Sundae party,etc

Last night the senior high girls had a "sundae party" at North Park We had to eat quickly but the sundaes were good There was a mixture of girls who had graduated and those who are still in the beginning stages of high school It was fun to listen to their conversations They definitely have their heads more together at that age than I did

I've got to take Kristen to Lebanon this morning for her meningitis shot I don't think in all my years as a nurse there is anyone who is so needlephobic as Kristen This is not going to be fun :(

I'm almost finished with the 3rd book in "New Kind of Christian" trilogy,"The Last Word and the Word after That"
The book focuses on the subject of hell which is something you don't read about alot I love the way he expresses his views through the fiction characters I think everyone needs to have a friend like Neo He is already working on his new book "The Secret Message of Jesus" which explores the kingdom of God His books always make you think hard about your own spiritual beliefs

I don't have to go back to work until next Wed ..time to read, time to spend with my family and friends...this summer is going too fast....August will be here and we'll be taking Kristen to Lee..I'm not ready for that yet....

"A Collision Tour"

How cool will this be to see :)
I hope they come to Dayton or at least Cincinnati
I've seen David Crowder 3 times but never the other 2 bands

The other tour I'm excited about is that Bethany Dillon and Jeremy Camp are touring together and they are coming to Cincinnati :)
Tricounty Assembly of God Nov 18 (Fri)


A Collision "Tour" is Coming!



Here it comes... we're going on tour this fall, and you're invited. The "A Collision Tour" begins in September, and covers more than 30 cities throughout the U.S.

In order to make Ron from guestbook entry #4222 happy, we are unofficially calling it the "Texas Trifec'A' Tour," complete with correct and up-to-date spelling. Why is it a "Texas Trifecta?" Simple: Its the DCB, Shane and Shane, and the Robbie Seay Band. You see, there are three acts, and we're all from Texas, and, well, you get the idea.

Anyways, we're hoping to see each and every one of you out there. It promises to be a great night of music and fun. Keep checking for updates and an official tour schedule coming soon!

Don't give up on your dreams

Mike this is for you :)


Coffee Shops and Small Talk an editorial by John Crist

Everyone needs a place to gather their thoughts. Mine is a coffee shop where I can go and be alone. I can sit there, surf the free wireless Internet, drink a $2 cup of black coffee and only hear one couple talking in a restaurant full of people. It’s perfectly safe. I’m around people, but I’m not. I can make small talk if I want, but mostly I just keep to myself. It doesn’t matter who I am or why I came. As long as I pay for my coffee, I’m welcomed in. I like this environment so much, in fact, that I just dropped off my application at a coffee shop down the street from my house.

I graduated from college in December. So far, I have no idea what I want to do. Actually, that’s not true. I know exactly what I want to do, but the distance from here to there seems so long. I want to be a songwriter. Does that sound strange? When I say it, I feel like a man clinging onto a boy’s dream. But it’s a dream I can’t escape. At every job interview or search on monster.com, there is music, being played like a trump card. I don’t know if I have the means or the ability to do it. Does God put dreams in us? I’ve heard that He does. Did He put this one in me? I don’t know how to answer that. And what happens if I try and fail? To make matters worse, while I am debating about what God’s call sounds like, my friends (who used to be single and independent) are getting jobs and spouses. I’m reminded of a line in a Keane song, Everybody’s changing and I don’t feel the same.

We all, of course, dream big. My brother’s big dream is to be a father and a husband. My good friend Julie wants to counsel pregnant women. Lexa wants to be a writer. I want to be a musician. So what stops us? At some point we become afraid. Afraid of losing what we already have, afraid of looking stupid. The past stings us in ways that we didn’t expect, and we cover up. Then come the compromises. We confuse the means with the end. That’s what the coffee shop application is: a means to an end. There, I could make some money but not be tied down. I could have a job but not have to work from 9 to 5. I could still try music but not have to rely on selling CDs as my only source of income. For those of us who dare to dream, it would be so easy to settle for the means. Don’t. Sometimes you have to do the things you don’t want to do in order to try the things you want—just make sure you remember which is which.

