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My Daughter, the 3rd Grade Champ

June 6, 2011 in Family, Guest Blogger, True Stories with 1 Comment

I’ve always enjoyed writing.  It’s an outlet for me…cheap therapy.  My daughter has an interest in writing also so I allowed her to be a guest blogger.  I figured that writing encourages good habits and maybe she will even develop a skill that will pay for her college.  Lexi wanted to write and tell everyone about a very exciting event which happened to her today at school.  So here is her story…

 

“I was one of the top ten spellers in my third grade class so I was able to enter the third grade spelling bee.  Some of the words I had to spell were:

Important
Above
Something
Either
Breakfast
Damage

I was in the final round of the spelling bee and the other person had to spell the word breakfast, but they got it wrong so I had to spell that word as well as the word damage to win.  I spelled both words right and won the spelling bee.  Everyone clapped and cheered and all the teachers (and my parents) were proud of me!”

The Wedding Must Go On…

May 31, 2011 in Family, Funny Stories, Marriage, True Stories with 6 Comments

Today, Leah and I celebrate our 14th wedding anniversary.  In honor of our anniversary I’m going to tell you a story regarding our wedding ceremony which is only known to those who were in attendance or by those who have been fortunate enough to have been told the following story.  Everything in our ceremony was going off without a hitch (no pun intended).  The bridal party made their entrance at the proper time, the singers sang on key, and the bride was beautiful!  There was celebration, tears (happy tears, of course), and the audience loved the bagpiper.  As Leah was looking into my eyes and saying her vows, there was a very loud noise.  Since the noise came from behind me I felt like it would be rude, especially with Leah saying her vows, to turn around; however, whatever had transpired captured the attention of Leah as well as the guests.  There was a gasp throughout the church.  My curiosity had been peaked so I attempted to ask Leah what had happened by mouthing words and using subtle head gestures.  The only thing I could gather was that someone had passed out.  About that time I see out of the corner of my eye that my dad and a couple groomsmen were carrying a bridesmaid by the hands and feet out the side door.  At this point I figured that the wedding should be delayed until we knew the condition of the girl, but the Pastor conducting the ceremony nodded that we should continue…so we did.  I guess he was licensed to do wedding AND funerals.  Following the ceremony we discovered that the bridesmaid had passed out and then hit her head on the wall.  Apparently she was just feeling a little lightheaded.

Oh well, the situation warranted lots of laughs and is something that we will never forget.  How about you?  If you are married, what’s the craziest thing that happened on your wedding day?

Caught on Video (14 Years Ago)

March 15, 2011 in Family, God, Marriage, True Stories with 1 Comment

This past weekend  we had some friends over to our house and, for some unknown reason, my wife popped in our wedding video.  Leah and I were married on May 31, 1997 (almost 14 years ago) and watching that video brought back some good memories.  Our friends, our family, our bridesmaid who fainted during our vows, the Irish dancers, the bagpiper, and so many other moments were captured on that day.  I listened to my words.  I watched my body language.  I relived the moment my wife walked down that aisle.  All good memories.  Looking back to that moment fourteen years ago made me realize that our wedding was only the beginning.  Sure.  Our wedding day was a confession of our love and commitment to each other, but those words must be lived out every day following.  For better or for worse.  For richer.  For poorer.  In sickness and in health.  I meant those words fourteen years ago and I mean them today.  Marriage has good times.  Marriage has hard times.  During the good times we are thankful.  During the hard times we are prayerful.  But, no matter what, the words which were spoken on our wedding day must be the heart cry for each day.

Whether you are married or not, all of us have (or can have) a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, which somewhat mirrors a marriage.  A relationship with God begins at your moment of faith in Jesus’ death for sin, His burial and resurrection which guarantees eternal life (1 Corinthians 15).  This confession of faith is similar to the wedding day where the relationship begins.  When hard times come, look back to the day of your faith.  You received God’s forgiveness, love, and mercy then and those things are still available today.  If God loved you then, He still loves you now.  If He forgave you then, He’ll forgive you now.  If God extended His mercy then, He will grant you mercy once again.

For better or for worse, God will not leave you.

My Wife, the Bully

March 12, 2011 in Family, Funny Stories, Honesty, True Stories, Truth with 0 Comments

This morning I was getting ready for work and my wife said to me, “I don’t like your hair.  You are doing it like an old man.”  She’s a bully.  I then turned around so she could take the dagger out of my back.  Yes.  I have been doing my hair differently.  Several weeks ago I decided to let my hair grow out and try styling it a little different.  Sort of like an 80′s throwback with the part and everything.  People keep saying, “Oh.  I see you are doing your hair differently.”  Translated, this means, “I don’t like your hair” because if a person really likes a change you’ve made, they will usually compliment you and not just acknowledge the change.  Right?

