10 days of silence.

Wow, I cannot believe I have let 10 days go by with out posting. I have about a dozen blogs I read every day and there are about 3 of them that have come to almost a stand still on their blogging. I don't want to do that. I usually blog while at work and work as become quite busy lately. I am still here and still reading most everyone else's blog every day. Well not "everyone", but everyone's blog who I comment on. You have all been faithful to keep me informed on your lives and I have not been able to do the same. So some quick updates.

Anna is just about potty trained now.
Ella is sitting up on her own and eating solid foods.
My new job is not yet full time but keeping me quite busy the days I do work it.
I am very worried about an old friend. Old as in he is 96, and is having kidney problems. He is ready to go, but the rest of us are not quite as ready.

Ok so those are some highlights for now. I am also looking forward to our church having enough people to have our own church softball team this year. Thanks for checking in, I continuing to pray for those of you who are going through hard times right now. Thanks for sharing your lives.

Anna and her cousins at Christmas

They hardly look alike huh?

Perfect example!!!

Here is a perfect example of using the Kingdom for righteousness, peace and joy.

Whip or love and a gentle spirit

So I preached this past Sunday. And of course we had almost more visitors than we have had in a long time. And of course I had this silly part planned where I reenact a tv evangelist I saw on that was speaking about what my sermon was about that week. I figured no problem, I know everybody at church, it won't be embarrassing.

I preached from 1 Corinthian 4 concentrating on v. 20 and 21.

20For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power. 21What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a whip, or in love and with a gentle spirit?

I basically said that the power we have is to be use with a gentle spirit. We tend to go after "the issues", gay marriages, abortion, intelligent design, etc... With a whip. Demanding our rights as Christians be heard. We are to follow Christ's example and lay down our rights. We need to remember behind every issue are broken and lost sinners. We need to remember:

Romans 14:17
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit...

Notice the Kingdom around you and use it...for righteousness, peace and joy!!

Blonde Joke

Best blonde joke ever.

32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny

If you are a teacher, are married to a teacher (as I am) or just love good stories I highly recommend this book. It will change the way you look at teachers, even if you are one. This book will definitely make you laugh and it may even make you cry. He makes you wish you could be a teacher, even if you are one. It is definitely a good read and it won't take long to go from cover to cover.

Happy 2006!!!

So how was your 2005? I am kind of saddened to see it go. It was a year for not only my new baby, but for a lot of friends as well. It was also a year that a lot of my friends (blogger friends and life long ones) have seen the end of lives. I was going to make a comment here about the cycle of life. But unfortunately for many, they were lives cut very short of their cycle.

People ask why blog? Why get so wrapped up in the lives of people you have never actually "met"? Why grieve and feel loss for people you have never met?... Why not?

Why not have one more community in your life? Why not learn lessons from any where you can? Why not mourn for those who have lost their little one and go home and love your little ones that much more? Why not mourn for those who have lost a sibling and go home for Christmas and hang on to your siblings a little tighter? To those who have shared their lives. Thank you for sharing. I can only hope my prayers and thoughts in return are enough repayment.

So we look to 2006. What more will this year bring? More beginnings? More endings? More hellos? More goodbyes? More Hope? More healing? More friends? More family?...

More of God? Less of me?... I can only hope!!!