A Day That Changed My Life

One year ago today...almost to the minute...I received life-altering news in that room at Memorial Hospital...the doctor came in and told me that I had had a heart attack. I am forever grateful for true friends...friends who promise to stand beside you through anything...and then they did. I am forever grateful to my wife...I doubt that she figured she would have to live her vows of "in sickness and in health" before she turned 35...and I am thankful to God...because he was there...through all of it...he carried me for much of the year...and he did and continues to teach me A LOT through this...

I have gone back to that heart floor...and prayer walked...taken time to remember...remember that God has given me the opportunity to LIVE longer here on earth for him...to remember the questions that I had after it happened...to remember the commitments I made as I walked the halls after surgery...to remember that God loves me...at my best and at my worst...that he is RIGHT THERE leading me forward.

I am thankful that God didn't take me yet...that I still have more time to invest in my wife and my children...that I still have more time to influence people closer to Jesus...I plan to make the most of the time that he has given me...I encourage you to do the same. Make the most of every opportunity...because you really don't know which day down here will be you last!

Reflections and Stuff

I have often said that when it is time to celebrate...you better CELEBRATE!!!!! We can ALWAYS make of list of the things we want to be different or improved...BUT...when God moves and good things are happening...TALK ABOUT IT! We beg and plead with God for things...we cry out to him...we long for him to come through...then when he does...too often we give him a quick "Thanks..." and then go back to pleading and begging...SO...here is a list of things...as they pop in my head that I am thankful for today...things to CELEBRATE!

-An AMAZING wife who loves Jesus, my kids and me...AND she really seems to love being my wife!
-Sadie Lynn...beautiful...precious...a gift from God
-Chloe Marie...beautiful...driven...caring...incredible
-Jaden Blake...stud...tender-warrior...servant (he made his bed AND his brother's bed for his mom without us asking!!)...competitive (ok...so that is a discriptive word for ALL of the Bouchers!)
-Luke Edward...handsome...energy...cleaner-upper...
-I watched as people came forward Sunday...knelt down and prayed that God would help them to live the legacy HE called them too...POWERFUL.
-I CRIED as I watched a man-husband-father come back to Jesus!
-Cried AGAIN as Justin shared his testimony...how God is healing his heart and restoring him...Our God is soooooo good!
-DEEPLY encouraged as I watched a guy come back to our church...and God used him RIGHT AWAY to help another person who was hurting...Our God is REAL good!
-Blown away at how people are inviting people who are inviting people right now to come. I have been BEGGING GOD to have people connect with him and with us...it is happening!
-UNBELIEVABLY grateful that we have people to lead worship at Grace that LOVE Jesus passionately and are outstanding musicians! INCREDIBLE!
-Our children's ministry is...well...FANTASTIC! We have people leading that aren't just doing it out of duty...They REALLY....REALLY love God and kids! WE are soooooooooooooooooo blessed!
-WE are blessed to have a group of people who FAITHFULLY clean this building...every week...they come and go and no one knows there here! They do it with a servants heart! JUST OUTSTANDING!
-The ushers and greeters...they are soo good!! These guys LOVE to talk to people and LOVE to serve people!
-We have a tech team that loves Jesus and does outstanding work...they serve and serve and serve!
-Our youth leaders...3 people that are giving their time and working with our youth! AND THEY LOVE IT! Soooooooo encouraged by their work!
-What about Hunter? This young man...and 8th grader...comes every Sunday...it has been FREEZING outside and yet he continues to take the signs out to the road...he has walked through some SERIOUS snow this year!
-THen there is our muggers-2nd Sunday set up crew-outreach planners-THE INCREDIBLE Doughnut greeters! (GO BLUMES!)-Crazy Bulletin lady-set-up people-AND MANY MORE...God is just sooo good!
-PRAISING GOD that he has proved our best 2 months of giving in a long time! THANK YOU!
-People giving their time to learn more about Jesus and have fun working out with Zumba and playing Corn Hole!
-VERY GRATEFUL to the faithful who come and pray at Prayer Encounter

I just typed it out as they came to me...God is just so good...so good...HE is worth celebrating!

1st Night & More...

Sadie's first night at home was last night...YEP...it was a long one! Like most babies...she likes to sleep...only she does it when SHE wants too!! I had the 2-4 a.m. shift last night, but I still managed A LOT more sleep than Kelsey! IT IS SOOOOOO GOOD to have both of them home...

Another priceless moment last night when we brought her home...Chloe, Jaden and Luke were SO EXCITED! The smiles on their faces...the competition to see who would hold her when...(as a "fairly" competitive group...can you just imagine the Boucher household now!!) They are so good with her...I love looking into their eyes and seeing the joy on their faces...Just look at the pics from the hospital...notice their joy...just pure joy! LOVE IT!!

