Good times--Days 112-113

We went toDeanna and Zach's for a Labor Day party on Saturday. We ate first and the food was excellent. Some "complained" the brisket (sic?) was a little too spicy, but it was really good. We talked for a bit and then Jerry asked if wanted to play some bocci ball. Deanna, Zack and I were up for it and, after a bit of playing, the strategy became apparent and it turned into a fun game. We played some basketball for a bit, and while we did, the kids jumped in the pool. There was no stopping Noah, so I borrowed some swim trunks, and took a dive with him. It was cold until you got used to it and we probably played for a half hour or so. We played basketball again, watched the rest of the Michigan game and soon we were starting the bon fire. We roasted some hot dogs, made some s'mores and talked quite a bit. We were probably around that fire about 3 or 4 hours talking about everything from old times, Deanna's prowess at throwing her sandals to the upcoming election for president (Obama in '08!). They always throw great get togethers and I hope we get together more often.

We got home around 1:00, so we were all a little tired getting up for church in the morning. I'm glad we went. For one, it was Pastor Bob's last time doing the children's sermon (*sob*). Two, The Maddock's Were Back!! I really enjoy listening to Traci sing (see day 60). When she starts out singing "Your name" by herself before the each of us start singing along, I really think all eyes in the congregation are on her. She has been blessed with a beautiful voice. Jerry has been blessed with a wonderful disposition. He is such a friendly person. When I was at the class I needed to go to to become a member of the church, he mentioned something about my Prayer Vigil Experience and how if someone would've told me what I would go through that night, I would've had a hard time believing them. As I've said about Fran, I can tell they really "get" what happened that night. To know that they share that and are so much more mature in their walk with God is wonderful and inspirational. Angela Maddock is just a breath of fresh air. I love the look of long hair on women (especially Kim), but her very short hair is a very good look for her. There is very little to detract from the joy I see on her face. She gave Kim and I some words of wisdom as far as evangalizing at that same meeting. The kindness of that family will always stick with me where ever I end up.

Pastor Don's last two sermons have partly been used to motivate us to volunteer as much as we can in the church. I volunteered for a couple more things as did Kim. After church we headed out to get some groceries and headed to my parents for some lunch. We brought all the food and the cake. We didn't really celebrate Noah's birthday, but we enjoyed each other's company for most of the afternoon. I think they really enjoy having another baby grandbaby to spoil. It's kind of nice that he's the only little one left on my side of the family. It contrasts to Kim's family and makes the experience with my family just as special. Last time I had talked with them, they sounded as if they were voting for Hillary Clinton and didn't seem to like Obama, but they are very strongly on his side as well. We enjoyed our lunch, a movie, and some nice conversation.

We had to do some more shopping for the kids before going home again. Kim went to the store while the rest of stayed home. We played for a bit before going to the chocolate milk store. On the way home, I asked if they wanted to have a fire tonight. They did and soon we had one going. Noah had some juice, a couple marshmallows, a smore, and a piece of chocolate. Probably a little much for the little man as it really started to get dark, he was sitting on the patio chair with a glazed over look in his eyes. He woke up as soon as I picked him up, but fell asleep as soon as I cleaned him up and put him to bed. Before bed, the kids wanted to watch Elf, so we did. Colton had to rewind it 4 or 5 times at the part where Buddy the Elf (Will Ferrell) yells "SANTA!! OH MY GOSH!!". Will's over-the-topness makes him hysterically funny for Colton sometimes.

Overall, we've had a great weekend so far. I'm sure I'll enjoy tomorrow as well. Thank you, Jesus.

A Poem for Noah--Day 111

Noah, all smiles, and giggles and babbles
and cheeks.
You cry, we grab nite-nites or toys, when it's just sleep
you seek.
You run, your little feet can move no faster than
I walk.
We listen intently when you try so hard
to talk.

We try our best to be a great dad and protecting
brother.
Ever present is an adoring sister and devoted
mother.
In a world of big buildings and bigger egos we love to love someone
so small.
You busy yourself with Maxy, and trains and big Legos
so tall!

You're putting words together: "I don't want it!", "Daddy, juice!....
Please!"
"Gabby, where're you?" "Go downstairs!" "Momma!..
Ice cream!!!"
The way you say "Thank you." or "Colton" or "Bye,
Papa!"
is so cute. You'll try to say anyword once, or twice. There seems to be
No stoppin' ya.

After 5 years of marriage, we had a boy. After three more,
a girl.
We were blessed, they were happy, then you changed
our worlds.
Five years later, my Blue-Eyes, my Carlos, my Handsome Man
came along.
Such a laugh! Such a temper! Such a thrower!
So strong!

Thank you, God for Gabrielle, for Colton, for Noah. Thank you
SO MUCH.
We're reminded to love, to enjoy the little things,
not to rush.
They are gifts we couldn't have imagined. They mean the world
to us.
Keep him healthy, keep him happy, keep his birthdays
so wondrous.


Happy Birthday, Noah!

"I love Jesus"--Days 107, 108, and 109

I think about this blog on a fairly regular basis. Since it is supposed to be about being more positive (which I am) and how our Lord is helping me in this endeavor (which He is) I sometimes think "Hmm, I could put this in my blog." Even if I forget to add it later, at least I am noticing more positive things than before. Here are some times I may or may not have thought about it in the past couple days.


