Time for Labor Day

it's that time of year...time when things are more exciting than just about any other time of year...it's time for LABOR DAY. With Labor Day just around the corner, that means some other pretty exciting things are coming too. things like:
1. the beginning of Franklin Cowboy Football
2. the beginning of college football (not just one team, but ALL teams) College Football!
3. the beginning of NFL football. that's right, it's time for the pros to earn their dough...
4. the "chase" for the sprint cup is almost here. i haven't really been able to watch too much, but it's still a great time.
5. fall break and our annual ltrip with friends to the redneck capital of the world--Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

this year, we're going to do something special on Labor Day...we're finally going to be able to go see my dad again. I haven't been able to get to see him since his accident, so i'm really looking forward to going to see him. i have had to make some tough decisions over the past few weeks, about whether to spend time with the boys (healthy) or to go see him (trying to get healthy), and i have chosen to spend some time with the boys. after being gone so much over the past few months, it has been a necessity to be home with the boys for some time. now, we're ALL going to get to go see mom and dad for the weekend.

new office, new day

today, i'm blogging from my new office. it's not an elaborate space, nor does it have a great view...in fact, it doesn't even have a window. what it does have though is a great attitude, great camaraderie, and the opportunity for me to share a space with the people in my LIFE who spur me on to do great things for God.

without this space, i might be in a coffee shop somewhere, looking cool, sipping a coffee, and being a part of the "in" crowd, but i would have missed out on a great day, where God reminded me that He loves me, He has a plan for myLIFEspeaks, and He really is in control...

i don't think i've been able to say that about any spot over the past few years...

so it really is a new office...and a brand new day!

who knew???

today i began a new page in LIFE. i joined the social networking hyper-information world of "Twitter". i can let others know what i'm doing as the time goes by. so, come follow me... we'll see how that works. it should actually be kind of fun. i'm looking forward to it.

thanks don, for helping me take the leap.

i had a great time this morning with a couple of meetings with friends. first, brian encouraged me to write...always good. then, what a humbling time i spent this morning with don, who truly cares about the family and me. it's rather embarrassing at times to think about even questioning whether people want to join in LIFE with you or not...

what are you SAYING?

i realized something today. i'm 36 and probably half (or more) of my LIFE is gone. what is there to show for it? sure i have a smokin' hott wife, 3 awesome and talented kids, a great house, 2 mini-vans, and a daughter...but what is left at the end of LIFE that makes God smile?

it hit me today that i have spent most of my LIFE trying to get the next, biggest, best, thing to survive this temporary existence. what would change if i TRULY believed that God wanted me to live for Him each day? would i hold on dearly to the house? the cars (NO!)? i would want to love my wife more, my kids more like Christ, and then, i want to have a legacy that says...i loved Christ with everything.

my LIFE hasn't said that up until this point...maybe now it is, but it hasn't. pretty sobering thought...

8-8-08...what a day

the olympics officially start today! how stinkin' cool. i'm finally back from Arkansas--Cedar Glade Baptist Encampment--and had an UNBELIEVABLE time and got to make some new friends from there.

what are you FOCUSING on?

when i think about the question, "what are you FOCUSING on?" i have to be real. i believe that i am learning to focus on God with my complete LIFE. i have been reading "Crazy Love," by francis chan, and have been both challenged and encouraged by his description of lukewarm people. i believe i am learning to recognize His hand at work in all of me. i want to make more of what He has given me, and i want to be willing to let go of more that belongs to Him...i want to focus on His call and not walk away from it.

hey, it's my birthday

i'm celebrating my birthday today away from the family. it's a little rough being away from them, but also re-assuring because i have been able to talk to them, hear them sing, and know that they are praying for me. i know that the roughest part of LIFE right now for me is getting used to the travel and being away from the family, but i know that God is going to use this time to impact the lives of so many.

what a blessing to know that God has given us a story that just might change the lives of others.

today, i shared part of our story with the group here in arkansas, and am so relaxed knowing that our story might help others either begin their walk with Christ or it might encourage them to take it more seriously...

what is your LIFE saying today?

out of control?

what do you do when things are out of your control?

that's a very real question to me these days. i think the most difficult part of LIFE right now is knowing that the majority of my LIFE is out of my control. i am completely living in a dependent state. i depend on God first and foremost to get me through the day, to get me up in the mornings, and to sustain my being.

i depend on my wife to take care of the kids while i'm gone. i depend on her to be the glue that is holding things together while i'm traveling. i depend on her to make sure things get done while i'm away...like getting kids to football, to voice lessons, and everywhere else they need to go.

i depend on the boys to help their mom. i depend on them to listen, be respectful, and to help even in instances when mom doesn't ask for it.

i depend on katie to help too. i depend on her to help get the boys around, to help with lane, and to walk with Christ.

as much as i hate to admit it, this LIFE of dependency is difficult. i don't have a regular "steady" job for the first time in 14 years. i don't have a "church" to call home. i don't know what things are going to look like next week, next month, or even next year.

i don't have a place to regularly plug into. it was so much easier when everything fell into place, but i'm finding out that God isn't concerned with things falling into place on my schedule, rather He's going to continue to want me to live for Him, and remember, regardless of what my fears tell me, that He is going to see us through--and He will. it might mean a big lifestyle change, moving, or facing my greatest fears and being a part of a different church, but i KNOW God is going to do something amazing in our lives, and I WILL DEPEND ON HIM.

for the first time in a long time, sunday was different for our family. we didn't go to church. it's not that we haven't missed church in the past 14 years, but it was the reality of not having a place to call home. we didn't go to two rivers, which has been our home church for the past 9 years for obvious reasons, and we didn't go anywhere else because, well, we chose to stay home. i guess part of my thinking was, if i'm going to miss brother jerry's last sunday there after 22 years, i'm not going anywhere. i don't think i expected to have a difficult time with the decision. in fact, i was absolutely excited to know that we had the freedom to CHOOSE to stay at home and sleep in. the reality however was much different. there was a heaviness in our house. the sleep wasn't that great and even going to the pool with the boys wasn't what i had hoped it would be. i had a blast with them, but something was missing. the emptiness compounded with my chance meeting with a lady on saturday afternoon who chose to tell me (RANDOMLY) about how great her church was (fellowship bible church ) and that i would be welcomed there and would love it. she even went on to say (in our 5 minute conversation) that she had grown up southern baptist, and had found a home at fellowship. she was drawn to it because it wasn't legalistic, nor was she looked down on because of what she drove or what she drank. she truly was excited about her church and what was happening in her LIFE. now, i must admit, THAT IS EXACTLY what i think church is supposed to be about...being so excited about something that is drawing you closer to Christ, further from legalism, and removing you from bitterness. i think i want to be a part of something like that. now, do i want to be a part of something like that that is already going, or am i going to be a part of something that isn't yet known? there, it's out there. i'm praying through it! pray with me, won't you?