For three years I didn’t tell anyone about my dream to write music because I was terrified of someone thinking it was stupid. It sounds trivial, I know, (and it is), but when we think we’ve dreamed too big, we expect everyone to tell us where we went wrong. The dangers are clear, so we start to choose a different path, an easier path. One filled with coffee shops and small talk. We become so afraid sometimes that we end up doing nothing. Try and fail or try and succeed. Just don’t abandon your dreams.

If we believe that God gave us these dreams, we have to pursue them without compromising. Despite the danger and despite the risk, we must move forward. Maybe it’s not supposed to be simple and easy. The Israelites had the desert, Jesus had the cross, and Paul had his beatings. Maybe the end result is validated by the battle you took to get there. God is a mystery. I’m not claiming to understand Him or how He moves, but if you honestly believe that something is a godly desire, you need to fight for it—like panning for gold through dirt. If you don’t see how God could be glorified through it, question why you are after it in the first place.

I know I have to play my songs. I have to because if I don’t, I’ll be an old man wondering why I didn’t. I have to at least give it a try. There are risks when you follow your dreams, but there are greater dangers if you don’t. When my hair is gray, I don’t want to be wondering why I didn’t give it a shot. We just have to hold our breath, count to three and jump. So here we go. And with enough work, you might see me touring your city in my little Toyota Camry sometime soon. Or you might not. I can deal with either one. But at least I will know on my dying day that I was, at one point, a musician.

[John Crist is a musician currently living in Columbus, Ohio. You can hear his music at www.johncrist.com or www.purevolume.com/johncrist.]

I Am The Man

Adam showed a video yesterday with a song called "I Am The Man " by Greg Ferguson
It was a beautiful song but the words are what really got to me and spoke to my heart so I'm sharing them with you



I Am The Man
By Greg Ferguson

I am the man, I am the one,
Broken by all the things I've done,
I have been blind, I have been numb
To all the ways I've done you harm

Have I wounded you, Lord, have I caused you to cry,
Have you run out of patience for one such as I
Yet I've learned that your mercy extends to the sky,
So I'm asking you Lord to forgive me one more time

Lord, I don't know where to begin,
Counting the cost of all of my sin,
How could I go day after day,
Testing your love for me this way,
Have I wounded you Lord, have I caused you to cry,
Have you run out of patience for one such as I
Yet I've learned that your mercy extends to the sky,
So I'm asking you Lord, to forgive me one more time

Take my tears, take my pride,
Take the ugliness inside,
Hold them all against your heart,
And have mercy Lord, forgive me Lord,

I am the man, I am the one,
Broken by all the things I've done,
I have been blind, I have been numb
Trampling on your faithful love

Though I've wounded you Lord, though I've caused you to cry,
You will never abandon the one such as I
'Cause I've learned that your mercy extends to the sky.
So I thank you my Lord, that your love will never die

1998 Ever Devoted Music (ASCAP)

Billy Graham and Chris Tomlin

I read a little news blurb today that Billy Graham is doing his last speaking crusade in the US this weekend in New York It makes me a little sad He is a man who has devoted his entire life to reaching out to others and drawing them to Christ
I just don't think you find too many people in this world today that we can look up to It's like watching Walter Cronkite retire from the news ..you just can't easily replace someone with that much experience,respect,and character I went to one of his crusades when he was in Cincinnati a couple of years ago It's just something you have to experience ...TV just doesn't do it justice

I went to see Chris Tomlin last night at Island Park Not 70,000 people but I would guess 8000 It was the largest crowd they have ever had there for any concert It was hot but it didn't matter Once he started playing and everyone started singing and worshipping it gave me chills especially when we sang Amazing Grace ..for just a few seconds at the end of the song there was silence I love worship songs .. he sang his as well as some Matt Redman songs There was every age,race,sex,and probably faith there He talked about how it tells us in Revelations that in heaven we will all come together for one reason to praise God "every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" I think that concert was a little glimpse of what it will be like...there was all ages,races,sex,and denominations there singing praise to God under the open sky on a hot but beautiful night