When I went into Chloe and Sadie's room last night (that was weird to say!!)...I told Chloe that I was such a blessed father...she gave me the "what are you talking about dad?!" look...I told her that I am so blessed that my new daughter has a big sister that is someone to look up to and model her life after...I can't express to you how blessed I am that Chloe is Sadie's big sis!! WOW!

THEN...at the hospital yesterday our doc...Dr. Suttor...tells Jaden..."now you and your brother are the protectors..." PERFECT! That is EXACTLY what I have been talking with them about...that men are PROTECTORS...and they need to be that for their sister. NICE! The best part...I trust that they will be just that!

God has blessed me with an amazing family...these kids and their mother...I am soooo blessed!

Priceless

When a baby is born...that moment...it's priceless. When you have the opportunity to see firsthand the creativity of our Creator...when he reveals his amazing power...his infinite creativity. Think about it...there are BILLIONS of people on the plant...yet little Sadie Lynn Boucher is unique...she is BEAUTIFUL...My heart just melts when I see her!

When Sadie was born yesterday it changed my world...then as I read in Psalms this morning I was reminded of just how creative our God is...I am so thankful that he made each of us in a unique way...I am SO THANKFUL that Sadie is now here...I can't wait to hold her again...PRICELESS!

"Hold up the light!"

A Facebook friend posted a video on his wall this week of a singing tour I went on back in 1990...that tour changed my life forever! Just months before I had blown out my knee and realized that I was not going to be able to play sports in college...I was devastated...then in the Spring, Continental Singers called and asked me to finish my audition tape. (Yep tape!) For some reason they accepted me and WOW was it intense...10 weeks of touring...90+ concerts...living on a bus with 35-40 other 16-28 yr. olds...INTENSE...the time with God was amazing...God changed my heart...my focus...from me to him. What my goals to his...it was really fun. (Of course...a 17 yr. old...touring the country...seeing 30+ states, Canada and traveling 18,000 miles! AWESOME!)

God used that time to really shape my future...to put a desire for him in my heart...to quit just saying I was a Christ-follower toward BEING a Christ-follower! I am forever grateful to my parents for letting me go and for singing "Hold up the Light" over and over and over again...because it got through and changed my direction...and I am so thankful that it did!

Stuff

Random Stuff...
-I LOVE what God is doing in the people of our church...GREAT Stuff!
-The past month has been the best month I have had in at least 1 1/2 years!
-Ran a 10k for the first time
-My cholesterol went up...DON'T worry...only my GOOD cholesterol went up!!
-Teaching is going well...what a privilege to pour my life in these kids
-TONS of stuff happening in the building these days...FUN!
-Cool to have more and more people dropping by the office...CAN'T WAIT to be full time!
-So....when is this baby coming?!?!?!?!
-God is so good.
-Really...he really is so good!
-I am overwhelmed with his strength and forgiveness
-Wonder what heaven will be like?
-Miss seeing Clarence Eichorst...I know he is celebrating with Jesus...but I sure miss him!
-Wonder how many prayers he said in his 90+ years...crazy to think about!
-Can't believe it has been 21 years since I toured with Continental Singers for the first time!
-Saw a video of our Continental group singing on Facebook...full-choreography...BRIGHT outfits...funny!
-That tour changed my life FOREVER!
-Jaden ran a mile in 6 minutes 52 seconds on the treadmill...MAN!
-I haven't run one that fast yet this year
-Chloe is working HARD in swimming to reach her time to make divisionals...I'm so proud of how hard she works!
-Luke went over to Kels yesterday...she was resting with her eyes closed...he bent down and gave her a kiss on her cheek...PRICELESS!
-Kelsey...so glad she is the mother of my kids!! MORE THAN THAT...I'm glad she is my wife!
-Time sure pass by fast...real fast!
-The snow is melting...

1 Year!

We have now been in our building for a year! I had a BLAST last week going through old pictures of the building project. A lot of friendships were sparked during that time...A LOT of prayers were said through the building...a lot of belief that God was going to come through and help us get this done on time...God provided over and over and over again...with people volunteering their time...100's of hours were given to get this project done...

I will never forget the Sunday when we wrote down people's names on the walls...names of people that we longed to see come to Christ...some have given their lives to Jesus since then...other we are still begging God for...It is so good to know that this building was dedicated to reaching people for Jesus Christ...it is also cool to think about how the building is being used now. I prayed just a few months ago that we would use this building better to influence people to Jesus...since that time we now have a women's exercise group that meets here on Monday nights...they exercise and then study the Bible...a men's group here on Tuesdays...we are studying Genesis and then playing corn Hole...Youth Group and Prayer Encounter on Wednesdays...a marriage group on Sunday nights...and a HUGE-FUN Super Bowl party! Very cool to see God blow open the doors of this place and connect us with people...

