If you see a letter listed in front of a Journal post below – this is what it stands for…
A=Attitude, B=Behavior, K=Knowledge, P=Priorities, R=Relationships
My Journal is something I try to do at least once a week. Sometimes more, sometimes less. I’m pretty honest with myself and that is reflected here.
If you have never tried (or have failed in the past) at journaling, use this as an example.
If you feel like leaving a comment, go to my About tab. All comments left here will be deleted.
The Deliberate Ruminator 
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Church was good today, really reminded me about being free from debt. I was encouraged since we have done well regarding this, but we have been challenged to seek an even better savings plan. God really showed me this last week that sin is the tool of Satan, and that is why I should be repulsed by it.
Monday, November 24, 2008
My son worked it out to make me a special surprise breakfast this morning. Bread and marshmallows. Mommy gave him the idea to add some peanut butter to the bread so the marshmallows would stick. Pretty good! But not eggs and bacon :) Interesting how with the Colts game going late, and the holiday week ahead, I chose to sleep in instead of my usual get up at 6am or so. Lucky choice, or maybe God knew a little angel named Camden had something planned.
R-Camden, I need to continue to “get over” his 5 year old antics.
A-I need to look at the world with a renewed attitude. Being quick to anger is NOT an admirable trait.
P-God, Family, Self, this is falling into place.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Well, I have successfully gotten my son and I way too interesting in an old computer game called Roller Coaster Tycoon. It’s fun, but when 2 hours fly by in the blink of an eye while playing, something is wrong. I will add a timer to the room, this will curb the insanity. Camden continued his VERY giving and merciful behavior yesterday, I pray this continues! I held my anger in check all day!
R-An amazing day with Camden, thank you God.
A-My controlled attitude and BEHAVIOR paid off
K-I have enjoyed conversing via my blog with a gentleman from the other side of the world who practices Hinduism.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Well, Thanskgiving is upon us and I have to not eat too much. With vacation looming (not a bad thing) I would prefer my clothes be comfortable. The timer worked with regards to playing games. Camden actually helped me with chores for several hours as well, WOW.
R-Accountability was good as well.
P & B-It’s amazing how a good day can come from hard work. Priorities are a good thing.
A-Camden is progressing at learning to obey ever since I quit arguing with him.
K-It seems lately people enjoy using my blogs as stepping stones so they can tell how ignorant I am. I’m just excited how God is placing links to my blog all over the place. Bring ‘em in God, use me to share the truth!
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Success, we ate a meal well after my normal lunch time, so for dinner I ate just a piece of wonderful apple pie and lots of veggies and dip. Downside, was that our son was sick and my wife stayed home so I could spend time with my family. We had to shift Thanksgiving over to my mom’s house instead of ours, but it all worked out. Thanks Mom! Thanks wifey!
Yesterday, I had some good realization regarding selfishness. Selfishness is a major source of stress if one let’s it run their life!
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Well the shopping craze has started and I can’t say that I am crazy about it. I do enjoy the cheap purchases that can go toward helping people in this coming winter season. Menards was selling blankets for $1.98 a piece (limit 10). Get some and share with someone who needs it! I do indulge a little, the free stuff is right up my alley.
P & R-I stayed home Friday and cared for our son (who is feeling much better now), the wife was out with her yearly ’shop like crazy with mom’ event. Good times for them!
B-It can be tough leaving your child to figure things out on their own, but we need to do it so they learn. What am I talking about? Tying shoes! Our son tied both of his shoes all by himself for the first time yesterday.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
We made it back from Disney World safely, a little delayed, but safe! I admit I’m still a failure at sticking with my Bible reading and prayer times while on vacation. It also didn’t help that I thought my wife packed our travel Bible and she thought I packed my little Bible!
I can get back on schedule this week!
Monday, December 8, 2008
Today, I slept in a bit to help combat the cold bug that is pervading our home. Camden is sick again and coughing. I had a good prayer time over breakfast this morning. Today is catch up day for laundry and attempting to clean the house up a bit. Isn’t it fun coming home from vacation?
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Head back to the 8th real quick. I called the doc for Camden since he started complaining about his ear hurting. This was at 3:33pm….so no hope for an appointment. God had other plans…I got him in at 4pm, now THAT is a miracle, right? Today, he is doing much better and actually went to school. Antibiotics are good.
I slept late again, but had a short prayer time and Bible reading this morning before Camden awoke.
P-I busted my rear today getting big and little things done around the house. I also rewarded myself with an hour of Roller Coaster Tycoon with my son. He twisted my arm.
R-Camden is asleep on the couch at 6pm, he’s an angel to watch.
A-My vacation attitude is finally subsiding, WOW, that can be detrimental to being a functional and efficient person.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
I was able to get back onto my morning schedule today. Up early, pray, eat and read the Bible, write a post here. I’ve also been having another nice discussion with an teen Atheist whom I met commenting on another blog. Hopefully, God will allow him some time to figure things out.
Camden couldn’t go to school since he had a ferverlast night, but was back to himself today. He helped me with Christmas cards and we played a bit today. Of course, he’s still not 100%, so his whining has tested my patience and helped me dig for some empathy.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
This was a good but challenging day. IT started well, great prayer time, Bible reading. Answered some emails from an Atheist, wrote in the blog, responded to some good comments. Camden made it to his last day of school. We had some fun at the bank, we turned in some rolled pennies for a $2 bill, some Eisenhower $1 coins and some of the new Presidential $1 gold coins. We then went and spent them at Chick-fil-a! Camden wasn’t as engaged as I hoped he would be, but that will come. I was challenged as Camden progressively got more and more out of control yesterday. I lost my temper a couple of times. Definitely one of the most challenging days I’ve had with him in a very long time. My wife is also sick with the flu, so I was trying to care for her as well.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Wow, I got away from the blog for a while. I did spend time answering some comments and emails stemming from my work on this site. Camden continues to be a real challenge. He seems to have a goal to do nothing that I ask of him even if he wants to do it. This attitude is hard for me to deal with much of the time. If anything, it makes things very inefficient and I have always had some patience issues. Wah, Wah, Wah, Boo Hoo. Camden is out of school so the morning routine is changing. I’m thinking Bible reading time may start occurring mid-afternoon.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Well, I’ve been a little sick and the Season has gotten me all busy. No excuse for NOT journaling! I’m a bit tired and honestly sick of having to run to the bathroom at all hours especially from 1am to 6am recently. I was able to take part in an early gift of going to see the Trans Siberian Orchestra at Conseco Fieldhouse. What a show! My attitudes and behavior have been okay, but I am continually challenged in my relationship with my son. His disrespectful 5 year old attitude is very old and I do hope it adjusts somewhat SOON. His seemingly constant desire for conflict is disturbing.