I hopped in my buddy's Aztec to grab some lunch for us. As soon as the car was turned on, a rythmic beat starting pumping out of his speakers. He listens to all types of music, as I used to, so in those few seconds before the words started, I wondered what he was listening to. Rap? R&B? Pop? Country? When I heard them singing the chorus, I heard something to the effect of God will not give you more than you can handle. I pulled out the CD. Hmmm. The Winans. I would not have guessed Gospel. I told him later that it was an interesting choice of music in his car. He said he hadn't listened to them in years, but felt like it that morning. I wonder why? I'm not going to think about it. I'll just say God is good.

Kim told me Mary was going to volunteer for SONshine park this year. That's great. Those toddlers can always use another kind, gentle soul who can laugh with ease. I hope she enjoys it.

As I neared the end of "The Shack" last night, Colton was reading as well. Gabrielle looked sort of bored so I asked her to grab a book and read with us. She starts walking upstairs before stopping. "Can I draw instead?", she asks. "Sure.", I replied. Colton puts his book down and says "I'm going to draw, too." After sitting at the table for a while, Gabrielle brings over a picture that she said was for all of us. The centerpiece of the picture was an angel. Considering a 7 year old drew the picture (and adding in my Daddy bias), it was a remarkably beautiful angel. Colton made an attempt to draw a cross and sheild I had drawn a couple months ago. He remarked how difficult it was, but he did a really good job. He was also impressed with a pencil he had drawn. The pencil was actually supposed to be drawing the picture of the bible he had drawn. It showed some good imagination and I enjoyed it too. On the back of the picture he had written "HI!" in very big letters. Gabby came back with another picture for me only this time. It said "For Daddy" On the back (or front?) was a picture of a large heart she had colored in with her pencil. In the middle it said "I love Jesus"

That's great that they think (know) drawing things like this will make Kim and I happy. Actually, any drawing they do makes us happy, but I'll let them continue to let them bless us with their artistry in any way they see fit.

I got some constructive criticism from Adam. He warns not to judge others or compare them to myself. My judgement or criticisms of others was what my question was about, but he explained it in such a way that said we need to see people through God's eyes. Through his eyes, it is only about Love. Love thy neighbor and let God work with them and me as He sees fit is what I got out of it. He also reminded me to pray for them. Thanks, Adam.

Colton started football practice this week. Kim has done a wonderful job working the phones to make sure he gets there one way or the other. Colton has done a great job at each practice. He is learning quickly and having fun. While the extra running has pushed some to tears, he has pushed through it and sees it as a positive.

While we were at his practice yesterday, I played with Noah under the monkey bars. We were playing with the sand, twigs, and some rocks. A very cute little girl walked nearly next to us but still behind me. "Hi.", I said. She just stared. Within a minute or so, though, she was noticing the pickers on Noah clothes and her shoes. She then tells me this seemingly disjointed story about her brother Zack, her elbow, how it wasn't her fault, mosquitoes, pickers, and her mom. I had no idea what she was saying, so it wasn't unlike talking to Noah sometimes. If I was her dad, I may have been able to understand her. With Noah, he'll tell me what he wants and I won't be able to understand what he's saying sometimes. When I finally figure it out, I wonder why I wasn't able to hear what he was saying. I later asked her how old she was. "Five.", she says. I'm thinking closer to 3. I asked her what her name was (three times) and all I could make out was "Lrch." I knew her last name was Roach, but that didn't help much. It wasn't until her mom said her name later did I figure it out. Gabrielle, Noah, Lrch and I played till it was almost time to leave.

Later, one of Colton's female friends, Gabrielle and I played some catch. We had two footballs we were playing with so I would throw to his friend and Gabrielle would throw to me and around in a triangle. Noah sat in the center of us for most of the time. In nearly mid-throw, Gabrielle looks down and says "Wow, Noah. Dad look." as she points to him. Or rather, his creation. He had stacked three football tees on top of each other and then placed a football on top. "That's quite impressive, actually.", I remember saying. My boy is going to be an architect. :)

I've been reading "The Shack" the last three days as well. I'm almost done. The next post will most likely mention it and what I've learned. It's been very good so far.

I love Jesus,too. Thank you for what you did for us.

The Wonderful Weekend--Days 105-106

Another wonderful weekend. Thank you, Lord. Saturday finally got here. I'd been looking forward to it for quite some time. Saturday was the day of our fantasy football draft we had been planning for about 8 months. It also turned out to be the day we had the Oakwood Community Church fair. I had really started looking forward to that after we had all signed up to help out. Colton decided he wanted to go with me to work Saturday, so his day would be as long as mine. I got him up at 6:30 and asked if he still wanted to go. "Can we go to McDonald's for breakfast?", he responds, barely awake. I'm not sure how I responded, but we ended up going.

I showed him some of my responsibilities at work and he joined in helping me getting some work done. He messed around on the computer a bit, played with my hoist and pushed himself around the lab on my chair like he does every time I take him to work. Time went fairly fast and soon it was time to go to the fair.

I looked for something I could do and I was eventually introduced to Chip. I had seen him several times, but did not know his name. I ended up helping put the moon walk up. That was put up fairly quickly and soon I was looking for something else I could do. Everything was pretty much done so I got something to drink. Colton came back from the rock wall and wanted a snow cone. He noticed how fun it looked and I told him he could probably help if he wanted to. He liked the sound of that so he washed up, grabbed a hat and gloves and joined in. He had a hard time getting the hang of putting the flavoring on the cones, so he switched places with his cousin and did the ice machine. He loved it, especially the part where he got to put the ice in the tube, put the arm down on it, push the motor button and crush the ice into little pieces. He ended up doing it for nearly the next three hours. I was very proud of him. He enjoyed all the compliments he was getting and I told him he was getting them because he was doing the job the best he could and looked like he enjoyed what he was doing. It also helped how polite he was. Gabrielle said later that she would have liked to try it. We'll make sure she gets to do it next year if we have another fair.

