Things I learned...

Things I learned about myself while camping and being on vacation...

1. I stink at making campfires!
2. I LOVE playing with my kids
3. I love my wife more today than ever before! AND I'm sooooooo glad that Kelsey keeps such a beautiful house...camping made me appreciate what she does even more...
4. I still get so intense sometimes and let STUPID things get to me...The stories are numerous on this one...LET IT GO, TIM!
5. I continue to love it when things are crazy...packing up the campsite and trying to beat the thunderstorm was fun! Crazy, but fun!
6. I continue to love creation...a highlight for me was seeing the sunrise with Chloe on Wednesday morning by the lake
7. Poison Ivy is worth it! If I had the choice of not hiking with the family or getting this again, I'd take the poison ivy!
8. I LOVE driving a truck! My neighbor, Jason, let us borrow his Dodge Ram for our vacation and it was GREAT! I WANT ONE!!!!!!!!
9. I still love a good bike ride in the rain and even more now with my kids with me!
10. It is so good to see old friends and family...OK...I already knew this, but seeing old high school friends and family was GREAT! Good to catch up...

Welcome Back...

We got back from Ohio last night around 9...what a trip...LOTS OF MEMORIES...(including the poison ivy on my legs!!) We are worn out, BUT that is because we were together and did a lot together...I feel ready to get back to work...back to reaching the people of our community. The first thing I did today at the office was to go prayerwalking around the city. The last thing I want to do this week is get caught in the wrong current...It is so easy for me to get caught in the current of catching up on phone calls, emails, STUFF...instead of focusing on what God may have in store...who does he want me to connect with...I want to have his perspective and be riding in his current...I want to be right in the middle of what HE is doing...

WHAT A DAY!!!

A bike ride at sunrise, breakfast outside, hiking, swimming, more bike riding, Chloe rides her bike down a HUGE hill on a trail, playing at the playground, a bike ride in the rain, hanging out in the tent during a storm, another bike ride in the rain...and Luke fell asleep in the bike cart, Jaden falls and skins up his knee (again!), Luke runs everywhere, a rained out baseball game (STINK we didn't get to see Trent, our nephew, play), an AWESOME steak at Texas Roadhouse, the biggest raccoon I have ever seen eats our trash, my kids and their cousins swing on a vine in the woods, the mother of all storms is coming so we leave camp for my bro's house, I get drenched carrying my kids inside during that storm, Trent and Troy (nephews) help me run our stuff in from the truck in the rain, a shower and finally to bed! I love camping!! Crazy, fun, wet, and amazing memories!

If you ever want to be sure to have a storm while camping just be sure to invite us...2 years...two HUGE storms...two GREAT years of memories!!!!

But I haven't left yet...

Since we haven't left yet and vacation hasn't started, I have to say that I am VERY excited about tomorrow's service! We are talking about the Holy Spirit and this series should be freeing and EMPOWERING for people...to know that we have the ultimate source of strength...spiritual power...GOD SAYS THAT IF WE HAVE OF A SMALL SEED WE CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS... Well I sure want to be apart of that! Let's go move some mountains together!!

Woo-Hoo...let's have an AWESOME, Spirit-filled service tomorrow...CAN'T WAIT...

No computer...No cell phone...We're outta here

This coming week we are on our way to vacation! CAN'T WAIT!! I won't be blogging for the week. I'm leaving my computer at the office...my cell phone will be off...this is time for my family and it is going to be GOOD! I just know that if I take my computer...I'll check email...so I'll be off-line for a week...heading to the Buckeye state for some camping...nephew baseball games...visiting gma & gpa...looking forward to the time with Kels and the kids...Time to get refreshed...well, almost time! Still have tomorrow and Sunday...(BTW...CAN'T WAIT for our service on Sunday! Jim is speaking on the Holy Spirit! GOING TO BE AWESOME!!!!)

Off for now...

God is stirring it up...

I met with Josiah and Redford today...these men have a vision to move into neighborhoods in our city and LIVE OUT their faith right where the people are! I LOVE WHAT THEY ARE DOING!! They are going to fix up houses and allow college students and others to live there and then have them connect with their neighbors...it is good stuff...LIVING IT OUT on the frontlines...LOVE THESE GUYS! Redford and his wife Liz are so committed to this that they are moving out of their BEAUTIFUL house in Granger and going into the city...they aren't just encouraging others to do it, they are living it...AWESOME! I pray that God brings many, many, many people to himself through this...They are going to be doing a soccer camp in their neighborhood and I'M THERE...anything I can do to further the Kingdom, reach our city and help these passionate, God-lovin' guys! I'm ALL FIRED UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

100th Post

Today is my 100 post...amazing to think of all that God has done in the past months since I started blogging. The biggesst is over 100 people have expressed faith in Christ and I had the chance to pray with 7 people as they came to Jesus...WHAT A SPIRITUAL RUSH! (Check out Philemon 6!) My kids are growing up sooooooooooooooooooooo fast...My wife has run in two 5k races...7 baptisms on one Sunday and 5 of those were spontaneous, an Easter Egg Hunt, 16 people giving their life to Christ at our Easter Service, Soccer Camp Baby!, and much much more! I look forward to seeing what God is going to do in the next 100 posts...blogging is FUN!

I love Elijah!

Just finished reading in 1 Kings 18 today...I LOVE ELIJAH! The king of all trash talk...he taunted those prophets of Baal and then GOD CAME THROUGH! I'm glad that I serve a God that likes and wants to come through for his people...YES! YES! YES!

I long to continue to be apart of something that is bigger than I am...I thank God for the chance to serve at Grace Community and to do just that...to see God do more through us than we ever could have imagined..."God...what else do you have in store for us? What else will we have the privilege to do for you..." All I can say is: "God, count me in!"

Sunday Night Thoughts...

What a great morning! I LOVE Dad Fest...this year we called it American Dadiator. Good stuff! It was beautiful this morning until we went outside for the dad games...The wind picked up and it looked like rain. Still had a blast with the guys...I got knocked out in the first round because I didn't eat my doughnut fast enough!

Good time challenging dads too...one of the passions of my heart is that dads would see how important it is to treat their wife well. I have heard too many children say..."my dad (or mom) is a great parent, but their marriage isn't very good." I say that to be a GREAT or even good dad that we have to treat our wives well...If we don't we are sending a mixed message. DADS LETS STEP UP AND LOVE OUR WIVES...this will show our kids how important that is!

I leave you with this verse from Ephesians 5..."Husbands love your wives as Chirst loves the church..." THAT IS HEAVY...let's do it guys...

Dad Fest...

Dad Fest is coming in just a few hours...I can't wait to have the morning...rumor has it there is to be rain in the morning...Praying for God to part the sky ONE MORE TIME!! Praying for dad's to be challenged to raise the bar & to HAVE A BLAST!!!! The games we have planned will be fun...CAN'T WAIT...(did I mention that yet?!?!?!)