Over two years later Camden and I have sought family counseling that has done wonders. We are praying together more and we are relearning how to respect each other. I love my son so much and am happy and relieved that we are taking steps in the right direction! God is good.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Healthy and having a good week. My wife is home this week too. Camden is learning fast this week that whining and the tantrums will be more under control or there are ramifications he doesn’t like. As for me, I really need a break from cookies!
K- Berean Christian Bookstore was going out of business so we picked up several Bible studies as well as some other books and cheap stuff.
R- The family is together this week so we are having quality time and a bit of normalcy that has been absent for a while.
Saturday, January 3, 2009!
The new year has me thinking. Let’s see…
Nov 2002, I am deeply challenged to consider quitting my job to stay at home and do ministry work or something else. We are also trying to have a baby now and considering downsizing our home.
Mar 2003, Lots of things happen this time of 2003. I head to Cuba on a prayer mission trip, I learn we are expecting a baby in October and I return from Cuba knowing that I am to quit my job, immediately. We are able to refinance our home. We end up refinancing again, and accept that we are not supposed to sell it. The rates kept dropping, and no one showed any interest in buying it over the next few months.
April 2003, I officially quit working full time and learn the ropes of staying at home.
May 2003, My wife and I go on a road trip to South Dakota.
June 2003, My wife goes on bedrest. I’m home and can take care of her, I’m comfortable at home by this time and it’s great!
Over the next couple years, our church needs a volunteer youth director, and working with the youth had been my calling for many years. At the end of this work, we ended up at a new church 5 minutes from our home. You have to understand that one of the main reason we were considering moving before was so we could be closer to the church we attended at the time.
Job, Baby, House, Bedrest, Church…
Can you see God’s plan? It’s amazing how it works out.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Wow, today’s sermon was right up my alley. I prefer a sermon that dives into why Jesus really came, and I got it. It’s always good to be reminded of sin, what it is, why we need Jesus, and what Jesus did. I pray many people were fed spiritually today.
I’ve had a good week, the family is doing well. My attitude has been good except for a couple of mild arguments that were resolved lovingly. I feel my priorities have been good (they are not perfect) and these last several days have allowed me to rebuild some relationships. I’m currently trying to build some friend relationships. I need to pray about this. It seems everyone is too busy to have friends.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Another good sermon today…but I want to share that this week had been a good week. I wish I had read more of the Bible, but family time good. Camden continues to be a challenge, but I set up some “House Rules” that have helped us out a bit. I even had a day that started out a bit badly. We left the garage open all night and it got down to -10. The sink in the garage froze, but it thawed out just fine. Then, while doing laundry, the washer drained and the drain pipe had shifted up which allowed for a few gallons of water to run over onto the floor. In the end, it was a good way to get the laundry room floor cleaned. I also found that I needed to add some foam insulation around the laundry room water faucets and drain that are mounted in the wall. AND…I also sealed the hole in the floor where the water softener line comes up from the basement! Fun times! All things work for good for those who love God!
Okay, I’m caught up changing how my Journal tab looks! No more date headlines in the text.
This past week was both good and bad. It surrounds the fact that this time of the year it always hard on my wife (need warmth and sun – pleeeaasssee!). I get cranky a bit too, and then this siphons down to Camden getting cranky. How nice. So, petty arguments, bad choices and LOTS of forgiveness (that’s the good part of the week). I did prepare my first non-recipe lasagna last Friday. Ground Pork, Ricotta cheese, lots of other white cheese, mmmmmm, yum. It was nice and thick. Not a hard job, just prepared “right”!
I’m challenged to complete work on what is called a “Personal Life and Growth Plan”. A friend of mine and I decided it’s a must in order to be truly accountable to each other. We must have a plan, and it must be measurable. Our church provides great leadership regarding developing your “faith and life” together and this “Foundational” tool is a part of that.
Now I’m reading a leadership book that at first made me want to gag. Hey, I’m being honest! Leadership books must be dry, right? Well, no. So far it’s very engaging and appears that it will be a good balance of challenge and analysis with a bit of encouragement. The book? Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership by Ruth Haley Barton.
At home I’ve been dealing with anger issues, maybe stemming from having a 5 year old button pusher only child! I love him, but I have my days…Wintertime brings a little more inside time that allows for us all to become more annoyed with each other. But…playing in the foot of snow was and still is fun. I was able to create a winter wonderland of snow sledding hills in the front yard.
Well, personally, this has been an overall good week. Today was trying. It started well, but my wife and I haven’t been communicating well of late and the day took a turn before we left for church. It got worse as the day went on, but after some hard work putting away Christmas decorations (we leave them up through Jan) things had settled down. I’m tired and my wife is dealing with the blah season (depression etc). Nothing like brown grass and gray trees to lift our spirits! We miss the snow.
Camden is on a kick where he is telling everyone that he loves them!
Something I’ve been working on for a while….A Personal Life and Growth Plan. Stage 4 is my Core Values:
Obedience – It’s something I expect from my child, so I should expect myself to obey the law and God’s law.
o Attend church
o Read the Bible
o Review God’s laws and advice
o Honor my Parents
Personal Relationships – Friends and Family are a priority in my life that are nurtured and loved.
o Communicate regularly
o Have regular dates with my wife
o Travel someplace new with Camden once a month
o Visit or travel with a friend once a year
Joy/Fun – Life is a waste without the enjoyment of laughter, silliness and sharing these experiences. I won’t ever be serious all the time.
o Play games regularly
o Write a funny post once a month
o Break up a serious moment with a joke often
Learning – I will never stop learning and I will learn new and thought provoking ideas.
o Study the Bible
o Attend two (2) classes a year at The Creek
o Research details on taking college classes through The Creek
Teaching – I will impart good advice and wisdom as I attain it.
o Continue supporting the Foundations Ministry
o Consider teaching a class at The Creek
o Consider working with the youth at The Creek
o Help Camden develop school skills at home
Effort – I will not be lazy, but I will allow others to help me out if needed or offered.
o Ignore your blog and games at least two (2) days a week
o Accept help at least once a month
o Continue expanding your skills at homemaking
Well, back from vacation and the blog has been put on hold a while. The last week or so have been great. I’ve turned over a new leaf in interacting with my son and he is responding very well. I just hope I can keep adapting as he gets older and his attitudes change. My wife and I are doing well, work for her has been stressful, but I’ve been doing much better at home with my renewed desire to be the best stay-at-home dad I can be. Hopefully, that helps her come home to a stress-free environment!
Stage five of the Personal Life and Growth Plan:
Spiritual Formation and Assessment
My spiritual maturity is all over the map. My faith is at an all time high I would say. I love God greatly and continue to seek ways to better build my foundation to better see, understand and feel how God views my sin. I hear the Holy Spirit callings, warnings and I do see the “way out” when tempted just about all the time. I wonder if I “put on” Jesus everyday. I know Jesus, I understand the sacrifice, I see the need, but I am hit or miss when it comes to being a mature Christian everyday.