It was a most beautiful day. Many of us had seen the possibility of rain that was predicted for today. Many of us had also prayed for it to stay away. I would find out Sunday that it was the first fair they had without rain. That, coupled with the fact that Pastor Don left me a thank you card for being in the prayer vigil saying that every prayer had an impact, left me feeling I had had an impact on the weather. In a way, that's ridiculous. God is the reason for everything. Still, it warms my heart that he let us have such a great day for a fair.

Gabrielle worked with Kim at the craft area. She, and many other children, made all sorts of crafts. She wore the flower necklace she had made for the next day and a half. During this time, the Stand Strength team were busy displaying their feats of strength. One of which included carrying Colton, two of his cousins and another girl around on a large, metal apparatus. It was all quite impressive. What was all the more impressive was the message they had before every feat of strength. I know it has to orchestrated beforehand and they had to practice it and then repeat it wherever they went, but it didn't sound orchestrated. They meant everything they said and the crowd reacted as such. Soon after their show was over, we left for Rick's house. If the day or even weekend had ended here, I would've been more than happy. Fortunately it didn't. Thank you, Jesus.

The kids had both worked very hard and were immediately ready for a dip in Rick's pool as soon as they got there. It was well deserved and I barely saw them for the next few hours as they swam and played with the other children. The guys that were there on time (5:00) waited pretty much patiently for the others to show up. At around 5:30, we started our draft with one guy still missing, but we were able to contact him over the phone. I didn't know how this draft would turn out for me, but I ended up just getting a couple new running backs on my team as well as the best defensive player possible. I could've spread my money around a little better, but I was pretty happy with the outcome.

Tom was new to the league and had been voted in by a 6-5 margin. I was the one who went to him to see if he wanted to take the place of an owner that had to leave and it was between him and two others. Now that he's in, I'd like to see him do well. He had a plan at the draft and he has a pretty good team--much better than the team he was left with.

Kim would later remark that our draft was quieter than in previous years. We had lots of fun as usual, and did not notice it being any quieter. I can't even imagine twelve men being described as "quiet". Maybe we were thinking more, now that we had so many more people to choose from since the start of the league. The draft lasted four hours, and Jason and I played some head-to-head hold 'em till almost 11:30. As we left he rain was coming down pretty good, but it felt good after this long, hot day. If the weekend would've ended here, I would've been tremendously happy, but it did not. Thank you, Jesus.

Church was the next morning. I took Noah to the nursery as normal and Kim took Colton and Gabrielle to get their name tags for SONlight park. On the way to the nursery and then back to Kim and the kids to take a seat, I was barraged with more "Hi"s, "Good Morning"s, "How ya' doin'?"s and handshakes than normal. It really is a great church. The more I go, the more I like it. Pastor Bob's message, accompanied by a praying mantis, to the kids was hopefully eye-opening to many of them. While we pray with our heads bowed and our hands together much of the time we pray, it is not absolutely necessary. We can pray with our eyes open and with our hands at work if we want. Pastor Don's message on trusting the Lord and doing work for the Lord was great as well. He is a very passionate speaker.

As we left, I thanked him for the card he had left me concerning the prayer vigil and inquired about the Awana's program. The leaders meeting is very soon and I was wondering if I should attend since I had volunteered a couple of weeks ago, but had not been contacted. I was introduced to Awana's leader (I am so bad with names) and she asked if I had a preference of what age group I wanted to work with. I told that I'd like to either work with the 2nd graders with Gabrielle or the 5th graders with Colton. She said she could really use some male help with the second graders. She said my job is part crowd control, part helping the leader with certain tasks. I'm really looking forward to it. I asked if I would teaching any messages, and she said that while too few people can do that right now, it would not be necessary. I would love to get to that point in the future. Kim and I had also signed up for the Thursday class on studying the bible. I'm looking forward to that as well. If my weekend would've ended right then, I would've been ecstatic, but it did not. Praise the Lord!

After that was the Bierbusse family reunion. I gave Mom B. a hug, Dad B. a handshake and at least a hello to everyone else that I knew. We played some catch, a little baseball and ate some of the pot luck food. We sat around and talked for a bit, but I can usually never do that for long. I'm not much of a conversationalist yet. I'm not sure I ever will be. We ended with the kids playing some games and having a water balloon fight. That's always fun and seemingly out of control. Water and balloons start coming from everywhere. If someone is in the vicinity, they are fair game to me. This means I also need to plan on getting pretty wet myself. I did, as usual, but I really enjoyed it. My kids enjoyed themselves and my nieces are still at the age where they still enjoy it too. I love them all. Including Drew, they are all really great kids. Soon after, we packed up and headed home. When we got home, we ordered a pizza and a movie. I tried to read "The Shack" that I had gotten from Jennifer on the way home, but couldn't really do it with the movie playing and I was very tired anyway, so I went to bed. Finally, the end to a wonderful weekend. Thank you, Jesus.

Day 104

I read another blog recently and I really liked a few of the posts, so here they are:

"27 TIPS FOR A BETTER LIFE"

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day and while you walk, smile and pray. It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

3. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to __________ today.'

