Ummmm, I Think I May Have Some Trouble Ahead!

OK. This was too funny not to post. I know we are all born sinners, but REALLY? THIS EARLY? Pray for me! Hahaha!

It's My 100th Blog Post!

I've been intentionally waiting to blog this post so I could include pictures of my baby girl! Her name is Kari Lynn Marie, and she is just amazing. She is doing well and her mom and I feel incredibly blessed to be her parents. God truly is amazing!

So, if you want, you can see her pics here and also here. It's taken me a little while to figure out Flickr and to upload all the pics - what with having to peform feedings and changing diapers I haven't had a lot of free time! But, I'm looking forward to blogging consistently again. God has been stirring a lot of thoughts lately - I'm even mulling over a book idea!

Thanks again to all who have emailed, called, commented with encouraging words and well-wishes. You can not know how much they mean to us! Also, we started a family blog so all our friends and family can keep up with us. You can see it here.

God is good!

Overwhelmed by Generosity

This a blog about generosity. Michele and I have been overwhelmed by the generosity of our family and friends these past few weeks. Whether it's the random phone calls just to tell us we are being held up in prayer, a funny, encouraging card, the unexpected checks to go towards our adoption costs, or the unbelievable outpouring of diapers, clothes and various gifts....words can not describe how much all of this has touched our hearts. Deeply.

If there was a guage that measures just how much a person is being loved by others, our guage would be pegged right now. Check that, it would have broken the peg and be spinning like mad! It's been truly amazing to see God's love through His Church - all of you! You have certainly represented the lavish love our Savior has poured out upon the world.

So, from Michele and I, thank you so very much for your love for us and our baby girl. We are honored to share this journey with all of you!

Close to the End...or really, the Beginning!

Sorry for the long time between posts. We are nearing the finish line on our adoption! Our baby girl will be born sometime around July 22nd or so.

Please keep a few things in prayer for us between now and then:

1. Pray for Michele's and my health. The past 6 weeks have been nothing but run-and-gun for us. The stress and nonstop go-go-go is starting to wear us down. We'd really like to have our batteries fully recharged once this little girl arrives. I know we'll need them to be!
2. Pray for a smooth delivery for our birthmother (whom we adore!) and that our baby girl will be born pink and healthy.
3. Pray for our birthmother. She is such an amazing young lady, and I know she's going to be grieving the "loss" of this little one. Pray for God's peace and comfort upon her after the birth.
4. Finally, pray for our adoption to go through - the only snag in this whole process is the birthfather. He could choose to contest, which would cause us to lose the baby. Please pray for God to move him to either not get involved or at least to give his consent. We are believing God is working on our behalf!

Thanks again, to all of you who take the time to read this blog. Once she gets here, there will be more consistent posts. I hope and pray God is bigger to you today than He was yesterday!

Gritty or Greedy?

So Tiger Woods played in the 108th U.S. Open Championship despite his doctors orders to do so (he had surgery on his left knee about 2 months ago)....and won. When asked in his post-round interview why he disregarded his doctors orders to play he responded (I'm paraphrasing here) "That's what I do. I play."

From my point of view, there are two ways to look at this story. They are:

1. Tiger should be respected and congratulated for playing despite his injury. It takes a lot of will-power and moxy to play golf at that caliber in spite of pain. -OR-
2. Tiger is a prideful glory hound that let his quest for domination of the sport of golf get the best of him. He selfishly threw away the rest of his season just to win another major title (he now has 14 by the way).

I think, to some degree, Americans glorify a wounded athlete too much. Now it's one thing for an athlete to get hurt in the midst of competing, and gutting it out to win. It's a whole other thing to compete while injured (against medical advice) thus jeopardizing your future career as an athlete.

What do you think?

If I'm losing my mind now, will a baby make it any better?

OK. So here's the deal. I haven't blogged much lately - not that I haven't had PLENTY to say - but because I am losing my mind. Why? Take a look:

Since May 17th I have:

• Had 3 massive garage sales on 3 consecutive weekends (Yes, I know...we actually had enough stuff to pull it off for three weeks in a row. Sad, but true - and there's some left over to donate.)
• Had my A/C unit completely freeze up.
• Got the A/C unit fixed, then discovered I had a leak in my closet a few days later. Pulled up carpet and pad and deployed fan for 3 days straight to dry it all out.
• Leak in closet a result of a busted drain pipe coming from the drain pan underneath my furnance/A/C unit in attic.
• Fixed busted drain pipe, only to discover a leak in my wife's closet a few days later.
• Second leak caused from where the drain pipe connects to the drain pan (too loose), so I fixed that! Noticed a lot of water still accumulating in drain pan - called in the professionals.
• Professionals fixed condensation line (which was poorly installed when the house was originally built - GRRRR!) and installed 2 kill switches that will automatically turn off the unit if it detects water backing up in the line. WHEW!
• Was planning and preparing for a huge leader retreat at church that got postponed (wisely) at the last minute. I was going to lead a break-out session on how to prep for Bible study for a small group. Can't wait to do it in September!
• The wife and I flew out to Jacksonville, FL for one last get-a-way before baby arrives. It was our 11th anniversary gift to each other. Attended a Family Life marraige conference while there - TOTALLY recommend it! Had some friends graciously donate air miles to make it all happen - thanks Thomas'!
• Painted baby's room. Painted chair rail and installed it as well.
• Been filling out a TON of adoption paperwork.
• Attending an adoption conference this upcoming weekend in OKC.
• This week had new computers installed at the pharmacy. It's kinda tricky trying to fill Rx's while your computers are down!
• Leaving this Wednesday for an annual men's golf trip with my father-in-law, brother-in-law, and ten other men. This is our 7th year in a row. It's a great time of fun, golf, and encouragement. Michele is going to Cayman with her mother, sister, and our nephew at the same time.