I see a lack of talking to God as a factor in my lack of maturity. In my heart I vividly recall all the great times I’ve had while reading through the Bible, yet I seem to easily dismiss this simple activity. Prayer time has been good in the past, but has never been what I had hoped. At this moment my commitment to basic disciplines is poor. I do know that as I become more involved in my church, these disciplines seem to be easier to do. One area that I am strong in through various media is Bible study. I thirst for it. Silence and Solitude is important and I can do a better job of forming this discipline into a habit. Fasting is not a part of my spiritual walk.
My goals are:
1) Read through the Bible in a year.
2) Spend time in prayer most mornings first thing.
3) Obey the Holy Spirit
Wow, the week flew by…I’ve had an overall good week! I’ve been enjoying a class a church that’s enlightened me a bit regarding alternate ways of studying God’s Word. Home life has been well too. Camden and I are seemingly on the same page now since I essentially eliminated much of my negative feedback and loud discipline. Love, Love, Love like my last name. Makes a big difference.
Camden and I started watching the original 3 Star Wars movies. (IV, V & VI) for you young ones reading this. I’ve enjoyed sharing my old Star Wars toys with Camden. He stood and clapped at the end of Star Wars IV, A New Hope. That’s my boy.
Chris and I are definitely dealing with parent-itis. We’ve had a semi-difficult time adjusting our married life to parenthood. It’s a healthy challenge we are running into together head-on and it hurts sometimes.
This has been a good week except for one day. I’ll mark that as an anomaly. The religion class at church has been very good and the ministry I’m involved in is getting ready to take off. This is an exciting time, as well as a time of temptation as Satan had no desire for me to move forward in my Walk with Christ. How will I respond?
Well, I’m still reading the Bible plan every morning and praying every morning!
I arranged to have several family members meet at a BW3’s to watch the opening round of NCAA b-ball games. Camden attended and did VERY well. Sometime during the Purdue game my lower back popped and I was in a bunch of pain the rest of the day. I rested, rested and did more rest. I let Christy take care of things and the next morning my back was still bad, but much better. She left for work and I hobbled out of bed to check on Camden. He proceeded to vomit on his bed and floor. Did I mention that I’m reading the book of Job currently?
Well, long story short, the car was being worked on at Honda, Camden was vomiting every hour and couldn’t keep down water, my dad came by to help for a little while and my wife came home from work to take care of both of her boyz… :) Yes, I can still smile. On top of all this, my NCAA bracket prediction is, shall we say, keeping in line with every other calamity. Alas, I still have a God who loves me and I’m doing well. Last night before falling asleep, I was praying with my eyes closed and had a flash of light right after I asked to be healed. I was kind of freaking out…my back did feel better and I was able to sleep for 11 hours with no pain. My back isn’t completely healed, but it is pretty much better.
I have nothing to complain about.
I had a nice Spring Break in the Florida Pan Handle with family, so I missed updating the blog for several weeks. My laptop also “died” on me, so I just finished getting it all reloaded and up to snuff. I must say I am doing a little better regarding computer problems. I used to get way too worked up. My family may feel I still get too worked up, but I KNOW I’m better!
I was able to keep up with my bible reading while on vacation and was able to find a nice contemporary service to head to on the one Sunday I was not in a car driving. :)
I really enjoy visiting other churches. People are always nice and it’s a healthy change of pace hearing a sermon from a different preacher. God speaks through many people and I think many people get caught up in “their” pastor and they miss out on a lot.
Camden is now going through a new “testing his limits” stage and I don’t miss it. He sure knows how to push buttons! I sure DON’T know how to not let them be pushed!
Well, things are going well overall, that’s all I have to say for now.
A new ministry at church was launched today which I’ve been a part of for maybe a year now in the planning stages…we are coaching Christians on a short term basis to help encourage those who wish to have help regarding learning to study the Bible or pray or journal etc. There is a strong desire to engage the congregation to Go Deeper and not be a “Sunday” Christian.
Life is good. Between yard work and other duties, things are going well. Camden had his very first soccer game ever and has turned out to be quite the defensive commando. If you try to score a goal, watch out!
I’m still on track reading through the Bible. I’m reading through Daniel and Revelation at this time. Good stuff.
I’m letting go of a few things that have been brought to my attention: Nagging Camden about eating/trying food and encouraging him to go to the bathroom on my timetable. He’s five and I need to let this go before it damages our relationship.
Have a blessed week!
It’s been a good week. Chris and I had a great date night (See Rabbit Hole post on Home tab) and Camden is enjoying playing in the nice weather. Not sure why it seems that it rains on Tuesday’s for his soccer practice (they need practice since it’s their first time playing!) but so be it. Supposed to rain tomorrow too. I’m doing a good job of following my personal life and growth plan and bible reading and prayer have been good this week! Even had a friend over and we watched the latest Indiana Jones movie on Friday.
Whoops, I missed a week!
Things have been good and bad. I’ll explain. As a good friend of mine declared, “We must be doing things right because Satan appears to be trying to mess everything up!”
Of late, my wife’s job has been a bit stressful AND I have been getting more heavily involved in ministry at church. As my involvement has increased, so has the stress from her work. This stress spills over to home life and we have “dysfunction!” We catch our breath and we realize that the difficulties are just a challenge for us to overcome. The KEY is that we are to overcome them by coming to the Lord. If we try to do it ourselves we WILL fail eventually. This describes the last fews weeks in a nutshell! Plus, our washing machine went to the washing machine graveyard.
Oh my, I missed a week!!!!
This has been a pretty good week. Considering my back has been keeping me down for the last week, that’s probably why I missed doing my last journal. It’s back to about 90% I’d say.
Honestly, it’s been a challenge controlling my eyes of late. You may not know what I mean, but if you are a guy, you understand. Those eyes, the windows to my soul, have been tempted too often, and I haven’t done as good a job as usual NOT looking. My prayer life has dropped off a bit too. It occurs, it’s just inconsistent.
The good news is that my Bible reading has been very intriguing of late. I’m in a “deep study” mode and I like it. As I read through the Bible in a year, this time, I just can’t simply read it. I’m pulled to really READ it….slowly….deeply….looking up details….figuring out historical consistencies within various Biblical books…etc. It’s fun!
I’m also helping with a class Sunday morning at church. This too is fulfilling.
As a Foundation Coach, I’ve been coaching a few individuals and couples the last few weeks. Fulfilling yet again. Thank you God.
Wow, do I ever understand Paul’s words about “Why do I do the things I don’t want to do, when I know I should not do them…!” Don’t we all?