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

11. Don't take yourself so seriously.

12. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

14. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what kind of prerequisites came with their journey.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

17. Forgive everyone for everything.

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. GOD is a healer.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

22. Envy is a waste of time and a place of bondage. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I am thankful for __________. Today I accomplished _________.

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

25. Please send this to everyone you care about and know that the Lord has His hands on you.

26. Trust Him and depend on Him even when you don't understand why you are where you are.

27. Untie His hands with your thoughts of rationality and let Him bless you so that He will be Glorified.




The Duck and the devil

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm.

He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods..

He practiced in the woods; but he could never hit the target..

Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner.

As he was walking back he saw Grandma's pet duck.

Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved!



In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing.

After lunch the next day Grandma said, 'Sally, let's wash the dishes'

But Sally said, 'Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen.'

Then she whispered to him, 'Remember the duck?'

So Johnny did the dishes.

Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, 'I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper.'

Sally just smiled and said, 'Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help'

She whispered again, 'Remember the duck?' So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help.

After several day of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's; he
finally couldn't stand it any longer.

He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck.

Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, 'Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you.'

Thought for the day and every day thereafter?



Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... And the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.) ..whatever it is...You need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing.

He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He's just wondering how long you will let the devil make a slave of you.

The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness;

He not only forgives you, but He forgets.

It is by God's grace and mercy that we are saved.

Go ahead and make the difference in someone's life today.

Share this with a friend and always remember:

God is at the window!





Are you "Kept"?

Did you know that I am a "KEPT" person?

You see, there were a few times when I thought I would lose my mind,

But GOD kept me sane. (Isa. 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace
him whose mind is steadfast,
because he trusts in you.)

There were times when I thought I could go no longer,

But the LORD kept me moving. (Gen 28:15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.")

At times, I've wanted to lash out at those whom I felt had done me wrong,

But the LORD kept my mouth shut. (Psa. 13 1 How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?

3 Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;

4 my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

5 But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.

6 I will sing to the LORD,
for he has been good to me.)

Sometimes, I think the money just isn't enough,

But GOD has helped me to keep the lights on,

the water on, the car paid, the house paid, etc.., (Matt. 6:25 -34 25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 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.)

When I thought I would fall, HE kept me up.

When I thought I was weak, HE kept me strong! (I Pet. 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you., Matt. 11:28-30Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.")

I could go on and on and on, but I'm sure you hear me!

I'm blessed to be "kept."

Happy Birthday!!

It was my mother-in-law's birthday yesterday so we had a cookout over their place. The food was excellent. There was some steak and some chicken both cooked perfectly. I like my steak with a little red in the middle and my chicken well cooked, but juicy. They were awesome. The corn on the cob was delicious, and the baked potatoes were baked to perfection as well. I even had seconds on the store made salad. It's always a joy to see the family. I had some good discussion with Dennis, although he had a headache and probably would've rather just vegged for a bit. Instead, he answered with his heart and his knowledge. Again, thank you Dennis. I talked with Jennifer, too. I played the devil's advocate (see Day 1) to her angel of God. We all know who's going to come out on top in that battle. She helped me see things with a little different perspective. I've been blessed with family and friends that care. Thank you, Jesus.

**Sigh**

I don't like to put negative posts on here, but when I see Brian, I think of that promise I made in an earlier post (Day 55) to talk to him about our Lord and His mercy and grace. I haven't been able to do it yet.

Lord, please grant me the ability to talk to him as I promised. Thank you for the message (below) put before me today and especially those last couple paragraphs. I know this is true so I must try. He is strong and knowledgable in things I have no knowledge of. He is a kind-hearted man with a hardened heart. Please bless us both with your mercy, grace, love and forgivenes.

Amen

My God is a Good God-Day 103

I don't talk with her enough, but no one I know epitomizes gentleness as much as Jennifer. You have been surely blessed, Jen. Thanks for the discussion.

Dennis told me he is waiting to die. That could be misconstrued if I left it at that. He is a Christian man, though, and it was his way of saying he's living in the present and not afraid to die. He will do nothing to make death more likely and will do the Lord's work for as long as he lives. Jen, in a completely different discussion, said pretty much the same thing in that she lives in the present and does not worry about the past or the future. It's is all in God's hands. For some reason, that feels like a revelation to me. Praise God.


I read a devotional by Max Lucado today. I'd heard the story from Pastor Don at least once, and read it myself, but I'd never heard it explained quite like this. In a way, it sort of answers a question or two I had for Dennis and Jennifer last night. I really enjoyed it, so I thought I'd post it:

Your God is a Good God
by Max Lucado

Use your uniqueness to take great risks for God!

The only mistake is not to risk making one.

Such was the error of the one-talent servant. Did the master notice him? Indeed, he did. And from the third servant we learn a sobering lesson. "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground' " (Matt. 25: 24--25).

Contrast the reaction of the third servant with that of the first two.

The faithful servants "went and traded" (v. 16). The fearful one "went and dug" (v. 18).

The first two invested. The last one buried.

The first two went out on a limb. The third hugged the trunk.

The master wouldn't stand for it. Brace yourself for the force of his response. "You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest" (vv. 26--27).

Whoa. What just happened? Why the blowtorch? Find the answer in the missing phrase. The master repeated the assessment of the servant, word for word, with one exclusion. Did you note it? "I knew you to be a hard man" (v. 24). The master didn't repeat the description he wouldn't accept.

