinner. During dinner 4 or 5 phone calls got sent to voicemail. Looking back, I should have just left it in my car. Why? NOISE. We have to much noise, to many distractions. We've hardly had the TV on since we got back from Alaska. I'm actualley considering dumping the 100's of channels we pay for. Why? NOISE. Just noise, clutter to much going on, contant interuption. It seems slow coming, we've been busy getting ready for new carpet installed on Monday. But I think we're both trying to get to a point where we spend more time together, more time listening to life than watching it. God isn't into completing with things like this...
The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. 13 When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
After all that, the voice of God came to Elija in a whisper...
In December I'm going to be a Daddy, yeah wow, your telling me. I don't have a firm grasp on that just yet, but it sure is real. We had our ultrasound today, the report is everything is as it should be (no we didn't find out the sex, we're not finding out so don't ask). What an amazing thing to think this gift of life is growing inside Sarah. Its even more amazing to think that He has charged us with raising one of His children. I'm sure your all saying 'oh whatever your'll be great parents' yeah I know... I guess I do, I just wonder what qualifies me to be a Daddy??
I remember years ago, sitting at the kitchen table in our apartment, we'd been married about a year or so, writing checks for like rent, bills etc (which reminds me I need to send some checks... i'll do that before going to bed, sorry...) and thinking to myself, when did this happen? How did I all of a sudden become deemed 'qualified' to be a husband, to take care of bills, to make decisoins affecting my family, which at the time was only Sarah and I. Now I think about that same thing again, how did I become 'qualified' for this job!
I know I allready love this little life inside Sarah, hard to explain but you Dad's out there I'm sure know what I mean. I guess because it doesn't matter at this point anymore what he or she does, grows up to become. That baby is a gift from God. So if we focus on Him, how can we go astray!
I'm kind of all over the map tonight. I'm looking forward to tommorrow, right now as I write a group of our Alaska team is hanging out at one of the girls cottages, and we're going to meet up with them tommorrow. We love these kids, we care for these kids and we can't wait to see them again. I never imagined I'd care for a group of high schoolers as much as I do! Each one has a special place in my heart, and Sarah's also. And each one of them has touched us and chaged us. We thank God for each of them.
If you made it this far, nice work, I know I was really allover the map tonight. I just needed to brain dump I think! 7/8/2009The whitewater rafting crew headed out of Seward for Hope, AK about 7am. For the stories I heard sounded like it was a pretty awesome trip, one of our chaperones had a slightly harrowing experience when she was tossed from a raft and then pinned between the raft and the rock wall. But she was pulled from the river with no major injuries, but did decide to sit the rest of the trip out. The kids had a ball and 7 of them even decided to continue on to the class IV section of the river as well. 17 members of our 27 member team went rafting.
The rest of us slept in, went and took a shower, drank coffee’s and smoothies overlooking the Seward harbor got cleaned up and headed for Anchorage about 12:30. We meet up for Pizza at ‘The Mooses Tooth’ as a group and shared stories from the river. We then headed downtown to do some shopping before heading to the Airport for our return flight, which departed at 11:15pm Alaska time. The flight was long, mostly quiet and uneventful. Some of us slept better than others. Landing in Chicago at 8:15 CTS we were greeted by Phil and Cortnie (who was suppose to have gone on the trip but broke her leg) in full disguise. We were actually all surprised that the TSA didn’t get a call!
We boarded out bus and headed back home.
The trip is complete, but the effect is one that will likely last forever for all of us on it. I was so very impressed by this group of young adults, they way that they worked, and poured their hearts out in Sutton. They way they acted in public and for the growth they all experienced over the course of this trip. What a blessing it was to be a part of that. I know many of them have had their lives changed in one way or another, and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for each and every one of them!
Thank you for tuning in, and for supporting us throughout our trip!
Today was out fun day, we had groups who got up early and did some Halibut fishing, we were successful, what a beautiful coastline. We had several of out team do some kayaking, and get to see some cool things in the Resurrection Bay, including an old WWII era base, which was a labyrinth of pitch black tuneless and spaces. A third group went horseback riding, saw Eagles and got to see where the original town of Seward was, prior to the earthquake and tsunami of 1964. And another group went out on a wildlife and glacier cruise, where they got to see a lot of local animals and whales as well as amazing scenery.
After our trips I and several of the kids headed back down for some ‘Fish and Chips’ and I was even able to get several of them to try the fish and they all liked it! In talking to them it was also mentioned how much they had really enjoyed not having their cell phones throughout the week, although no one wanted to give their phones back up at that point.
In devotions that evening we shared a verse that had meaning for us, either from this weeks devotions or not, and then share why it was significant. It was an excellent way to finish out the trip!
At church this morning the VBS team was able to get up with the kids and sing a couple of songs for the congregation. We also got to be witnesses to 3 baptisms, in a Baptist church, full body immersion baptism isn’t something we’re use to seeing. After church a couple of the girls were talking to some of the local kids they’d been with all week in VBS, and one of the kids told them he wanted to be baptized, and it was even cooler when as they are talking to him he shared with them why. He really didn’t understand the concept and wanted to go through with it! It was a very cool moment for those girls! Hopefully they will let me know how it goes! After an emotion filled exit we headed south to Seward. The drive to Seward it absolutely amazing and we made it with no issues in good time. Good time, in fact that many of us were able to have dinner in town at the local ‘Fish and Chips’ place; many people enjoying Halibut for the first time. After dinner we had our ‘campfire’ (without the campfire) out by the Resurrection Bay, and we were treated to a couple of Humpback whales playing off shore, breaching and surfacing so we could see them. We talked about what we were thankful for on the trip as well as what it would be like going home, and how to try and keep our flame going for God back home. 7/5/2009
So I don't know what excatley I did, but I have pictures posted all over the place. So here is a link, this is where I'm going to do the updateing now!
Which is also the 'Photo's' link on the menu to the right
I don’t know how much Internet Access I’ll have internet access in Seward, it was tough last year because the church we were in didn’t have it.
We awoke this morning and came down to devotions and were joined by 2 bald eagles who landed on the tree right by the firepit. What a cool way to start the day! Now were packing up, cleaning up and getting ready to hit the road for Seward!
We got to sleep in today, (extra half hour) and after breakfast we got everything set and took the whole crew up to the little park up the road where the 4th of July Carnival was taking place. We had to inflatable toys, a jumper and a slide, plus some bean bag toss, a craft table and face painting. We hung out there and got to interact with the community. Many of us enjoyed a heaping helping of Ribs, grilled on this awesome grill made out of about a 1000 gallon fuel tank. It was pretty awesome, and the ribs were fantastic!
After enjoying our day in the sun at the park, we loaded up and went to the elementary school to play some kickball and then to the watering hole to jump in the lake. Dinner was a little later tonight, and Mark was sure helpful by eating up all the left over’s.
At campfire tonight we talked about compassion, and shared about people who we all had in our lives that modeled compassion. The neat thing about it was hearing all these kids talk about the Christian role models that they have, and how they exhibit compassion. It’s hard to believe this is our last night around the camp fire, and in honor of that several of us sat up till 2am and did some riddles and just talked about things going on in our lives. The last two nights have been really great nights, it’s such an honor to be here and be working with your young adults. These really are a group of awesome kids, and it’s just so cool to see how God is moving and using them. Teen years are really tough, but these kids really know, and believe that God’s here for them, and he really wants to guide them and so many don’t have that Faith. They all have great families that support them, and I’m so blessed to be here and working with them as well. |
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