Middle Age..maybe not yet

I turned 45 today...I guess I have to call myself middle age now....unless I live to 100 and then I have 5 more years :)
Zach.. Don't forget your promise not to put me in a nursing home...even if I'm 100 :) Just like the book "I'll love you forever"

Read your cereal boxes

Sometimes you look in the bible to find words of wisdom and sometimes they come to you on the top of a cereal box :)

"Mentors have a way of seeing more of our faults than we would like.
It's the only way to grow"

Padme Amidala
Episode II: Attack of the Clones

Back to reality

I had to go back to work today :( It's always hard to do after vacation but I'm lucky in that I have a good job and I work with great people They surprised me with a little birthday party before our staff meeting (I'm celebrating my actual birthday with Chris Tomlin and probably 5000 other people :)
When I got home there was nobody here..loneliness :(
I think I'm getting a taste of what next year is going to be like when Kristen is at college and Zach has his license and a job
Darrell always works late on Wed and then goes to Starbucks for "male bonding" and motorcycle talk
The good thing... I get the computer to myself :)

Sand cookies

When Darrell and I bought our 1st house it was in Oakwood on Monteray Ave(very small 2 bedrooms but it had a screened in front porch and I loved it
While we lived there we found the most amazing bakery It's on Park Rd right off of Far Hills next to the police station
It's called Ashley's Pastry Shop
They make wonderful cakes ,cookies,etc but they are known for their sand cookies It's a secret recipe and they had a huge write up in the paper last year Actually it was the day I had my breast biopsy and Darrell made sure we stopped there on the way home to get some
They kind of remind me of snickerdoodles only better It was always a big deal when my kids were young (and even now :) to go there Kristen and I made a trip there today before I got my hair cut so she could get a "decorated cookie" and there were the sand cookies on the counter so we had to have those too
If you ever need a good comfort food and love the smell and the warmth of a bakery make sure you check them out (They are closed on Mondays and avoid them at lunch during the school year because that's where the kids go for lunch and you'll have to wait in a long line)

Post vacation

I'm back from vacation still surrounded by lots of laundry We had great weather at both Lee University and Hilton Head Darrell,Zach and I spent 3 days at Hilton Head mainly doing the beach kind of thing It was 100 degrees every day We did canoe 1 morning which was fun because neither Zach or Darrell had paddled a canoe before I sat in the middle like Pochahontas :) We spent one evening with some old friends Bert and Alice Reid who have lived there for 3 yrs Their house was awesome ..they have an elevator that takes their groceries from the garage, which sits under their house,to their kitchen.. that gives you some idea of the size :)
While we were in Hilton Head, Kristen was at Lee University at a music camp She had a great time She didn't want to leave She had activities from morning to night and met alot of new friends who will be going to Lee in the fall She also hit it off with a girl.Amy, who she's hoping will be her roomate in the fall She was selected to be in the vocal ensemble during the concert which was an honor and she signed up for her fall classes Darrell,Zach, and I,Jeff,Sara,Tyler and Dylan Yosick all ate at the best rib place called "Sticky Fingers" on Fri night and then went to a brunch and Kristen's concert on Sat and then the long 7 hr drive home
It's good to be home but also hard to get back to the reality

Darrell and Zach "goofing off" in the pool 

Kristen singing at her concert at Lee 

Tyler and Kristen at Lee 

Zach and I swimming 

Zach and I canoeing 

Darrell,Zach and I at Harbourtown in Sea Pines 

Leaving for vacation

I'm sitting here on the computer as darrell is finishing up last minute details It never takes me long to pack We were supposed to leave this evening but now have decided to leave about 4am (YUK) It takes about 6 1/2 hrs to drive to Lee Kristen just needs to be there around 1pm to check in so we should be ok