Overall, this week was very good. As usual, I’m not perfect, yet again. One of the questions my pastor is covering during his current sermon series is something like, “Does God ever get tired of forgiving us?” I feel like I’m a walking “sin and repent” machine sometimes!
Lord help me through another week and bless my wife as she is working in England till Thursday. Help VBS be a special memory for Camden and for me to take ahold of the “thorns” in my side and deal with them accordingly.
This has been a great week, ending on a high note. I have placed some good boundaries in my life to help me in various ways in dealing with temptation as well. Bible reading was consistent and interesting. The book of Jeremiah isn’t as easy to read as some of the other OT books. I am enjoying Matthew though. My wife made it back from England and Camden completed VBS this past week!
As far as ministry at church, we just finished teaching a class and the next round starts next week!
On the homefront, I finished the planting landscaping around the mailbox and waterfall in the backyard. Now, I just need to get some haydite rock to complete to look.
Okay, I’m late since I forgot about my journal after the awesome weekend to remember conf we went to.
I’m a bit behind on my Bible reading plan, but have been reading none the less! I’ll catch up soon enough. I had a root canal to rid me of pain from a recent crown that irritated my root. Then I had to deal with readjusting the bite. So, most of the pain is gone now!
I can’t say enough about the Weekend to Remember marriage conference. What a blessing.
Chris’ work is still nuts.
A=Attitude, B=Behavior, K=Knowledge, P=Priorities, R=Relationships
It’s been a while since I used these reminders. So here goes.
A – Over the last few months, my attitude has been one I would describe as maturing. Maturing in my faith and my role as a stay-at-home-dad.
B – I’ve been reconfiguring my day to better include Camden in what I’m doing
K – I have continually been studying the Bible as well as other fields of interest.
P – God, wife, child, me. I think “me” slips into the first 3 spots often still. However, I’m enjoying honoring my parents and trying to be there for my wife. Waterfall, landscaping, love.
R – The marriage conference with my wife was much needed and a blessing. Camden and I have a guys trip planned as well!
Wow, vacation was great! Camden and I had some good father son time and we only had one “bad” day out of the 4 days on our own.
The week also entailed going through some of Uncle Kenny’s workshop and organizing and measuring equipment to see how it will fit in my future workshop in the basement…long road ahead, but my dream of more detailed woodworking will become a reality eventually, God willing. Miss you Ken.
Needless to say, with vacation, my Bible reading got way behind. Hopefully, I can catch back up, or maybe I’ll read the Bible in a year and a month!
Chris and I have had some very good time to talk get on track with each other of late. This has been much needed!
Yes, reading the whole Bible through a second time will happen when it happens. No use beating myself up for falling behnd a bit :)
Prayer time was inconsistent for a week or so, but I am concentrating on his discipline now.
Life is good, and cannot complain about anything. God’s provision is glady accepted as so many around the world are going without. Use me, Lord, to do better each day to help those in need.
I’m looking forward to a family reunion we are having this coming weekend at our home!
Well, I missed another week! How do I do that?
Life is pretty good on many fronts. One of the most important fronts at home is a bit stressful for us. We are trying to discern what God would have us do regarding job situation, roles and other big picture life items. So, please pray for us if you read this!
We have so gotten used to “security” on all fronts of life that we need to know what God IS telling us versus what we think God is telling us.
My Bible reading has been a bit sporadic as well as my prayer time. I need to shore this up.
I need to invest in some Silence and Solitude to help clear my mind and hear God’s calling.
As I write this today, we have been in a perpetual Severe Thunderstorm since around 10am. Hence, the shower I was going to take has been put on hold due to all the lightning….so why not keep on writing! I’ve decided to start putting some of my memories into my blog as autobiographical snippets of my life. Right now, I’m recording everything having to do with football. See my Home page and look for “Knocked Down and Definitely Out”. I’m writing it in loose chapters.
Outside of this work, I’m working hard with Camden on getting his overly unruly attitude in check. He starts school soon and this phase will just make his life difficult in school. Teaching about respect and trying not to be an angry parent are the topics of prayers that I need pointed in my direction. I’m working so hard on being consistent, but it’s difficult given my nature. It’s so important though.
We had a successful disciplinary session this morning. He was so mad he was hitting my chair and I stayed calm. He went to his room on his own to cool off. He had disobeyed me by questioning everything I asked him to do this morning, as well as defiantly telling me NO at just about every turn. It came to a head when he lost his temper and started beating on his crayons at his desk. He was mad because he didn’t want to do his summer homework and when his crayon box tipped over he lost it. Needless to say, the trip to the Children’s Museum was canceled and then postponed indefinitely. That’s what led to his trip to his room to cool down. After that, we had a good talk and went over the rules again and what is expected of him.
All’s well in Love land again.
On a personal front, Chris and I are now praying together before bed most nights. I’m also doing a devotional each night and am reading The Shack. I love you God.
My lovely wife is off work this week!
We’ve had some good family time, and went to the pool at the Y today. I’ve been reading The Shack, and its really shown me a different perspective on God and the Trinity that I find intriguing. I have a new way of combating some Atheistic views of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
Church this week was also very challenging. I must not be fearful of entering into a conversation about my Lord and Savior! Not long ago, I wouldn’t let anything stop me, and over time I have fallen out of the habit of sharing and boldly noting WHY I have the hope that I have. God promises to give me the words that I am to say in times of conversation, and I need to trust in that promise. If I don’t trust, I WILL fail.
I’m one week away from the next Building A Foundation class at church. I’m excited how God will use this class, and how he will shape me during the six weeks of teaching.
Camden starts kindergarten! Lord help me make choices that are wise.
This past week has been full of intrigue. I now have a schedule starting to play out again (P). With Camden now back in school daily, my wife working on a new morning routine, and me doing my thing, days are running more smoothly. I’m blessed to have been led to lead a class at church that takes place on Wed nights. I’m excited about this opportunity to encourage and touch lives. (A, R). My new schedule also enables me more dedicated time for reading the Bible and developing other Spiritual Disciplines (K, P, B)!
Facebook has also lifted my spirits as I have been able to have more direct adult contact on a daily basis (R, A).
On a health note, I’m dedicated to playing basketball each Friday as well as working out most days of the week. (B)
Prayer time has been pretty consistent with my wife and as I have gotten more involved at church, the enemy, has most definitely taken notice. Satan will not prevail, and I place my faith in Jesus for all things. (K, A, R)
This has been another good week. PTL!
I get to teach again tonight and I look forward to that opportunity to be used by God. Worship has been deep and my relationship with Camden has been memorable, especially yesterday as we tossed football and he finally learned to swing on his own! “That was Fun!!!!”, he said.
