Marriage Retreat

Erin & I had the privilege to attend a marriage retreat in Little Rock this weekend. It was truly a blessing for our marriage relationship but also for a chance to get away & spend time together away from the everyday environment. We had a chance to go start a baby registry (baby's r us) & look for baby furniture. The reality of parenthood is looming closer & closer!

We also had a chance to see some of our close friends (Petty's, Carozza's, Donnell's). We always enjoy seeing them & are jealous they all live in the same neighborhood. Every time we come to Little Rock we try to get together with them even though they hardly ever return the favor when they come to Mineral Springs! (I wonder why?)

Good Friday

"For God so loved the world he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Take time today to reflect upon what really happened when Jesus Christ died on the cross for you. May God bless you in a special way this weekend & be sure to attend church on Sunday to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ!

Baby's Heartbeat

Erin' doctor appointment went well yesterday afternoon. We heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time. The doctor said she & the baby were both doing well, everything looked good & sounded good. We won't find out what gender our baby is until early May. Erin & the grandmothers can't wait because they all want to go & buy stuff & they have had to wait until we know whether it's a girl or a boy.

Erin was also excited yesterday about the fact she has only gained 3 pounds as she begins the 2nd Trimester. She didn't gain any more than she was supposed to. (I know it's dangerous speaking publically about your wife's weight-gain, but she was thrilled w/ 3 pounds b/c she said she feels like she has gained a whole lot more). I encouraged her & told her just to wait because the pounds will start piling on before it's all over with!

According to Erin's research & reading our baby has developed fingerprints, footprints, & the ability to suck it's thumb if it so chooses. The size is somewhere in the range of a small lemon. Supposedly the body is starting to catch up with the head, which is good. We couldn't be more happy to share this experience of having a child together. God is a God of miracles & they happen everyday, let's just hope we can see them & enjoy them!

"One of the best birthdays"

Our church had the privilege to participate in a Community Bible Project. We planned & organized this event to distribute a bible, a gospel tract, & information about our church to every home in Mineral Springs. The weather today is gorgeous & about 35 of our people showed up this morning to cover the town. In about 2 hours times we distributed over 400 Bibles!

I am so proud of our people & their energy. We had everyone from Kindergarten to to a 91 year-old woman! People for the most part were so responsive & appreciative. One lady was so grateful because she didn't even own a Bible & others were grateful we care about them. We also made contact with some young adult prospects in our community, so it was a great day for our church. We pray the impact goes far beyond today.

The greatest blessing of the day for me was from a lady named Charlene in our church. Today was her 91st birthday & was estatic to be a part of such a good day. She told her daughter during lunch she couldn't think of any better way to spend her birthday. She said it was one of her best birthdays! Praise the Lord for Christians who love spreading God's love

Jesus said "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few." Our church people went out today in attempt to reach that harvest, & even though we need more workers I know of a few more in our church who have realized the importance of working for the Lord. I'm extremely proud of our people & pray God uses these Bibles to change lives in Mineral Springs.

Yesterday's Funeral

We laid to rest a 98 year old woman who was a devout Christian lady who lived a good life. She raised 5 children most of their lives when she became a widom & set the standard for moms everywhere. These funerals are as easy as they get as far as emotions (though I've never officiated or attended an "easy funeral") because she was prepared to die. I am thankful for such a privilege to be the one responsible for the services of saying goodbye & remembering someone's life.

I was reminded yesterday again of how fragile life really is. Lillian lived 98 great years, which seems like a long time for human life on earth. But in reality those 98 years are only a speck of time in scope of the eternity we look forward too after life on earth. May we never forget to treasure each moment & each day as a gift from God & to live in such a way so we are prepared for life after death.