I look forward to seeing what God is going to do through this place in the next year and years to come!! VERY COOL!

Happy Birthday Grace!!

My Valentine

Loves Jesus...Courageous...BEAUTIFUL...loyal...perfect fit...amazing...fun...keeps me sharp...lives our vows...fantastic mom...INCREDIBLE cook...unbelievable at keeping our home...loves animals...strong...smart...mine!

I love you Kelsey Boucher!

Legacy

Someday...when the pastor is standing by your grave...in that moment...what do you want him to say? How do you want to be remembered? How will you be remembered?

I love our theme at church for 2011..."I am Legacy." How we live today DETERMINES what our legacy will be...so how are you doing?! Hey...instead of dreaming about it or thinking that SOMEDAY I'll start living the way God longs for me too...DO IT NOW! GO live! Give your life to Jesus and follow him...Allow him to make something beautiful out of the story of your life. HE CAN and will...you just have to jump on board!

I CANNOT WAIT to see what God is going to do through this theme! CANNOT WAIT!

Reflections

WOW...FUN...COLD...A BLAST! Just a few words to describe Sunday! The Winter Bash was soooooooo fun...the brats were cooking...people wearing shorts...steaks to the game winners. GREAT time worshipping our Savior!

Some thoughts from the message
-GET the right messages in your head! If you start your day and end your day complaining about the weather...WHY IN THE WORLD do you think you are having a bad day?!?!?!
-How do you get over the blues?? SERVE OTHERS!! Jesus was DOWN...hurting emotionally after hearing the news that John the Baptist was killed...BUT he had compassion on the people and SERVED THEM! Pump someones gas in the snow...buy food for a struggling family...take some dessert to work...FIND a way to help others!!
-ENJOY THE MOMENT! Go make some memories!! Get out in the snow and PLAY! (Oh...and having a snowball fight after the service in my swimsuit was a BLAST!!!! )
-GO DO SOMETHING CRAZY! Think about this...JESUS walked on the water for 3 1/2 miles...you got it...3 1/2 miles! Jesus...the Savior of the world...the one and only PERFECT man...he had heard that John the Baptist was brutally killed...he served people...fed A LOT of people with very little food...THEN he went out and took a walk on the water! WHAT A WAY TO DEBRIEF after a CRAZY day! SURE he did it to teach his guys a lesson on faith...AND I think he may have done it to debrief and get a RELEASE from some much STUFF that was happening around him!

THEN we had the Super Bowl party last night...over 40 people came to the church and watch on the big screen. VERY FUN night!!

Pouring life into others

I believe that EVERY person needs someone(s) pouring their life into them...a mentor...someone to help them along in their spiritual/life journey...it is vitally important! I have been thinking back today to men that poured their lives into me...men who-without them...I wouldn't be the man I am today. God was those men in different ways to shape my life...I am ETERNALLY grateful to them!

Who are those people in your life? Have you thanked them recently? Are you still learning? Still growing? Are YOU pouring your life into someone else?

I pray for you...anyone who reads this today...that you would seek out someone who will pour their life into you AND THEN that you will pour your life into someone else! DO IT!

Beating the Winter Blues!

Sunday we are going after it! We are NOT going to let the snow...cold weather...gray skies...beat us this year! We are OVERCOMING IT!

This Sunday we are going to have our first ever WINTER BEACH BASH! FUN music...wearing summer clothes...Friendly competitions (very friendly, of course!)...the grill will be running and we'll have a special grilled steak for the winners! WE ARE NOT going to let the Winter Blues win this year!

I've spent this afternoon working on my message for Sunday...I am EXCITED and READY to preach right now!!!! Don't miss this week!

AND THE FUN DOESN'T STOP...Sunday night we are having a Super Bowl Party on the BIG SCREEN in the auditorium...it is going to be a fun night! CAN'T WAIT!!

1 month...really?!?!?!

We are a month or less away from Baby #4...I got the stroller put together and the car seat in the van...The room is ready...Kelsey has washed the baby clothes...Things are coming together!

It's funny though...I still don't "feel" like we are going to have a baby here at the house in a month. I KNOW, I KNOW...it doesn't matter what I FEEL...because she IS coming! I imagine...one day real soon...the REALITY of it all will hit! REALLY hit...and that cute little girl will be in my arms!! Can't WAIT TO MEET HER!!