Everyday it seems I have a moment of clarity while watching Camden do something. I see God looking at me and shaking his head about some failure or rejoicing about some baby step I’ve taken. Those times I can almost really feel the love of Christ upon me as it swells up inside of me directed at my son.
Remember how I noted that Satan would begin his petty yet painful attacks now that I’m working in a ministry and leading another one? Well, the AC went out and will need replaced or repaired at high cost and a dear friend and his family are having marital difficulties.
The good is that the weather is wonderful and no need for AC and that my friend’s family (at least part of it) is going back to church.
I’ve been a bit frustrated this week. A good friend walked out on his wife and 4 kids with no warning to his accountability partners (me and another friend). I struggle with how someone can make such a big decision without talking things through with the guys he’s opened his heart to over the last 3 years. It’s obvious he knows he’s wrong, why else not broach the subject with us? I haven’t been able to have a conversation with him yet, although he did try to call me once and he has talked with the other accountability partner. How can someone truly feel it’s better for the kids to leave than to stay and be an example of showing how you work things out? It’s simply an example of showing your kids that if you can’t handle it, leave. Reminds me of “John and Kate plus 8”, and the sad excuse I hear over and over, “It’s better for us to separate since seeing us arguing all the time is bad for the kids.” NO, you need to be adults and learn to compromise and love each other for who you are, not just walk out and make yourself feel good with this flawed logic…you need to present the correct way to end an argument, since arguing is going to happen even in the best of relationships! Needless to say, this situation is on my mind a lot.
The past week or so has been pretty good. I’ve prayed a lot, in bursts, however my Bible time has been lacking. Technically, I did journaling at church last Sunday, as it was part of the service. I really get a lot out of the new EPIC service at my church. It’s geared toward mature Christians and it’s very challenging. The goal is to be more than “just a Christian”, the challenge is to live like it intentionally.
I’m still trying to save a marriage, my friend’s marriage, but things aren’t looking good. I leave it in God’s capable hands. Even though I cannot see any good right now, surely the good will present itself eventually.
Camden road his bike for the first time, through the yard several times (no training wheels). The joy in his face, and our celebration brought tears to my eyes as I recalled the milestone in bed last night.
Well, the class I was teaching has finished and another one is on the horizon. I’ve also been able to get out of my bible reading rut. Jeremiah had me stuck for a while…not sure why. Fall is upon us and I usually start getting in super good moods as the temps decrease. God made me for 60-70 degrees!
My left knee is nagging me, and I’m trying to lose a bit of weight and change my shooting technique in basketball to also help save my knee.
My friend’s marriage seems all but lost, but we’ve had some good discussion nonetheless. I pray for a miracle to occur.
This past week has brought much to think about and discern. I had a good talk with a peer at church and got some very good advice on how best to lead my family through our current life situation dilemma.
I was also invited to a “Christian men only” study that at first I felt I was unable to attend. It takes place on Thursday nights and that is typically “date night”…a convenient excuse, however an important one. The following day I happened to sit down next to a lady at church to read my Answers magazine while waiting for Camden’s choir practice to finish. A mutual friend came up and started talking to her (thanks Dorothy)…needless to say, I joined the conversation and it led to how her husband was dedicated to the “Race of a Lifetime” ministry/boot camp. She described how his Walk with Christ changed dramatically through this “Boot camp”. It all reminded me of how my Walk to Emmaus and mission trip to Cuba changed me. Needless to say, the nudge of the Holy Spirit was clearly telling me to go!
THEN, I forgot. Typical guy, eh? My wife remembered that I mentioned wanting to go. She got home from work and asked, “Aren’t you going to church???”. I was like – -AHHHHHH! I knew I was forgetting something!!! Satan would not win this one. The meeting didn’t start till 7pm (I thought it was 6pm), so I had time to clean up, finish making dinner, eat and get to the meeting! Thank you God! It was a powerful first meeting. One man was even baptized!
I started teaching a new Building a Foundation class as well as taken on some additional duties in our Foundation Coaching ministry. I’m excited about all this. I can feel God strongly on Sunday’s and as the week goes by, I long for Sunday to come again. Why can’t I seem to keep God close by all week long?
The week has been good…but I’ve been sick, so going out in the chilly weather to do yard-work hasn’t been a priority. I must say though that being sick has made me desire to cook soup and chili, so that has been yummy.
Bible time has existed, and I’ve been hit with several things to write about in this blog. I got on of them out today, the “Open Letter to the Christian”. It stems from the sermon I heard on Sunday.
Hey, I’m healthy again! I had a very interesting experience on Monday helping out some people living out of a hotel. We drove them around to help them take care of some Social Security needs and visit some other government offices. We feed them lunch since they hadn’t eaten anything of substance for several days. It was a reminder that most people in this world can’t just eat when they want to nor simply DO what they want to. I’m spoiled, anyone reading this is most likely spoiled (since you have access to a computer). I’m trying to discern what God would have me to specifically do regarding the hotel situation so many people find themselves stuck in currently. Many have no transportation, so going to food pantries or distribution centers is not an option…I learned that is doesn’t take much to go from a stable situation to almost on the street.
Well, I’ve been challenged in several ways recently. Whether it’s 3 or more things going wrong all at the same time, or not handling my son pushing my buttons at times, I’ve been able to see how I SHOULD have responded in the end. I been able to talk to my son and explain how I was wrong and what I should have done.
In the end, blessed be the name of the Lord in GOOD times and in BAD.
On another note…we will always have the poor, at what level does God expect me to help? I could spend all I have, or feed someone a meal, what would you have me do Lord?
I feel good. I’m not perfect but I feel good. This week has had it’s ups and downs, but one positive I thank God for is my desire and tenacity toward losing weight. I’ve lost over 7 lbs the last 18 days! On my mind is my wife and her dealing with work stress. I’m not sure what more I can do to help be supportive. When I’ve spent time in the Bible its been deep and meaningful. Prayer has been short and less meaningful. Time with Camden has been a blessing. I made some conscience decisions this past week or so that were much better ways of handling recurring life with a 6 year old. :)
I’ve had a pretty good week. Our small group is meeting again and this Christian interaction will only benefit the whole family as well as the others in the group. I’m wrapping up a couple of task this week. The class I was teaching on Sunday’s is over and the Mens group on Thursdays wraps up this week. Both have been a blessing. A good friend lost one of their twins due to premature labor. My heart is saddened for the grief they must deal with but is glad in knowing this little one, Matthew, is with the Lord.
Both of the twins died and are home in heaven now. Mark and Jen are in my prayers.
Well, it appears I took a vacation from journaling! The last couple of weeks have been very nice. I’m really, finally in the mood for Christmas this year and already have gotten several decorations up that I enjoy and did not get put up last year….The Colts are still undefeated, I know, I know, that’s truly not important but the part of me that is stuck in this world likes it.