So, when my wife told me she didn’t like my hair, I wasn’t offended.  I really wasn’t.  She has earned the right to be honest with me.  Leah and I have been married for almost 14 years (I’m doing the math in my head right now to make sure I got that right) and our relationship demands honesty, even when it may be offensive.  So often in our relationships we hold back in fear of offending a friend or family member; however, your silence may be interpreted as approval.  Although I would agree that honesty needs to be tactful, it is still important to be honest.  The writer of Proverbs 27:6 has these words to say about lovingly rebuking a friend, “Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.”  If you love your friend, you will tell them the truth.

Oh well.  The next time you see me, I’ll probably have a new haircut.  I guess I’ll never be able to grow that mullet.  My achy, breaky heart.

My Daughter, My Bodyguard

January 18, 2011 in Family, Funny Stories, God, Security, True Stories with 1 Comment

On the way to church Sunday morning, we were stopped at a red light and I was first in line.  I decided to use my time wisely so I checked an e-mail I had received on my phone.  The light must have turned green because the car beside me started moving forward.  I began to put my phone down, but before I could do that the individual behind me honked his horn.  It had literally been 1 second since the light turned green.  Talk about impatient!  I made the mistake of saying, “I hope he wasn’t beeping his horn at me!”  My daughter, who always defends her daddy, turned around in the backseat, looked straight at the people in the car behind us, and stuck out her tongue at them (and made the noises that go along with it).  I quickly checked my rearview mirror to make sure I could take the guy in case he didn’t like my daughter’s response to his horn honking.

I love that about my wife and kids.  They defend me.  They’ve got my back because we’re family.

I believe defending family is built into us.  Jesus Christ defends those who are His against those who attempt to bring accusations or harm.  Paul writes these words in Romans 8:33-34, “Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”

The D Word

September 27, 2010 in Attitude, Determination, Disappointment, Failure, Family, Funny Stories, Perspective, True Stories with 1 Comment

My son is currently into “customizing” his toys.  Nerf guns, Star Wars Lego characters, and whatever else he can find are in danger of disassembly, a paint job, or being connected together with duct tape.  Although my wife is a little hesitant about him altering his new toys, I’m willing to let him explore his strengths and creativity.  This afternoon he was telling me about his latest project, which required the use of white out on a Lego character.  Of course I cautioned him about the dangers of sniffing white out, even though I think I did it once when I was in the fifth grade.  I also like the smell of Play-Doh and have even been tempted to taste it.  I digress.

After Bible Study concluded tonight, Ty retreated to the basement to “customize” his Lego character.  Thirty minutes passed and he returned to the living room where the rest of us were watching some TV.  First, I checked his eyes to make sure that the white out fumes had not caused disorientation and then I asked him how his Lego customization had turned out.  He said, “It didn’t turn out the way I thought it would.”  I could tell he was disappointed.

There is nothing more frustrating than putting effort into something, only to discover that it didn’t turn out the way you thought it would.  A marriage that ends in divorce…disappointing.  A failed business…disappointing.   A struggling author…disappointing.  An undiscovered musician…disappointing.  A young, passionate church struggling to reach their community…disappointing.  A single mom or dad struggling to make ends meet…disappointing.  An important goal that has not been reached…disappointing.  Financial stability is taking longer than expected… disappointing.

I’m sure I don’t have all the answers to combating disappointment (I still struggle with it), but I do know that there comes a time when you must pick up the pieces and begin again.  Today is that day.  Although you cannot change what has already been, you can change what will be.

“I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry.  He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and the mire.  He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along’” (Psalm 40:1-2)

What Happened on This Date?

September 24, 2010 in Celebration, Family, Personal Stuff, The Church, The Summit in Green, Thoughts, Unspecific Ramblings with 1 Comment

This weekend will mark my twelfth year working at Canton Baptist Temple.  Looking back through the years, I have learned so much about myself, others, church, and my relationship with God.  There have been many good times and numerous struggles, but I don’t regret one moment.  Even though my wife never planned on marrying  a pastor (I wooed her), I believe she has been everything I could have ever wanted and we have shared countless memories of our experience at CBT and, now, The Summit in Green.  Sometimes I think people like her better than me!  I cannot say enough good things about my two kids.  I hope they know how proud I am of them.  I hope they are proud of me.

