Cade's 1st Picture

Here is our 1st sonogram picture we finally got scanned into the computer. It's hard to believe he was the size of a little peanut in this picture & here we are about a week away from seeing him outside the womb! I'm fascinated at how great our God really is...no one can convince me this is NOT a human life in the womb. It's amazing the detail of formation even at about 8 weeks, which is when this picture was taken.

Erin is at home resting (doctor's orders) & we are doing all we can to prepare for what lies ahead. We hope to keep everyone updated through the blog, facebook, & text messaging.

OBU #1

Once again my alma mater is ranked at the top by U.S. News & World Report. Check out the story here.

http://www.arkansasbaptist.org/current_news/?id=373

Go Tigers!

Generosity

Last night I got another picture of what I believe church family & community is all about. A lady in our church brought a home-cooked meal by the house simply b/c it was Erin's 1st day back to school & she said she knows how difficult & tiring those 1st days can be (especially when you're 8 months pregnant). It was her ability to perceive a possible need & taking action to meet the need w/o being asked or prompted by someone else.

Thanks Barbara for the wonderful meal (I enjoyed it again for lunch today -sure beats a sandwich) & for your willingness to reach out in hospitality to us. The Church is all about meeting the needs of others & spreading the gospel message of Jesus Christ to the world.

Great Leadership Tips

Check out this short article on leadership tips for young pastors (which I believe is relevant to many others as well).

http://www.outreachmagazine.com/library/webexclusives/jf08webexleadershiptips.asp

Phelps Phanatics

It's Official! Saturday night Michael Phelps won his 8th Gold Medal of the Beijing Games & 7 of them were world records w/ the other an olympic record. I was interested by the hype but not totally what you would call a "Phelps Phanatic." After the 2nd or 3rd race I was hooked. We really enjoy the Olympics, & swimming is one of our favorites. I was awed at the relay team's comback & the .01 of a sec victory in his last individual event. All I can say is WOW!

I heard the other night of the irony of Phelps winning a record 8 Gold Medals in the 2008 Olympics, which were kicked off w/ the opening ceremony on 08.08.08 @ 8:00 P.M.

There's no doubt God blessed him w/ what many consider the "perfect swimmer's body." Also I have listened to & watched many stories regarding his work ethic & dedication to the sport. There are few athletes who work as hard as he does to be the best. Is he the greatest olympic athlete of all time? I think it's like comparing apples to oranges, but definitely is one of the best ever.

Other than a couple of track & field events the Olympics is all but over for me, but the impact of it will live on for a long time. Not only Phelps, but so many stories of olympians (like Dana Torres at age 41 still winning medals & doing what no one her age has ever done) have inspired me. I believe God can use anything to teach us lessons. I have learned so many spiritual lessons this past week simply from watching the Olympics. I'm not always great at it, but I try to let God speak to me through any & every avenue of life. If all of us were more aware of God's presence we too could learn incredible spiritual lessons from everyday events.

I don't mean to "spiritualize" everything & sound "holier than thou," but I enjoy learning lessons from what most of us see as non-spiritual events. The dedication of Phelps to achieve the impossible challenges me to have the same hunger & passion to spread the message of God's love w/ the world around me. If all Christians were as dedicated to Christianity as these althletes are to the Olympics, we would turn the world upside down for Jesus Christ. Someone who was smart & talented could easily write a book of spiritual lessons from these 2008 Summer Olympics.

Look for new ways for God to speak to you & always be listening for His voice.

Wake Surfing

Thursday I had the chance to go to the lake & hang out w/ some friends who invited us up for the day. This picture is from the last time we were at the lake & it was my first day. I don't have a picture from the most recent surf but there is a short video somewhere. It's lots of fun you start w/ a 12 ft. rope & pull up right behind the boat, find the sweet spot & then if you are able toss the rope into the boat & surf literally a couple of feet from the back of the boat. It's a neat feeling & though I'm really not that good at it I was proud on the 1st day to be able to let go of the rope.
The best part about it is the falls don't hurt b/c you're going slower than when you ski & stuff, also the water is fresh & not salt & this surfing doesn't impose the possible danger of encountering sharks! If you ever get a chance, give it a try.

Heaven

A young lady in our area died last week in a car accident & she was friends w/ many people we know. Stories about her & the accident were in the paper today. The Lord spared the 4 children in the car which is a blessing from God. She was a deeply Christian woman involved in her church & loved the Lord. She suffered from Spina Biffida (or something similar) & has somewhat been physically handicapped her whole life. As I've prayed for the family & thought about her I can have peace in knowing she received a new body in heaven!

At our Widow's Banquet the other night we sang many hymns & as I flipped through the old hymnal I noticed something in many of those older songs we don't emphasize as much today: Heaven. The glory & hope of heaven is what pushes us forward each day as Christians & what challenges us as a result of those who don't have that hope. We need not ever forget the promised glory of heaven & being in the presence of Jesus Christ forever. When we renew our focus on heaven it will change how we live & think.

A few weeks ago as we were in Grand Prairie w/ Erin's parents for the weekend & worshiped at their church a young elementary aged girl came forward during the invitation. I had never seen her before & knew nothing about her. She came to publically profess her faith in Jesus Christ that morning. I get emotional seeing anyone come to Christ, but I wept during that invitation giving praise to God. The young girl was blind & being led down by her parents.

John Newton couldn't have said it any better in the classic hymn "Amazing Grace" when he said: "I once was blind, but now I see." For this young girl she can now see clearly spiritually, but can also live w/ the hope of one day in heaven being able to see physically when she receives her new body in Jesus Christ. Let's daily live in the hope of heaven & it will change us to the core!

Widow's Banquet & Baby Shower

Thursday night our church hosted a "Widow's Banquet" for all those in our church who have lost their spouse & are still single. We had a group of 11 ladies who attended. The deacons & their wives organized & served the whole evening. They did a great job & set the example of what deacons are expected to be in the church. After the meal we sang some favorite hymns from the old "Heavenly Highways" Hymnal. I don't read music but surely couldn't read the shaped notes! I then encouraged them & prayed for them. It was a great evening of sweet fellowship & encouragement. Thanks again to all our deacons & wives who made this such a great night. Here are a couple of pics...

Our church hosted a baby shower for us this past Sunday afternoon. It was a great showing of excitement & support as we anticipate our son arrive in about 6 weeks. We were truly blessed once again with so many generous gifts. Here are a couple of pics...