It has been three months since my last post, and there’s a bunch I could tell you about. Like, we’re expecting our sixth child, or we had an amazing trip to Colorado, or my car is getting $1,000 worth of repair, or I’ve gained almost 30 lbs in 3 months (all muscle… of course), or I aced my two math classes, or there was a dead baby squirrel on our sidewalk. But you can find out all that small stuff from Twitter.
What we’re here to talk about today is… we’re debt free! Wait a second, you say? That’s old news? Well, you’re right. It’s exactly a year old. We are celebrating a year anniversary of being debt free! And God gets all the glory. He has overcome our mistakes, selfishness, impatience, and fears. We’ve done everything we can to make staying debt free a challenge. God keeps proving himself faithful. It is almost two years since we started on that crazy journey. It was an incredible and meaningful adventure for this young family. Thank you for being a part of it. We’re hoping and praying the results are long lasting, reaching to the next generations.
Ephesians 5:22-33:
Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— for we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
Colossians 3:18-21:
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
1 Peter 2:21-3:7:
To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
“He committed no sin,and no deceit was found in his mouth.”When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.
Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers.
Here is some of the fun captured on film.
I downloaded a couple photography apps, CameraBag and ColorSplash, for my iPhone. I’ve just been playing around so far, but I like the results. Maybe I’ll start a daily iPhone photo like Chad Wright.
Here are the highlights from the month of June 2009
- Got to visit with my Aunt Diane while she was in town
- Had a nice Father’s Day celebration with cookies for breakfast!
- Celebrated Christina’s and my birthday with dinner an Benihana’s
- Moved Concert Technologies to a newly purchased building
- Completed my 3rd class with UoP, keeping an A average
- Started my 4th class… Algebra
- Had the last class with my kindergartners in Kid’s Quest
- Had a budget meeting and discovered our expenses, even after things settle, will have increased about $500 per month after the move
- Managed to put $500 into savings to get it back up to $9,000
- Only 32 days till we leave for CO!!!!!
What makes a birthday so special? Sharing the joy with others!
Friday, June 26th, my beautiful bride turns 25.
And I need YOU to help me wish her a happy birthday. Feel free to share a memory, word of encouragement, a virtual spank, etc.
I’ll go first.
Christina,
Wow! Where did the time go?! I’ve known you now for twelve years. When I met you, you were the bubbly, blonde-orange-ish short haired girl to whom I gave rides to youth group. Today, you are a quarter of a century old, and more beautiful than ever (with lovely long brown hair, or course). Life has tried to pop some of your bubbles, but you keep afloat. We share more memories than could ever be recorded in a blog. You have grown, and continue to grow, into an amazing godly woman. I am encouraged by your desire for God to consume every part of your being and every aspect of your life. By the grace of God, I hope to see half a century, and even a century with you. Happy Birthday! You rock! :)
C’mon – we could blow her mind, or at least get her to shed a tear or two of joy.
Photo by Budslife “busy”
Who knew I would actually make use of those few years of self-induced leadership training? Funny how my informal schooling cost me a lot more than my formal schooling. Anyway… I’m getting to put into practice many of the lessons I learned from John Maxwell and other wise leaders. I need to go back and read about teamwork, but here are somethings that I have observed from my first few learning team experiences in school.
A team needs:
- A leader
- A goal/mission
- Communication
- Cooperation
Without one of these key areas, the team can limp along, but it never reaches its full potential. My last two teams have been proof to me of this.
photo by MandCo
Question:
What is your secret for getting out of bed each morning? Do you picture something in particular? Do you talk to yourself?
Sometimes I yell at myself like a drill sargeant. Sometimes I’m a lazy soldier.
He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. – 2 Corinthians 12:9
I hope my dad doesn’t mind, but I’d like to ask your prayer for him. We (including the doctors) are about 99.9% sure he has Meniere’s Disease. The first signs of it started a couple years ago. For a while it seemed to go into remission. But now, it is back. He has an “episode” of vertigo almost once a week. As I write this, my parents are in Florida to celebrate their wedding anniversary, and my dad is in bed having to lie perfectly still so his world doesn’t go spinning. I’ve been wrestling in prayer for him, and I ask that you join me.
My dad is a strong man. I’m sure your dad is too. To young children, dads even seem invincible. However, when a “weakness” like this becomes apparent, it does not end there. Where our strength ends, the grace, strength, and power of God becomes more evident. And whether we are healed, or whether it remains a thorn in the flesh, we can continue to give glory to God by living well, suffering well, hoping well, serving well.
Happy anniversary to a strong godly man and the strong wife that loves and serves him “in sickness and in health.”
Have you ever had that nagging feeling that there was something more to do with your life? I don’t remember exactly when it started for me...