The servant levied a cruel judgment by calling the master a hard man. The servant used the exact word for "hard" that Christ used to describe stiff-necked and stubborn Pharisees (see Matt. 19:8; Acts 7:51). The writer of Hebrews employed the term to beg readers not to harden their hearts (3:8). The one-talent servant called his master stiff-necked, stubborn, and hard.

His sin was not mismanagement, but misunderstanding. Was his master hard? He gave multimillion-dollar gifts to undeserving servants; he honored the two-talent worker as much as the five; he stood face to face with both at homecoming and announced before the audiences of heaven and hell, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Was this a hard master? Infinitely good, graciously abundant, yes. But hard? No.

The one-talent servant never knew his master. He should have. He lived under his roof and shared his address. He knew his face, his name, but he never knew his master's heart. And, as a result, he broke it.

Who is this unprofitable servant? If you never use your gifts for God, you are. If you think God is a hard God, you are.

For fear of doing the wrong thing for God, you'll do nothing for God. For fear of making the wrong kingdom decision, you'll make no kingdom decision. For fear of messing up, you'll miss out. You will give what this servant gave and will hear what this servant heard: "You wicked and lazy servant" (v. 26).

But you don't have to. It's not too late to seek your Father's heart. Your God is a good God.

Prayers and Pudding (Seriousness and Silliness)--Day 100

Sometimes, what I enjoy more than blogging is reading other blogs. A couple I've come upon are http://barefootedpreacher.blogspot.com/ , http://cultivatinghome.blogspot.com/ and http://sgrplum.blogspot.com/ . It's wonderful to see how God is working in people's lives and great to see the Word being spread in such positive ways. I find myself struggling with my faith sometimes and such things as these are helpful in getting me energized again.

If you've ever read this blog, you can tell I'm energized by my family. I don't talk about my wife enough, but she tries so hard to please most everyone that you cannot help but like, or in my case love, her. My kids energize me by things they say and do.

For instance, the kids were talking in the back seat of my car about Santa's magic, and wondering if the Easter Bunny had magic. I asked them what it was that Jesus used. Gabrielle answered "Power." I don't think they could've given me a wrong answer, but that was definitely a good one. I told her after church this Sunday that Pastor Don had mentioned God's "power" four times during his sermon. "I'm AWESOME!", she replied.

After church we headed downtown primarily to go to the Hernandez Mexican food stand. There was a rather long line to wait behind, but it's worth it. Their food is excellent. By the time Kim was done talking with Deanna and the rest of the Hernandez clan, it was time to head back home so I could make it back up to the church for the prayer vigil. By the time I got out of the house, I was running a little late, and probably drove a little too fast to get there. I got there right as another couple got there. Pastor Don and Pastor Bob were there to meet us and we went to our rooms to pray. A paper had been made up to describe everything that had to do with the fair, recommendation on what and whom to pray for as well as how to pray. I started at 2:08 and prayed till around 3:15. A couple of the younger deacons showed up at 3:00 and began their vigil as well. I watched for a moment as each of them talked to God. All seemed to be right with the world.

Speaking of praying, I don't think I've mentioned Noah's frequent request for prayer at the dinner table. At first we were asking him to fold his hands and pray with us. Now, he goes around the table and asks each one of us. He prays with his hands over his eyes, palms face out with his fingertips touching. "Momma, pray.", he says. "Daddy, pray." "Gabby, pray." "Colon," (he's almost got it) "pray." His hands stay over his eyes until we say amen. He'll occasionally say amen himself. Halfway through dinner we'll hear "Daddy, pray." "Momma, pray." Kim will answer "We've already prayed, sweetheart." and most of the time that is good enough for him.

Occasionally he'll ask us to pray when we're not at the dinner table. He asked me to pray on the way home from church. I bowed my head and said a little prayer. Colton asks "Did you really pray?" "Yes.", I told him. "Then what were you praying about?" he replies with a smile on his face like he's caught me in a fib. I had to laugh just because of the look he was giving me. I told him I was thanking God for everything good in my life. Again, thank you Jesus.

Last night I took Colton to see Journey to the Center of the Earth again. His sister was going to spend the night at a friends house, he had mowed the lawn for the first time, and he felt he deserved a reward. He did do a good job, so I didn't mind taking him. Then he called and asked if Jianna could go to. No problem there, until, of course, the cashier says "$42.50." The real 3d movies are extra and we each got a combo, but that still seems like a lot of money to see a show we've already seen. Jiji said that her eyes don't work well with 3-d glasses, so I was a little worried she may not get to fully enjoy the movie. Within a minute of the 3-d preview starting, she was grabbing at the screen, so I knew she was seeing it ok. We all enjoyed it. It was a little more fun because there was only one other couple far away from us watching the show. Jiji, who doesn't go to movies much, frequently asked questions and Colton and I didn't mind answering them. Occasionally, they'd giggle, and I didn't feel I had to shhhhh them as I would if the theatre was full.

By the way, if Colton was a girl, he'd be Jiji. They like much of the same things, can frequently get loud, and love to laugh. We had played Apples to Apples a couple of weeks ago when the Lanza girls were over (Day 85), had lots of fun, so Jiji said "Awww, we didn't get to play Apples to Apples." on the way to the movie. I asked if they remembered what the word of that night was.

Sudden quiet. I could almost hear their minds working.