Thanksgiving was a good time of thanking God for all He has provided. I saw all of my immediate family and had fun doing it. I also probably gained back 4 lbs from my latest weightloss but that was somewhat expected!
I’ve been getting a lot our of the book of Luke when I have spent time reading it. Our church sermons have also been in Luke (the travel narrative).
My wife and I had a very nice date night as well.
What a great couple of weeks.
Another week! Not a perfect week by far, but a blessed one! Camden and I enjoyed a movie night yesterday. Popcorn and the Night at the Museum movies. He liked them a lot. Thanks to My Coke Rewards for the free evening!
My wife is heading home tonight after being out of town with work and Camden will be singing (or at least standing) in a choir show this weekend at church!
I’m back on track trying to lose weight, so prayers about this are appreciated!
Christmas is almost upon us! Our house is a wreck. We are trying to simplify Christmas in some ways. Our house is a wreck. We DID get rid of a bunch of toys to help out a toy drive!!!! Our house is a wreck!
I can’t wait for my men’s meeting tonight, it’s been very spirit led each week!
The tree is trimmed and the celebration is upon us,
Of the birth of Christ who God gave to us,
Not for kicks or giggles did He,
Give His son for you and for me,
But to save us from
What cannot be undone.
For sin clings to us like a snare.
But for those who will simply dare
To accept this gift from God above
Repent and believe in Jesus with love.
Blessings to you this Christmas.
2010
-I will strive to read the New Testament
-I will weigh less than 200 lbs by the end of the year
-I will have a plan in place for a workshop in my basement this year
-I will continue to recognize more and more how selfishness is a negative trait of mine
Right on schedule, this past week has been full of test after test in which I have failed over and over. I mean, I set goals, have great ministry opportunities, have great friends and accountability, am in the Bible daily but I still fail to get past the weak and petty tests of the day. Satan may be throwing me curve balls but it seems I’m not even swinging. Camden has bore the brunt of my anger this week. He has ramped up his defiance and that in turn has ramped up my frustration. I’ve done right many times, but it’s the few times of getting too angry that stick in my mind and I’m sure his. Amazing how God can remind you of your weaknesses. When I am weak, he is strong! I need to lean on my heavenly Father.
This week is turning out pretty good! I’m still reading the Bible pretty much on schedule and The Race (men’s group) was great tonight. I need to do better at dealing with my son, but I have done a much better job since my last entry here. “Dealing” isn’t a good word….I need to be a better father, a more understanding father. Sure is fun learning at the ripe young age of 37.
The situation in Haiti has been on my mind greatly. I wish I could do more to help.
Wow, a great day and a great week. I had 2 hours of silence and solitude this morning. Amazingly I had no distractions and was immediately in the Spirit listening. I was also able to meditate and listen to God’s prompting regarding my life goals for The Race of a Lifetime men’s group I’m in. I did this in my car parked along side a country road I’ve used to view the stars before. Two big things that came from this experience. 1) I’m a peacemaker (and that’s not a bad thing) and 2) I need to plan things with God’s guidance and not do what I want first then ask God’s blessing on it later. And a subnote – I need to realize all things I do need to be done with a “god-willing” attitude.
Wow, what a powerful morning of prayer. I don’t know if I was having visions or not, but I was able to envision many of my friends and whatever struggles or life issues they are dealing with being resolved in some majestic way. Let’s move some mountains! Tonight another Boot Camp begins in The Race of a Lifetime (a Christian Men’s Group) and I’m pumped about it. We continue to pray for a room full of men hungry for God, fellowship and open, honest encouragement and accountability!
Many men responded and committed to going through the Boot Camp. As a Table Leader I am blessed to be a part of these men’s lives. Strong, powerful Holy Spirit driven evenings.
Boy I’ve been challenged to not yell at Camden. [B] It’s not easy sometimes. Oh the whining, please stop the whining! LOL
The last few weeks have been good ministry wise. There was a challenge at church (of course there is a challenge every week) that led many people to the ministry I help lead. I pray God will help these people not ignore the nudge God gave them on that Sunday.
My wife got home safely from a trip to Finland for work and now we have enough miles to fly to Hawaii sometime! Well worth it if you don’t have to pay for tickets. We will see if that trip materializes. I need a break of some sort to be able to focus on God and get away from distractions. I need to relax a bit to recharge.
I’ve been challenged to not have a “just in time” mentality. I need to leave early so things aren’t so crazy. I need to plan better and get up earlier. In the end, this will result in less stress [B], more God time [P] and better quality family time. [R]
Good week, Good family time, need to lose some weight before swimsuit time. Ha!
I’m going to do some research into “brain types” and learning about the personalities of my family so I can better interact with them. I think my personality tries too hard to make people do things how I think they should be done. I’ve come a long way with understanding this about myself (I’m sure other people deal with the same thing).
I’m proud of Camden…he played some great defense in b-ball today AND had some steals and dribbled down court AND successfully made passes to teammates.
A cold is running through the family, and I’m dealing with headaches so not much else is coming to mind! God is good, all the time.
Spring Break 2010 was great. It was a good time away and good for me to recharge. I guess I always found it a little silly to need to recharge since I do so well at giving myself “free” time. I do however need to get away from my normal schedule at times and this trip did the trick. I didn’t get angry or feel my blood pressure go through the roof all week, so THAT WAS AWESOME! [B,A]
We went to a good church service down in Florida too and Camden was a chatterbox in kid’s church. I really “found myself” while getting into sand sculpting. I guess I’d forgotten how much I enjoy art of any kind. [A] Sculpting the sand was very therapeutic! I’m very thankful for safe travels. Praise God!
Hey, the Brain Type research was neat. [K] I feel like an amateur psycho analyst! It’s been interesting seeing how people interact and then being able to offer advice as to why there is a problem. MY problem is that I all too often offer “unsolicited advice”! Not good some of the time!
We all have a natural way of doing things and problems arise when we try to make everyone fit into OUR mold. Everyone should research brain types! It will positively affect your Attitudes, Behaviors, Relationships & it will give you more general Knowledge!
This past week has been eye opening. I traveled a road to my parent’s home and was in awe of the sunrise as the rays clearly broke through a large cloud. As I turned west there it was, a rainbow. Never have I seen an AM rainbow! As the sun rose it got too high for it’s rays to bounce off the oncoming rain and it soon disappeared. What a wonderful God we have. The timing had to be right for me to catch a glimpse of this reminder of biblical proportions. No more worldwide floods. I’m still struggling a bit with sin that stems from selfishness. Lord help me to continue to grow, to find spiritual success in the small steps I take to get closer to you.
