boy or girl?

the verdict is in...boy!

The doctor confirmed numerous times on the sonogram there will soon be a new chick magnet roaming the earth come September. (Sorry no pictures)

We are blessed by God that he is healthy w/ no known problems or abnormalities (other than being genetically linked to me)!

Taking Initiative

As a pastor, when someone in the church takes initiative on their own to perform a ministry task it brings great joy to the soul. As a leader the key is getting people to do ministry on their own. In a smaller church if something is to be done it usually falls to me to do it. Last night, however, following our evening worship service, a gentleman in our church was overly joyed at the new series we're doing in the P.M Service he informed me he was going to personally write letters to most everyone in the church who wasn't in attendance & encourage them to make a commitment to come next Sunday night because of the expected blessing they would receive.

It brings great joy & satisfaction as a leader to see others taking initiative. If only this was a regular occurrence instead of a rare phenomenon among Christians the church would have a greater probability of making a more profound impact for Christ in the community. Find ways to take initiative in the ministry of the gospel so we can make the greatest impact for the kingdom of God!

Thunderstorm

It's noon & I'm sitting in my office trying to finish my Sunday morning sermon. The chimes began to play like they do everyday at 8, 10, 12, 2, 4, & 6. It has rained off & on w/ various claps of thunder here & there. For some reason the thunder increased to the point where you could barely hear the chimes (which is near impossible considering how loud they are & how close they are to my office). Before the song ended a torrential rain had started & the thunder greatly increased.
Despite the thunder you could still hear the song playing above it: "The Old Rugged Cross." What a joy it is to hear that song amidst the thunder & gloomy weather we have today. I'm reminded that nothing speaks louder than God's love for us through Jesus Christ on the cross. Sometimes we need reminders of just how powerful the message of the Cross really is.
Everyday God attempts to speak to us in numerous ways, but more often than not we miss it. Open your eyes & ears today so maybe you won't miss a message from God.

Our Dog: Molly

With the new baby coming in September we have wondered how the current baby (the dog) will respond in taking 2nd place to the child. We expect major shock due to the immense love, affection, & attention Molly currently receives. I was putting the pics of Erin on here the other day & transferred some pics of the dog to my computer. I thought I would share a few of them.

Welcome Home! We got Molly 2 years ago this weekend.

Sunbathing in the backyard at Erin's parents.

Naptime in Erin's lap w/ her new friend given by my parents.

Relaxing after helping w/ the laundry.

"Most Comical Award" at 'Pooches on Parade' in Dierks where Erin teaches.

Dressed up for Christmas. (compliments of Erin)

Enjoying a snack from the new bag of dog food.

Molly's 2nd birthday on March 14th.

Inhaling the cake resulted in the 1st bite being all icing. (No, she doesn't have rabies)

From puppy to princess (at least that's what the dog thinks).

This was practice so when our child is born we can post pics regularly. For some reason the dog has really become attached to me recently since Erin got pregnant. This is not good news because I've tried to keep the dog from liking me at times.

The Belly is Growing

Here are a couple of pics of Erin's belly. It may be hard to tell too much but we have noticed growth recently. We find out the baby's sex 2 weeks from today (April 30th)! Several have asked us if we had pictures so we took a couple yesterday. We'll try to be better at taking pictures more regularly.

It's hard to see much in this one, she's at the stage where people do a double take at her belly & some are brave enough to ask if she's pregnant!

You can see the belly a little better in this picture.

Here is what takes place a lot in our house lately (snacking) & our dog Molly assumes her favorite position in the kitchen hoping something falls to the floor. Pregnancy makes for some memorable moments: the other day Erin was complaining about needing a snack before fixing lunch & I asked what the big deal was & she said "I only had 1 breakfast today." On a normal day when she teaches school she eats before she leaves & then breakfast again later at school.

I enjoy all the eating because now I don't get griped at for eating all the time, now it's just considered sympathy eating!

Shout to the Lord

Props to American Idol tonight! The opening song by the contestants tonight was "Shout to the Lord." It was a beautiful song & I was SHOCKED they would chose such a song for this secular show. I am thankful the message of Jesus got out whether they really meant it to or not. Our God is big enough to get his message out in the most unexpected ways!

I remember when Mandesa was on the show & sang Christian songs, she was consistently criticized no matter how good she sang. The only disappointment from the show tonight was the unexepcted exit of Michael Johns, who I thought was better than a couple of the other contestants.

Dedicated Volunteers

Being a smaller church we have fewer people who are actively involved so when one or two are missing we notice it. One of my biggest supporters & a true servant deacon helps in too many ways to name, but one of the key areas is our Wednesday night discipleship for children (TeamKID). He drives the van both ways, teaches the older group Bible study, sets up the room, etc. He is always busy working for the church & honestly I'm not sure how well some things would go without him.

I love his heart & the heart of so many servants in our church, but last night was a key example. I got a call last night just before bed from one of his family members to inform me he was in the hospital because he had accidentally cut his thumb off while working in the shop. He underwent surgery, but the doctor couldn't re-attach it. Thankfully it was above the 1st joint so he will still have some use of it, but still tragic & devestating news.

They meant to call me earlier but the chaos caused them to forget. They called me to inform me of the situation, but more so because Jimmy kept going on & on worrying about his TeamKID responsibilities for Wednesday. His daughter said that is all he kept worrying about, so they promised to call me & of course we can cover it.

Wow! I was totally amazed at his heart & dedication to his service for the Lord. Sometimes we don't realize how special people are & what they mean to us & to God's church. Always express genuine gratitude regularly to all those who help you in any way, whether it be ministry or other. Praise the Lord for people who truly surrender their lives completely to God's service as volunteers. Have a great day & say a pray for Jimmy!