"Pudding!!", roars Jiji. That night, whenever "pudding" was excaimed, especially in sneeze form, it made everyone laugh almost endlessly. They asked me to do it since I seemed to do it best. Maybe it's just odd to hear an adult be so silly. I wouldn't at first, but I can only take so many "Come on..." and "Dad, do it, pleaaaaassse." I relented and said it as silly as possible. They both giggled for the next 20 seconds.

On the way home, Colton rolled down his window and told the world "I LIKE PUDDING!" Jiji had to do the same, but she had a car next to her as we stopped at a red light. The older man didn't seem to mind, but he looked at her a little odd. I asked them to roll up their windows. As I dropped her off, she got out and started running towards her house. As she nears the house, Colton yells "Pudding!" She bended over in laughter and nearly tripped up the stairs.

Thank God for the laughter of children.

Bless them all, Lord.

I want to be brave--Days 90-95

I can't believe it's already been a week since I last blogged. Life is good, though. I haven't really had a whole lot of time to do much of anything and that's a good thing.

Last week, we camped. I hadn't been fishing in about 25 years and while I didn't have a pole with me, I got to impale some worms for the kids. I didn't actually get to see them catch a fish, but Colton had sent me a picture to my phone that I will cherish. He looks so happy with his catch. Gabrielle had caught one too, but I didn't get to catch a glimpse of that one.

We did a lot of swimming. At one point, I tried lifting Gabrielle above my head with my palms flat on her back and legs. I managed to get her up and then tossed her and she fell to the water with a resounding Slap! "Ouch", I thought. She came up with a smile on her face asking me to do it again. Of course, the rest of the kids wanted me to do the same. By the time I got out of the pool, I was pretty tired, but again, that's a good thing.

We only got to swim in the lake a couple times because of the rain, but that was fun as well. The kids got an idea to make a video and put it on youtube. I shot the video and I'll have to try and get it on there. All the kids are so good with Noah. Allison played with him a bit, Brianna played with him a bit, and Colton and Gabrielle did as well. He fell over one time with no one in the water really watching him and he looked like a turtle trying to flip itself back over. He wasn't phased a bit, and once Allison got him flipped back around, he resumed playing. He loves the water and that's a good thing.

We got to play a few games during the rain. We played quite a few rounds of Scattergories, some Cranium and we also got some Sorry! in there, too.

I listened to and typed up the rest of Todd's sermon on patience. It's really enjoyable to listen to. Soon, I will put the sermons together in book form. It'll be well over 100 pages, and I don't know that anyone would be interested in owning a copy, but I'll make some copies just in case. As far as patience is concerned, I've mentioned patience to a friend of mine, and both times I've realized I'm asking the near impossible in his case. It is not a word he likes to hear. He knows, though, that it's necessary. A loved one is sick, and although she is getting better, we know that it'll be a while before she is fully healed. God, bless them both.


Colton competed in the Guitar Hero competition at the camp and won a couple rounds before losing in the semifinals. He probably felt a bit like a Hero after winning the first round on hard. There were many people there at that time and many were surprised he could play so well, especially considering his competition was so much bigger than he was. The winner got free ice cream. I bought us some anyway. It was good.

I can't remember much about Monday, but I had a conversation on Tuesday that has stuck with me. I had to call a supplier from work I had never talked to before. His name is Wolf. Wolf Oller is his full name. I'm assuming his parents were in touch with nature a bit. I was told that despite the odd name, he was a nice guy and as it turned out, he was. I called him up, told him who I was, and where I was from in one, long breath. I'm not great with verbal communication, so I like to get on the phone, be professional and good natured, let them know what I need and get off as quickly as possible. He answered "Good morning, Mark". "Good morning, Wolf", I answered ready to tell him what exactly I need from him in one more long breath. As I inhaled, he came back with "It's a beautiful morning today, isn't it?" That's definitely an ice-breaker. I don't hear many men use the word beautiful, and while I work with a bunch of good guys, I don't think I've ever heard that comment put quite like that. I stopped my inhale, regained my composure, smiled, and replied "Yes, yes it is." It's interesting I was taken aback by that comment, but I think in my attempt to be a better Christian, that's another thing I can add to my repetoire. Not just trying to not do certain things or trying to be nicer in certain situations, but being nice when it's least expected.

"Shout to the Lord" from the playlist is playing right now. The American Idol 8 did a pretty good job with it. Interesting song title. Who "shouts" to the Lord? Not enough of us, I would imagine. He's right next to me, and I don't even need to say an audible word for him to hear me, so why shout? I get the idea behind it, but I'd like to shout to the Lord, someday. I'll make sure I write about it when I do.

Now "Brave" is playing. Truer words can't be said as far as me and my walk is concerned:

Welcome to the middle ground.
It's safe and sound
And
Until now, it's where I've been.
'Cause it's been fear that ties me down to everything,
But it's been love; Your love that cuts the strings...

So long, status quo!
I think I've just leg go!
You make me want to be brave!

The way it always was
Is no longer good enough.
You make me want to be brave!

...
...

Why did I try to keep in all inside?

Many of these songs let me know many Christians started where I started, am where I'm at right now, and/or give me an idea where I'm going. That's a good thing.

I had a good time with the kids at Lapeer Days. They wanted to stay till 11, when it shut down. Gabrielle made it to 9:30 and Colton and Jianna made it to 10:30. Colton got up on the new bull ride they have there, and managed to stay up there for 30 seconds. I think he would've stayed up there a little longer, but he lost his focus for a second and the "bull" took him by surprise. I let them play some games before we left and they won a little prize at every one.