This month I’m challenged to read Ephesians 4 times and to read through Proverbs. Although I have trouble reading Proverbs quickly, I’m going to try. That’s the key, right? Try.
I keep getting reminded that God wouldn’t tell me, “It’s hard to read Proverbs fast, so just don’t read it.” Satan, thanks but no thanks to that advice. I’ve lost about ten lbs +/- a couple and I plan to keep that off for now and then work on it some more in June! God’s creation is simply amazing.
May came and went and I missed a few entries with vacations! I’m feeling recharged after a wonderful vacation in which I and my family were immersed in God’s creation. I did fail to read the Bible as I had hoped, but my prayer life was solid. It was also more difficult finding a church to attend, so I need to be more proactive before the vacation starts in researching church locations.
I’m in a minor spiritual rut. I just can’t seem to pick up the Bible and read it like I want to. I’m happy getting in a few verses here and there, but I just haven’t been hit with the desire to cozy up and read like in the past. Maybe it’s all of the vacations and schedule changes that…just…keep…changing. June of 2009 was a pretty strong month for me. I need to spend more quality time in prayer and quit bringing in the newspaper before reading the Bible. I really love my family, they are great. I’ve missed accountability for several weeks due to vacations and I really look forward to meeting in the morning tomorrow!
Okay, I’ve been updating a personal biography page and missed some of these updates recently! Be assured I’ve been writing, just not for the public!
That rut I was in was conquered several weeks ago with a nice challenge to read Proverbs daily. I’ve missed a few days, but have usually replaced it with other reading. I’m in the process of trying to memorize the entire chapter 5 of Galatians! I have verses 1-3 down.
Accountability has been good and we are now starting to read the book of Hebrews together. This summer I’ve also really tried to put the hammer down and be consistent with Camden. I’m afraid I’ve helped him to feel he can get away with things and it has to stop. Pray for success! Camden is progressing really well in swimming and last Sunday he made an awesome drawing about the Bible lesson they talked about.
The last couple of weeks have been really good. I’ve been trying to memorize Ch 5 of Galatians and have verses 1-7 so far. I also started reading through Genesis. A great book. This morning I was able to take part in a service project through the Race of a Lifetime where we repositioned two wooden mini barns. Camden has been learning to swim and is doing a great job…I even learned how to better keep water out of my nose! I’m a slow learner. It’s been great to be busy and also involved in helping others who are in need. I’ve been able to have Camden help in this process as well. I pray the lessons are not lost on him.
I am so amazed with the group of men that I meet with on Tuesday nights. It’s such an uplifting experience to be among 50+ men who will pray out loud, lay hands on men who are struggling and who will ask the tough questions that we all need to hear regularly. When I know I will be struggling or tempted I can reach out and explain the situation. There isn’t just an “okay” there is prayer. There is conversation. There is a Body of Believers who stand along side me each and every day in Spirit. Isn’t that what Christianity is supposed to be all about? One Body in Christ. Such a blessings to have found this ministry of Christian Men who don’t want to just be “pew sitters”.
The Race of a Lifetime is awesome and I just wanted to get that down in my journal so that one day I can recall when my life was changed.
Full of praises from this week. Camden starting riding his bike without training wheels., completed his 1st full week of school, ate his 1st school lunch, is loving art class and actually wants to go to school “more”. I think I’m finally out of the mild rut I was in at the end of summer break. I mean I couldn’t get myself motivated to do anything several weeks ago and now that has changed. Thank you God! I’ve praying daily and reading my bible daily with more intentional means. This change has benefited me greatly.
It’s interesting how when I’m in a good place my wife tends to be in a bad place and vice versa. It’s not always that way, but we have noticed this trend over the years and we’ve laughed about it some. Right now I would say I’m in a very good place spiritually and I want to do everything that I can to help my wife. Work is stressful and this takes its toll in all areas of her life. I need to pray more diligently about and for her. I also know our son is feeling the effects of this stress and he’s been more than a handful of late. I’ve stepped up and I’m the one handling the “little talks” and discipline when needed as my wife doesn’t need any of those duties right now and quite honestly with her stress, her patience is admittedly not where it needs to be which I understand. I just keep thinking how Jesus reminded us that life is hard, work is hard, we will be persecuted as Christians, Satan will always be against us, YET, our rest will come as we lean on God. I need to continue to lead my family into the arms of Christ and He WILL give us rest. We are so blessed in so, so many ways, we really have too much to be joyful about. Depression is such an annoying thing, that it can shield us from being able to see all the blessings surrounding us.
The last couple of weeks have been really good. Had a Labor Day Weekend mini vacation with family that was restful also. Through the men’s Race of a Lifetime ministry at my church I was challenged to cut out all beverages other than water for the rest of the month. What a blessing. I’m sleeping better and getting up more easily in the mornings now. Just had a couple days of headaches going through caffeine withdrawal. No big deal. Since the water thing was so easy, I decided to make it a bit more of a challenge so I cut out sweets, too. Almost immediately after doing this, I decided to start dieting and now well…so far I’m down about 3 pounds in 3 days. This fasting thing is great. We are using it to spiritually teach ourselves to control the urges of our bodies so that we can then apply this success to overcoming sin. It’s the idea of “denying yourselves” that is presented in the Old Testament tied into the idea of taming your body and the desires of the flesh that Paul writes about in the New Testament.
Home life had been pretty good for me. I’m so much more motivated to cook now that I’m on this diet, weird… So that helps my wife out, who is dealing with work stress and it helps my son out when he yells, “YES! That’s my favorite!!!” referring to me preparing my spice rubbed London Broil steak last night. Thank you Jesus.
I’ve been very involved with Cub Scouts in which my son is excited about right now. We’re having fun selling popcorn and working toward his goal of $3000 in sales.
God is good, and he is using this time for me and Camden to grow together as father and son. I’ve needed this opportunity and I’m pleased to have stepped up to the plate.
Chris’ work is stressful right now but should soon settle down. I’m so proud of Camden.
A few weeks ago the latest “Boot Camp” for The Race of a Lifetime men’s group started. I’ve been blessed with a great open and honest table of men. I do need to continue to strive for regular bible reading. My prayer time each day has been good!
This weekend my wife and I were able to spend some quality time together after several stressful months of work, so that was (and is) great plus she is taking this coming week off too.
Camden has been very polite of late. I think some of all that teaching is rubbing off.
Wow, I had a moment tonight. While praying at my Boot Camp Table associated with The Race of a Lifetime men’s group, I had my hands on my Bible in front of me. I had just prayed over another man and was truly in the Spirit with tears in my eyes. I looked at my hands and bible and then closed my eyes and continued in silence. I then realized that I could see my Bible and my hands on it like a negative….the Bible was light and my hands were dark. This was odd! Normally, if you look at the sun, you will have a very bright spot if you close your eyes. My Bible was in a black cloth case. Why was my Bible light and my hands (which are white and were bright due to the lights in the room) dark when I closed my eyes. There may be an explanation, but it was TRULY a God moment for me. A perfect image of a bright Bible with hands lain out upon it was burned into my mind.