So, there you go. I've been too busy to blog. Hopefully when our baby girl arrives thing will slow down. MUAHAHAHAHA! I crack myself up!

For Your Sake, Don't Watch!

You better not watch this video promo for Lifechurch.tv's upcoming At The Movies series in July. Because if you do, I won't be liable for anything that might happen, like uncontrollable giddiness, glee, wonderment, curiosity, excitement, anticipation, dribbling in your pants, sleepless nights 'cuz you're too amped to sleep, and/or severe impatience.

Me? I'm like a 9-yr-old little boy sleeping with his flashlight on Christmas Eve counting down the hours until he can get an early morning sneak peek at the loot Santa brought him. Not that I actually did that......more than 10 years in a row. I need counselling.

Which is Worse?

Which is worse - someone who is called to vocational ministry and doesn't answer the call, or someone who isn't called to vocational ministry and does it anyway?

Tear it up.

P.S. Sorry 'bout the hiatus. More on that later. Show me some blog lovin'.

God Only Knows, But Still I'd Like an Answer

I'm sure many or most of you have heard the devastating news by now of the passing of Steven Curtis Chapman's little daughter, Maria Sue Chapman. She was only 5-years-old. You can read more about it here.

This hits me especially hard right now given the fact that I'm soon to be a father of a little girl. My heart, my thoughts, and my prayers are certainly with the Chapman family as they begin to walk forward from here.

This tragedy brings to mind so many questions. God, where were you? God, why did You allow this to happen? God, why did this little girl die? God, why the Chapman's? Are you angry with them? Did they do something wrong? What? Why? Where? How?

Tragedies, such as this, also bring with it so many emotions. Anger. Grief. Despair. Doubts. Sorrow. Abandonment. Betrayal. Bitterness. I am very familiar with all of these, as I'm sure, so are you. We've all experienced loss. Someone you knew and loved was taken unfairly, too soon, and quite unexpectantly.

Still, I wonder "WHY?" I too have my personal list of "why's." Why has it been so difficult for Michele and I to conceive a child of our own? Why did we have to endure so many miscarraiges? Why did you allow Michele to have endometriosis? Why does she have to suffer so much pain from it? Why are so many babies aborted every minute when there are so many couples hungry to have them? Why us, are You mad at us? Upset with us? Are you punishing us for an unconfessed sin? Why?

Obviously I'm not God. I'm not even going to begin to think I have THE answer. Or that I could possibly even comprehend the wisdom by which it was formulated. One possible reason I humbly propose, however, for all the "unfair" and "unjust" and just plain "crappy" things that happen in this world is simply this:

SIN.

Because sin is in the world, we have tragedies. Because of sin, this world is broken. Because of sin, things don't always go our way. Because of sin, there is pain. Because of sin, there is grief. Because of sin, babies die. Because of sin, children starve. Becaues of sin, people fly planes into buildings in the name of their "god." Because of sin, Heaven will be the sweetest thing.

God didn't bring sin into this world. Pain was not in His original plan. Suffering wasn't either. Neither were tears. They are all aftershocks from the original sin of Adam and Eve. Like a father has compassion on his little girl who fell and scraped her knee, God too has compasssion on His children as we patiently endure the trials and tribulations of this sin-wrought world. He cries when we cry. He groans when we groan. For you see, they weren't meant to be, and they will soon be gone for good! All praise to our Glorious Redeemer for His matchless grace!

Why is YAWNING so Addictive?

While we were watching my baby girl on the 3D/4D ultrasound, she let out one great big

"Y-A-W-W-W-W-N."

Right there in the womb! And then I did the same exact thing!

Sometimes at work, just to annoy my technicians I'll start what I call a "YAWN war!" A YAWN war is basically where someone YAWNS, either for real or not, really loud. This invariably leads to someone else YAWNING really big. And then someone else YAWNS too. By that time everybody in the room is YAWNING really big. Kinda like YOU are right now! Am I right?

With one of my friends, all I have to do is text message her with the word "YAWWWWN" and she will! YAWNS are soooo addictive. One of my favorite childhood books was "The YAWN Book" by Dr. Seuss. "The YAWN Book" is all about all the different kinds of YAWNS YAWNED all around the world. My grandfather would read it to me everynight to put me to sleep - and it usually put him to sleep before me!

So, have you ever been caught in a YAWN war before? Are you in one now?