Thank you, Lord, for all the good things; big and small.

God saw the light, that it was GOOD--Day 89

On days 1 and 2 of this blog, I spoke of coincidence and serendipity. As I said, serendipity is so much more fun to say and interesting to think about, but I think what just happened at work today would be more of a small, God-inspired coincidence.

I've really been impressed by Pastor Don and Pastor Todd's sermons on the "Fruit of the Spirit." I've been listening to them and writing some of them down at work and at home. After getting things going in the lab, I hit the pause button on Todd's sermon on patience, and walked out of the lab. As soon as I did, the lights were turned on. The maintenance guy here, Dave, had been changing all the large lights 20 feet in the air all around the outside of the lab. They started to flicker and I thought to myself "God said, "Let there be light," and there was light." That sort of put a smile on my face and I continued walking. I walked back in the lab soon after, sat down and pressed the play button. Within three sentences, Todd says "God said, "Let there be light," and there was light."

I hit the pause button again.

What was that?? I'd say it freaked me out, but I think a better explanation is that I'm unexpectedly moved by little things like that.

So why did that happen?

Some people would say there isn't a reason. It was just a coincidence. I believe there's a reason for everything. Sometimes I'll try to think of reason something happened and I'll come up blank. I just leave it to faith. In this case, it probably has to do with the Bible in some way. I was talking to Jim yesterday and he recommended reading Genesis since I had not read the whole book of Genesis in quite some time if ever. I had been reading other books in the bible recommended to me by others. Given the placement of this verse in that book, I suppose I should start at the beginning.

This, in turn, might be God telling me something else. I recently called Fran and volunteered to help at Awana's. I'm a little nervous about the whole thing because I'm not really sure what I'm getting into and I'm not very well versed in the Bible. This might have been God's way of saying "If you want to get well versed in the Bible, start reading! Do you expect me to do that for you, too? Start reading, and start at the beginning this time."

That isn't to say I haven't been reading the bible. Before I started listening to and writing down the sermons, I was reading Romans as part of "60 days with Paul" It was insightful and I was typing verses of the bible that really spoke to me. I intended to write my thoughts on each, but that will have to wait for now. I'll come back to these though:

Romans 5:2-5 We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

Romans 5:18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men.

Romans 6:11 Count yourselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 7:15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do.

Romans 8:18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

Romans 8:31-39 If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

" For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved 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 9:14-16 Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses,

I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
and I willhave compassion on whom I have compassion."

It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.

Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

I had read something that inspired me to read this book a few days ago. I read something an older woman had written on her blog. It said:

the peace that surpasses understanding entered my heart and I found what was missing in my life, a personal relationship with my Savior.

I recognized the first part of what she said (It's from Philippians 4:7), and accompanied with the last part, what she felt and wrote perfectly explains what happened to me almost four months ago. For one thing, I had been thinking it happened because I can be a selfish person, and on April 20th, I was being anything but selfish. I was praying for others. That night, I found what was missing in my life: a personal relationship with my Savior.

I'll be going camping tomorrow. The kids caught some fish today and it sounds like they're having a lot of fun. They want to stay till Monday. I realllllllly want to go to church on Sunday to listen to the missionaries. If the kids want to stay, though, I'll stay. I'll definitely be making it the next week as Pastor Don concludes the fruit of the spirit sermons and for the prayer vigil.

Days like this--Day 85

As I said last week, I like Sundays. They start out great when we go to church and then usually get better. We managed to get there a little early which was nice. The praise and worship team was led by one of the guys that became a new member along with his wife a few weeks ago. It was the first time since I'd been there that everyone applauded after every song. He really charged people up with his impassioned singing. All the songs he picked were ones you could clap to the beat if you wanted to. His wife, one of the backup singers this week, was up there dancing more than anyone else usually does. The woman next to her was a backup singer more often and she was moving more than often as well. It was a lot of fun.

Then Pastor Don started talking about this week's fruit of the spirit, gentleness. You wouldn't think being gentle would be that difficult, but it is tremendously so. There are so many opportunities during the day to just become impatient, angered, envious or vengeful when we could just "lay down" and come at things at a different angle instead. We don't like the idea of someone walking on us, so many times if someone pushes, we verbally push back. If someone angers us, we let them know. Why? Jesus didn't. He was verbally abused, poked, prodded, beaten and had done nothing wrong. He could've brought the wrath of God down on these people, but instead asked God to have mercy on them because they knew not what they were really doing. If we ever want to ask ourselves "What would Jesus do?", we should probably answer "Respond with gentleness." He would. Kim and I are doing our best to live Pastor Don's words of the past 8 weeks and pass these fruits down to the kids. It's tough with everything going on all the time, but we're getting better.

After the sermon and communion, Pastor Don said Pastor Bob had a few words to say. He officially stepped down as pastor of the church. He had been the Pastor for over 40 years and four years ago had passed the baton to Pastor Don, but had still been one of the pastors. It was a very difficult thing for him to do. As always, he added humor to his words and for a person that puts so many smiles on so many faces, he made it so there was hardly a dry eye in the place. He had signed copies of the letter he read for all 175 members of the church. Ours was in our church mailbox we didn't know we had. Also in the mailbox was our baptism and membership certificates. They were very well done. We may hang them and place them somewhere in the house.