I finished the book by Louie Giglio "i am not but i know I AM" The last few chapters really spoke to me especially the following section:

"How do I live for His name in the daily grind?
Well the answer is not easy, but it is simple-- you do whatever it is you do in such a way as to reflect His character to the world around you. You don't have to be a preacher like John or Paul, or a missionary, or a worship leader, a Christian record label-type, or a church worker. In fact you may even have a better shot at amplifying His glory if you're not any of these things....That's why Paul writes, "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Paul is saying that living for God's glory is not so much about what you do as it is about doing whatever you do in such a way that it reflects Jesus Christ to those around you and ultimeately points to Him.

Not an easy thing to do in the business of "the world" sometimes

God is really tugging on my heart to pray tonight ...

Why do things like this happen?

Possible break in case of missing teen on Aruba
Man admits that ‘something bad happened’ to Ala. high school student, police say

This is every mother's worst nightmare
I watched an interview with her parents last night on 20/20
It just breaks my heart.. I have a daughter that age
I hope they find her soon

"Many Moons"

I'm not usually up at this hour but I had the worst headache(sinus) and now I can't go back to sleep :(

I love nights where you can look up and see the stars and the moon Last night after the rain I was able to see the moon It was a "thumbnail moon" It always reminds me of "Many moons" by James Thurber For non-readers , in the story Princess Lenore wants the moon and she describes it as the size of your thumbnail I always have to put my thumb up when I see a "thumbnail moon" to see if it' the size of my thumbnail :)
I always wanted to get a necklace with a "thumbnail moon" like Princess Lenore had
I also liked that story because Lenore is my middle name and no one ever had my name so for a princess to have it made it special :)

I saw a sign on one of our nursing stations yesterday that made me smile

"I'm parked diagonally in a parallel world "

There are definitely days that are like that

Louie Giglio

If you're familiar with Passion and 722 you've heard Louie Giglio speak He has a true gift for reaching college students and has had an impact for 20 years He has decided to take a break from 722 and concentrate on Passion That makes me sad because I loved listening to him speak but I'll still listen to 722 I'm hoping Kristen,Tyler, and Dylan get the chance to go at least once while they're at Lee Atlanta is only 2 hrs from them I also hope they are able to experience a Passion Conference
There is a great interview with him on Worshiptogether.com

It tells how he came up with the name Sixsteprecords :) Make sure you read it

I love this place- 6 more days!

Hilton Head Beach 

I love to go to the ocean There's just something about it that refreshes my soul
I have been to Hilton Head 3 times before and each time has special memories for me
Vacation to me is getting up early and sitting on the porch to watch the sun and listen to the waves,lying in the sun reading a book, eating out, playing putt-putt and beating Zach :), walking on the beach in the evening and not caring what time it is all week .. I can't wait :)

Eye contact with God

I'm doing a new bible study with my friend called "Do You Think I'm Beautiful" by Angela Thomas
It's always amazing to me the number of women I meet with low self-esteem
Sometimes it's from lack of love when they were growing up, but sometimes it's not ..sometimes it's comparing themselves to the "idea" that is put in the magazines, on tv, etc
You can tell someone over and over that they're beautiful but until they really believe it for themselves they won't listen
I know this to be true from my own experience with my daughter, the most beautiful girl I know :)

"When I finally know someting to be true in my heart, it's like making eye contact with God"

Faith

"Faith is the deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time." Oswald Chambers

This is when my faith is truly tested...when God doesn't do it "my way" :)

Railroad tracks

My friend Janie sent me an email yesterday which I didn't get a chance to read until this morning and it really hit home I realized when I read it that I've struggled this week because I've been focused on the wrong things "my problems,worries,etc"
This isn't easy to read It pretty much smacks you in the face..sometimes we all need that :)


Life is a series of problems. Either you are in one now, you have just come out of one or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.

God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ-likeness.

I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountain top, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for
You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is "my problem, my issues, my pain." But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.