NEW BLOG!

If you're checking out this blog for the first time, I would recommend you jumping over to the NEW blog.

HERE

If you are looking for the current myLIFEspeaks Blog, it's been moved. Check it out at http://www.myLIFEspeaksblog.wordpress.com

a dangerous thing

one of the most dangerous things someone like me can do is over-communicate. i realize as i get the chance to speak to various people and groups, i have a huge tendency to over-communicate. in other words, i tend to try to tell everyone everything i know at the moment. it's not because i want to overpower them or impress them with my knowledge, instead it's because i really want them to "get it" when i speak.

it's awesome when you are comfortable with yourself as a speaker and realize your strength and at times it can be difficult to hold back. i'm learning more and more that God wants me to shut up more and let Him talk more.

so, tonight, when i'm speaking, i'm praying that God will be heard loud and clear and that my words will be less than ever. i want God's Words to be heard by those that are supposed to hear and I want to be a part of that. if i speak less and He speaks more, then my LIFE speaks volumes!!!

Our Family is Speaking

A few months ago when Missy and I knew it was right and time to begin the adoption process we never expected things to go so fast. A couple of weeks ago, our trip to Haiti turned into something unexpected, when we got to meet our future daughter. Her name is "Tia" and we are so excited to know her. We started an adoption blog and would love for you to follow along on our journey. For more information click here. If you are interested in getting one of those awesome "I Helped Bring TIFI Home" t-shirts that you hear about everywhere you turn (ok, the truth is you have probably never heard of them, but if you will look at the really cool picture on the right you will know what it looks like and it sounded good in my head!!!), simply click here.

As we celebrated our 15th anniversary last night, Missy and i had to smile at where we are. Neither of us expected that God would have ever brought us to where we are. Our 15th anniversary was supposed to be celebrated by a huge trip to some exotic location where we did nothing but stay on the beach and get golden brown with a great tan. God however reminded us that our LIVES were NEVER supposed to be where they are now either. If you would have asked us 15 years ago, our plan was to have 2 boys and a girl at this point in our LIVES and be serving on some church staff. God has a way of reminding us our plans are NEVER as great as His. We LOVE where we are now.

It's time to get ready for Terra Nova!!

check it OUT!! It's not too late to get started and signed up and ready for Terra Nova '09. we are planning and working hard to make Terra Nova this year AMAZING!!

knowing your place

While reading this morning (thanks YouVersion), this passage came to stick out to me:

8 One day the trees went out to anoint a king for themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Be our king.’

9 “But the olive tree answered, ‘Should I give up my oil, by which both gods and men are honored, to hold sway over the trees?’

10 “Next, the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and be our king.’

11 “But the fig tree replied, ‘Should I give up my fruit, so good and sweet, to hold sway over the trees?’

12 “Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come and be our king.’

13 “But the vine answered, ‘Should I give up my wine, which cheers both gods and men, to hold sway over the trees?’

--Judges 9:8-13

I have to admit, this passage was an easy one to just flip through, but i tried to slow it down this morning. i didn't skim through, but tried to find something that was hidden in Judges 9 just for me. I found it!

when i read this passage, i'm struck by the parable Jotham shouted to the people as he was speaking against Abimelech, who had just killed 70 men...his half-brothers...his relatives. Greed had driven Abimelech to murder his half-brothers and greed had driven him to seek the throne of his father.

Jotham had such wisdom in this passage. How many of us when asked to be something we are not created for would turn it down if we thought it would bring us some glory? would we be like the trees in this story that refused to give up what they were created for in order to be something they weren't meant to be?

If i offered you a position where the money was better would you take it? most of us would...but would we be willing to do what we were created for...even if it meant less money? less prestige? less power? less glory? less stuff? would we take a new job or position that doesn't really fit us just so we could say we have it?

are we guilty of "holding sway over the trees" rather than being who we were created to be? i know the call to sway over something has grabbed me more than once. today i can say i'm happier doing what i am doing than i have been in years. i know i'm doing what i'm supposed to do...even if i'm not at the top swaying over others, i'm doing my part and knowing my place!

a typical wilson weekend...

fun and games abound in our family. sometimes the fun isn't expected and sometimes the games aren't fun, but this weekend we had some milestones.

first, after shopping with the family friday night, we were pulling into the driveway and d-money started laughing hysterically. it seems lane had reached into the "secret" bag and found missy's newest purchase. he however thought it was a great HAT!


second, on saturday, we had the opportunity to let d-money record at lakeside studio for the first time. it was amazing and he did a great job...i think he liked it too!


finally, we had dinner with some great friends saturday night and had a pretty awesome accomplishment. e-dub came downstairs carrying a megaphone and had that tell-tale look of something is BAD wrong! his mouth was bleeding and looking it was apparent his tooth was in desperate need of falling out. he went to the bathroom and when kate-dawg asked him if he wanted to pull it, he shook his head...and the tooth fell OUT on its own.

great weekend!

so who do you hate?

i ran across this video while doing some research for some camp sermons earlier. i have to say, it speaks VOLUMES as to what the world things about Christians. it's a video of Penn from Penn and Teller, an avowed atheist, commenting on his video blog about someone who came to his show and gave him a gideon bible.

one of the best questions of this video is when Penn asks, "how much do you have to hate someone?"...to not tell them about eternal life (or a relationship with Christ)?

i have to admit, it was a great question. when i first started watching, i thought it would be a great introduction to help students realize the need to let their LIFE speak, but when i got to the point of his question as to how much hate does it take...i have to admit i was faced with an answer i didn't really like...

so my question is, who do YOU hate?

a LIFE lesson from Lane

tonight while i was giving Lane a bath, i realized something. he is COMPLETELY dependent on me. if i don't keep a close eye out on him in the bath tub, he will either try to climb out (which isn't pretty), try to stick his face in the water, or he would literally lie on his back and let the water cover him up.

he loves to hear my voice and he reminds me of what i need to be like. he is a very REAL creation...and more than that, i think he truly knows about God...i think he has a genuine child-like faith that i really want to have.

every night when i ask him, "who loves you?" he replies, "GOD!" then when i say, "who else loves you?" he always replies, "DADDY!" it makes me so glad to know he understands (i think) how much i love him. i want him to know how much i care and how much i would do absolutely ANYTHING for him...and then it hit me...

God wants me to be like Lane. He wants me to put my complete faith and trust in Him and not be afraid to let him know my fears, faults, and hang-ups...and even though i'm a professional Christian (it's true) i so don't want to come to grips with those things in my LIFE. i want to try to put up the daily facade that everything is ok...but it usually isn't. it NEVER is ok without Him being in complete control.

so tonight i gave God my list of things i'm angry with, scared of, and trying to fix on my own...and then i gave Him complete permission to do with it whatever He sees fit...

WEBSITE!!!

i am a little excited right now. i just uploaded the new myLIFEspeaks website! that's right, it's up and LIVE. i made d-money a site recently and thought it was about time to re-do the myLIFEspeaks site. i worked on it for a few days and finally had the courage to load it up! check it out and let me know what you think.

it's time for summer to start! home for the 2nd day in a row with d-money and lane! went to the park yesterday and have worked from home today while it stormed outside. it's going to be a great summer...just discovered old school music on the music choice channels! WHOOOA!