I would like to thank all of you who have become our friends and have allowed us to share in your lives.  I pray that God would continue to use all of us to reach out to people who are far from God so that they can experience hope, the forgiveness of God, and a changed life.  I know that God has something special in store for our future!

My New Look

August 22, 2010 in Family, Life, Thoughts, True Stories, Unspecific Ramblings with 1 Comment

My blog has a new look.  Take a minute to stop by and let me know what you think.  I’ve been a long time user of Blogger and recently decided to switch over to WordPress.  I’m already enjoying it, but there has been a learning curve.  Now that my life is back to normal (after a very crazy and busy summer) I plan to write more often.

If you are wondering what I did this summer, here are a few highlights:

  • Started working full-time as the Campus Pastor of The Summit in Green
  • Went on vacation with my family to Lake Huron
  • Visited Ireland (see some of my pictures here)
  • Re-joined Twitter (I’m trying it again from scratch)

I’m sure there are other things I missed.  My wife will let me know and I’ll add to the list.

Dead End Leaders

August 26, 2009 in Attitude, Determination, Failure, Family, Funny Stories, Leadership, Perspective, Relationships, Transition, Trials, True Stories, Weakness with 0 Comments

Yesterday I took my two kids on a bike ride because, well, it is our new favorite thing to do and I believe they enjoying spending some time with me as much as I enjoy spending time with them. Now every day when I get home from work, both my son and daughter beg me to take another bike ride. So yesterday, instead of traveling the normal route around our neighborhood, I decided to take them on a new, exciting adventure in order to explore the unknown – the woods. Hoping there would be a decent bicycle path amongst the tall trees near our house, all three of us set out on an adventure; however, my children had no idea what I had planned. As we approached the deep, dark forest my seven and nine year old became a little concerned about entering a place where they had never been; in fact, they objected and made statements like, “I don’t want to go in there.” I assured them that there had been no recent snake attacks in our area, so we finally proceeded into the canopy of trees. After only traveling a short distance, the trail ended so we backtracked and took a side trail I had spotted several yards back, which ended up leading to another dead end. Determined to find a clear path, I led us along the edge of the trees until we had descended down a hill where we were met with yet another dead end. By this time, my kids were clearly frustrated with me and at one point, my daughter (who is always brutally honest) put her bike down on the ground and said, “I’m tired and I want to go home NOW!” I knew it was time to abandon my plan for discovery and exploration. Dejected and a little frustrated that my plan for exploring new paths had failed, we all pedaled home. Based on yesterday’s failure, I was certain that they would not want to embark on another bicycle journey; however, when I arrived home this evening, they asked if we were going on a bike ride.

Has the person who is your leader (a boss, teacher, parent, or pastor) led your business, classmates, family, or church to several dead ends? If so, maybe he or she needs you to ask to go on another bike ride.

Animal Planet Comes to My House!

July 28, 2009 in Attitude, Family, Funny Stories, Perspective, Relationships, True Stories with 0 Comments

Some of you may remember a blog entry I posted a little over a month ago called, No Hamster Dance for Us , where I briefly chronicled my reasoning for not purchasing a hamster as a second pet for our family. Most of my decision making was based on input from former hamster owners who, almost unanimously, discouraged me from taking the plunge. Comments such as “they stink” was enough to deter me from driving to the nearest pet store and making my selection from the plethora of smelly hamsters. We already have a smelly dog at home so why would we need to add another competing entity? Needless to say, my wife was not happy with those who negatively affected my determination (she is harmless), but I thought we had mutually agreed to disagree…until the kids called me a couple days later while I was at work to inform me that they had just bought a hamster. So much for the “wives submit to your own husbands” principle!

The first few days, I really didn’t like the thing…sorry, I guess “the thing” has a name, which is Rhino. You may recognize our plagiarized name from another famous hamster featured in the recent animated movie Bolt. But people were right – the hamster sometimes stink (like all of us at one time or another) and he (or she…I’m not sure how to tell) is pretty loud at night; however, after dark he (or she) turns into a one-man (or woman) show. Seriously, this rodent has some major energy to release after the sun goes down and although I hate to say it, I have actually enjoyed watching him (or her) zoom around in the ball, furiously run on the wheel, and crawl through the tunnels in the cage. It’s like having Animal Planet in your home without the price of cable!

Even though I’m still not keen on everything about the hamster, I’ve learned to overlook the negative aspects in order to concentrate on the things I enjoy. Three people in my home really love the hamster (the verdict is still out on what the dog thinks) and I don’t want to be the one who spoils it for everyone else. There are some people who thrive on being the spoilers or partypoopers, as I like to call them, and they’re not happy until everyone else is not.

I hope you are not that person.

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