We went to Chili's after church armed with some coupons we had gotten for signing up to help with the fair we're having in a few weeks. I tried their quesadilla looking nachos and they were pretty good. I had to go to the car to grab the diaper bag so we could calm down Noah for a bit. He was a tired little man. Colton put his arm down across the table and Noah layed his head on it. I rubbed his forehead as I do many times when I put him down to sleep. Later on, he grabbed Colton's arm and pulled it down to the table. He put his head down on it, then grabbed my arm and pulled it towards him. So cute and heartwarming. I had to run out to the car a second time to grab Gabrielle's shawl since she had gotten cold. After coming back, Kim realized the people eating behind me had left their food on their table and had just walked out. I grabbed it and they were in fact just walking out when I started bringing it to them. By the time I got it to them, they were at their car. I don't expect anything back when doing something like that, but it's nice when you get something. They both smiled sincerely and thanked me. Before we left, Jennifer, her "natural" looking hair, and Ellianna came over. Jennifer is one of the "pretty people" so she can make any haircut look good. It was different and I like different. As we walked out, someone was talking to Dennis, so I gave him a wave instead of interrupting them. He would have none of that, and stuck out his hand as I walked by. Thank you, Jesus, for all these good, happy people giving out smiles and handshakes like they were going out of style.

We went home and Colton dug another hole for me as I mowed the lawn. When he was done, we dug up the last two of the four bushes we were moving. We got all four of them securely planted and they look very nice. They'll look even better if we grab some perennials Kim had talked about getting. Colton worked very hard and I'll be rewarding him with some cash. He had helped me the day before as well and both times thanked me for letting him help. I think he really means that. That's really nice of him to say.

The Lanza girls, Jiselle, Jalina and Jianna, came over soon after. I played some Apples to Apples with Jianna and Colton for a while. I think we played three games and then played again later on that night. In between, everyone, including Noah, played downstairs for much of the time. I was down there for a while writing on the chalkboard and carrying them around in the toybox. Jiselle had gotten in it, so I decided to put the top on it and pick her up. I should have known what I was starting. "My turn, my turn!" "I didn't get to do it yet!" "You already went!" "Noah, get out of the box!" Noah wanted a turn after each one of everyone else's turn. I didn't mind since he was so light compared to all four of the girls. They would each lay down on the pillow and blanket in there and Noah did the same. One time when I lifted it up, he sat up, looked up out of the box and looked around. The rest of the kids thought it was the funniest thing. Everyone else, including Colton (he knew I couldn't pick him up, but we wanted to be dragged around anyway) got a couple of turns before my back was killing me.

Colton, Jianna, and I played a few games of Apples to Apples again. Then the other girls came upstairs. None of them can read that great except for Gabrielle, so it makes it sort of difficult. We began to choose answers that were the funniest. Soon, we weren't even playing the game, but instead just choosing 5 cards and making funny sentences. I had started this, and they wanted me to keep doing it as well as making their own sentences. Some of their favorite words were pudding, noodles, bacon, ham sandwich, and, of course, underwear. I'm not sure why food is so funny, but it is. Jianna noticed that pudding was funnier if you exaggerated the first syllable "PUDding!!!!" Colton's eyes would blink hard when he tried doing it, so everyone else started doing that in sneeze form. It was all pretty silly. In the middle of all this, Jiselle, the 7 year old, had gotten up on my lap to pick up cards for me to make sentences with. It's nice, and sort of surprising, that she's has grown comfortable enough with me to do that. Gabrielle is usually the only one that does that, but never when the girls are over. By the time we were done, it was 10:30 and time for them to leave and the kids to go to bed. We all had some very nice things in our prayers, had obviously all had good days, prayed for a good week and prayed for others as well.

Thank you, Lord, for days like this.

Pictures--Day 83

Jen's latest posts have given me some inspiration. I've had these pics on my camera for a while. Here they are in no particular order:


Talking about the best batting techniques.



Discussing how to properly field a baseball


Looking intimidating


Getting ready to pitch...


Not sure why there appears to be a baseball behind him as he pitches.


Practicing before his first game


Next up...Colton Rodela!!!


Colton sneaking in on a picture of my mom and my sister-in-law.


Gabrielle's Birthday


It looks like Trent has a bright idea.


Opening presents


It looks like she likes it.


She's happy


May all your wishes come true


Colton and Gabrielle



My little princess


Back to baseball. Taking a break.


Everybody say cheese!


Blue-eyes wants to play too.


All-American!


Emily at camp


Trying to get a picture with all three of them looking at me and smiling...


"Look over here, Noah."


"Ok, now look at the camera."


So close...


Almost...


Colton and Gabrielle getting disinterested.


He's smiling!...but they're not.


Close enough. :)


The young ones.


So cute


Gabrielle loves the camera.


Just me being pretty.


Flowers.


That ice cream made...me.....so...tir..zzzzzzzzz....


Michigan's Adventure


Waiting in the first line


Gabrielle is a little nervous...


...It's her first roller coaster! (they went on it three more times)


Noah's first ride



Boat ride


Bumper Cars














In Chicago, they use horses for transportation...


...play drums for money...


...have large chocolate bars...


...give each other big Kisses...


...have surprisingly attractive males...


...and females...


...have beautiful flower gardens...


...can trip and still look pretty...


...are very loving...


...make funny faces...





...have dinosaurs made of Legos...


...are rather creative...


...come in all sizes...


...work hard...


...like to work alone...


...or with others...


...play nice...


...and are very loved by their parents.