I’ve spent a good amount of time today thinking about the current Foundation For You class. I spent time outlining Week 1 FINALLY! This was a good day, I feel I got many of my goals accomplished, had some good basketball time today and Camden and I did not argue. Chris and I celebrate Valentines Day yesterday (movie and Mexican for my gift and Opus DVD and Ding Dongs for her!) At dinner we really had some long overdue time to recall our past and talk about some of the “good ole days”. Overall a great two days. I do need to pray and read my Bible tonight since the morning didn’t allow for my desired routine.
The latest Boot Camp has begun and tonight was a powerful evening of teaching and prayer. I’m very encouraged. If ever I feel I should leave this ministry I need to read this and realize I am in error. I’m also very encouraged with how I feel I’m being called to lead the FFY class ministry. I pray for strong teachers and godly direction. God first!
I had a good day overall. Camden and I had a good appointment today and then we helped my parents move their old TV cabinet over to my sisters house. I’m reading through Psalms and Acts and it was hard to put down Acts today. My left knee is sore. I’m a bit whiny right now…. :)
The 18th – I’ve been a bit edgy with Camden yesterday and today. I prayed about it last night with Camden and the morning started off well today.
Mattress shopping today after Camden’s B-ball game…fun, fun. Also, Camden did very good and participated well (4 baskets and good defense). We played Donkey Kong Country together tonight well. In B-ball we was beating his chest as he ran down court after his team made a good play. Off to bed, and on to a good day at church!
Wow, why’s it so hard to start a good habit? Let’s see:
Sunday – My wife and I attended a Marriage Mentoring ministry introduction and we plan to begin training!
Monday – It was a blessing to help coach Camden at his basketball practice. I had a lot of fun and hopefully my energy helped the kids to enjoy practice. I tried hard to take care of my stressed out wife last night too. Kind of felt like a fifties house wife!
Today – We attend a Biblical Dinner at OMS tonight. I’m very excited. I wasted too much time today feeling a little under the weather, but we have new mattresses on the way, so maybe that will help us sleep better! Oh, I’m now reading about Reagan – A life in letters. I finished GW Bush’s autobiography recently!
Wow, still forgetting to do this! Ah!
Tuesday I came down with a bad cold, which hit hard on Wednesday. I missed basketball and had a mild fever so rested on the couch all day and caught up on a few movies…why didn’t I settle down with the Bible and read more?
Thursday, my wonderful wife took Camden to school so I could sleep in. This helped a lot and by early afternoon I was feeling much better. I felt well enough to cook dinner, so that was nice. Camden has been doing so very much better with his attitude of late. I’m so proud.
Today, we had some snow, so my workout was shoveling the wet and heavy snow off the drive. Camden started school 2 hours late, then I shopped for food. I ended up helping my parents with their new TV and eventually ended up at dinner with Chris’ parents. It was a good evening.
Camden surprised me with his intellect tonight. On the way to my parents, he contributed to my story about a project I worked on during my Oceanography course at Purdue. “Dad, you need to build a wall the stops the water from going into the bay, then only let it pass through the turbine on the way in to make electricity. That way you can get electricity both when hi tide comes in and when it goes out.” That’s my boy. : )
Saturday was good day even if I woke up a bit grumpy dealing with the lasting effects of a cold. Camden had 4 baskets in a 5 minute period. He shot 4 for 4. His defense is stifling too. I really feel sorry for whoever he guards, but, hey, that’s good defense!
I’m really getting into a book detailing Jewish customs and culture surrounding the Last Supper. Very eyeopening!
I’m still dealing with my cold’s after effects…on an antibiotic now so that is good. We get our new mattresses tomorrow, so I’ve been cleaning our room up and get stuff ready for the new sleeps. Camden and I are really getting along well. I need to be sure to keep letting Chris know how much I love her!
We were blessed to be able to give away our old mattress sets and my parent’s TV to a Burmese family that just got here. That feels good.
We had a good family night out at Camden’s Basketball awards and Arni’s! God gave me a great day of basketball. I enjoyed it even when I messed up too!
Had a good weekend. I’ve been helping my parents get up and running with their new TV and Camden had an interesting last b-ball game. 5 periods he moped around upset “that he wasn’t getting the ball”. The last period he was assigned to guard the other teams best player and he stepped up. He is so good at defense. So, he defense placed him good position to get rebounds and he grabbed three rebounds for three fast breaks. He scored two nice long bank-shots, in addition to his good defense. Next up, learn to pass and play more as a team!
As for me, the class I lead at church has gone well. I’m in the midst of training two new teachers who are very talented. I love it that I’ve wised up and listen much better to other people’s ideas now! God has blessed me and I truly need to be a better spiritual leader to my wife and son. This will require that I spend more time in prayer WITH them.
Camden and I had a good meeting today. We really need to become more consistent in drawing the line for him between disobedience and edging the line. I realized today that he has pushed his limits for many years and we’ve not properly handled it. It’s time to reign him in. I also need to be sure I properly warn him before I enact punishment. I ate at school with Camden today and we had a good time.
Chris and I went on a movie date last night and saw The Adjustment Bureau.
Making the most of Camden’s sick day – we played some games and watched NCAA b-ball. He was pretty upset when Louisville lost (he just loves the Cardinal mascot). Last year, he felt the same way and wadded up his bracket; he tried to do the same this year….praise God I stayed calm and helped him through his sadness. This, after staying up till 2am steam cleaning Camden’s floor after he puked in his bed, down the wall and on the carpet leaving his room…cleaned it all up in about an hour.
I’m struggling putting down some of my other reading material and not reading my Bible as I plan. Prayer time is good and intentional. Camden won Best in Show for his Pinewood Derby car! I am being asked to consider being the Pack 499 Committee Chair.
I’m making progress on my weight-loss (~201) right now. Camden and I are continuing to learn and grow in our relationship. Chris’ job right now is very hectic, so I’m challenged to help her as best as i can!
Don’t have a heart attack, I’ve been journaling some by hand as I read the Bible…..Woo Hoo. Very good stuff in James.
The Pack 499 Committee Chair position sucked my life away (sort of!). It’s been very hard the last 2 years to stay focused and intentional in my Christian Walk. Now that i have resigned from the CC position, I feel I can more easily get back where I would like to be with God. Too bad I never figured it out for the long haul while times were tough. I don’t envy those out there that are extremely stressed and busy all the time. It’s so important to somehow learn to be content and be able to let things go so your time with God does not suffer.