First, my children are growing up so incredibly fast.  Elly is about to turn 6 months and is just about ready to crawl.  When you put her down, she’ll quickly scoot from where you had her.  She doesn’t quite follow any straight line, but she raise up on her arms and knees and whatever else she can get on and move around.  It’s quite cute to see her circular paths of teething drool.  She’s eating more solid foods and is starting to make more distinct sounds.  In particular, I’ve noticed that she has the “da” sound down pretty good.  Lastly, she makes her daddy feel so special whenever I come home, where she will grin and grin at me.  Not to be outdone, Reagan has also been amazing me.  I’ve talked before about my geekness rubbing off, but the other day he asked if he could watch Nick Jr. on the ‘puter’.  I said yes and he took off running.  Dessa followed a moment later to turn it on, but it was already up on the screen.  She asked him how he got it and he excitedly said, “I clicked the green button (the Windows Start button) and then the E (Internet Explorer icon) and then the yellow star (the Favorites) and then Nick Jr.!”(The text link for Nick Jr.)  As a geek and a dad, I was quite proud.  His creative side also flashes out regularly.  Like the routine songs that he makes up to well carried tunes, or the other day when he climbed naked into a Target bag that he had poked two holes into the bottom.  He put his legs through the holes and his arms through the handles like overalls and said, “Look Mommy, I’m a grocery!”

I’ve passed my 1 year anniversary at work.  As of July 3rd, I have worked as an “IT Professional” for 1 year.  It has been a crazy ride, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.

I’ve started a major redesign of our church’s website.  I’m really excited about it because it is the first web design work I’ve done in a while.  I’m working out some rusty skills and learning some new ones in the process.  The result seems to be a very nice look and feel.

Barring anything unforseen, I will be attending college this Fall at Nashville State.  I’m going to get my associates in IT, then go on from there to a yet to be determined bachelors.  While I don’t think I’m going to get much use out of that 2.5 years of a biology major, at least I don’t have to take a science this time around.  Rather, I get to work on Database Programming and Programming in C++.  I can’t wait!  (I really do mean that)

Okay, much more to say, but then that’ll leave me late for work.  So, until the next time my wife makes me blog (just kidding), farewell!

Sorry, that’s what goes through my head whenever I say or hear the phrase “pulled up to the house”.

Anyway, Dessa and I pulled into our parking lot listening to a great cd by NeedtoBreath.  We had the windows down and it was in the shade.  The children were asleep.  Instead of getting out, we just stayed there.  Through one song.  Through another.  And another.  We talked some.  Listened some.  I commented on the pretty tree that’s right outside our back door and on the way the grass was nervously flittering against the wind.  We sat in music filled silence also, just letting the sound be our thoughts.

It’s moments like these that are simply beautiful to spend together.

First, when I started my job almost a year ago I had absolutely zero experience in the corporate environment.  I remember the first time that the CEO called me and asked me to come up because he had a computer problem.  I was scared out of my mind that I would mess things up.  Then I get to his office and he’s not there.  I asked my boss what to do when someone isn’t there and he said just walk in.  JUST WALK IN?!  This is the president of the company!  I can’t just walk into his office like I own the place.  He’ll walk in and say, “What are you doing in here?” Then my next stop is asking for my previous job back.  That’s just one example of the myriad of ways that I didn’t have a clue what was going on in relation to the business world.

Contrast that with yesterday and I see where I have really grown.  In a room filled with executives I didn’t really have a problem speaking up when I had a thought.  It was on my way home yesterday that I thought about how much I’ve changed while working at this job.  Things that a year ago terrified me just seem common place today.  Challenges that overwhelmed only mildly irritate.  However, don’t stop feeling too sorry for me.  I still get the overwhelming ones too :).

The second thought that came to mind is the saying “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.  I got home after 8 last night.  Lying in the floor playing with Reagan, with Elly and Dessa beside us, I was consumed with thankfulness for those three great individuals.  Even when Reagan climbed into the dirty clothes basket and wouldn’t get out to go potty. :)  This family of mine is wonderful, and I’m glad I have this blog to tell the whole world (or at least the 300 or 400 visitors I get a month) this truth!

P.S.  Reagan traded his stairs for an elevator yesterday (see last post).  Also, my sister, niece, and nephew may be coming up this weekend.  I’m excited about that.

But have no fear, help was on the way. My sister and her two kids, plus my brother whom I haven’t seen since last October came up to see us. Steve hadn’t seen Elly and had flown in from Phoenix for the weekend. I was extremely happy to see him. Reagan was extremely happy to see my niece and nephew, and he made them know it by keeping them busy the entire day. After they were here and had gotten to play with Elly and Reagan, we all went (minus the yard selling Dessa) to Don Pancho’s and ate some Mexican food. The kids gagged when I ordered Mole Poblano and told them it was chicken in chocolate sauce. There’s nothing like messing with young, impressionable minds.

Dessa got home at around 5 and then turned right back around and headed out to give Dinner Theater practice at the church. My family then left and I’m back to being the only parent in the house. Face slapping time!

Church Sunday was good, but busy also. Dessa had a bake sale going to raise money for the drama team, but our alarm clock was set to 5pm instead of 5am (my fault), so she was late getting started and still had things to make (if you didn’t get any of her chocolate truffles, you missed out). After church was the bake sale, so I brought the kids home with me. By this time, my face is really starting to get red and irritated from the slapping.

Unfortunately, we decided after lunch to take a nap. This nap lasted until 5:15, then by the time we had made our way through a bottle and a poppy diaper and then an experience on the changing table that we do not want to go into, it was after 7 when I got to church (it starts at 6).

After church was a dinner trip to O’Charleys with our friends Nick and Alisa. This ended a bit sadly with Reagan crying hysterically that he didn’t want his friend Peyton to leave while he hugged her and she called for Nick to help her. Actually, it was much more cute than it was sad.

Well, I leave you with this proverb and pictures:

A fool shows his annoyance at once,
but a prudent man overlooks an insult.

Can I own a Hummer H2 and be a Christian?

Wow! What a question. This is basically the same question that was posed to me by Tony Campolo during a lecture at Maryville College, which I believe was about 8 years ago. He asked it with a BMW rather than the H2, but I felt that an H2 gets the spirit of the question much better. I will tell you now that my answer to this question is “no.” I do not believe that I could ever buy and own a Hummer H2 and be a Christian. This tells you that I am not an objective interviewer here. I am most definitely biased, and therefore you may have an inclination to tune me out right now (or already have). But I ask you to have patience with me and listen to my thoughts. This is only my answer. Others will undoubtedly have a different one.

When I began college, I did so with the intention of becoming a doctor. I remember thinking at the time that this journey to doctordom would lead to an elegant home and luxury cars. I mentally created a queue of cars and SUV’s that I would buy. I had one for family travel, one for husband/wife travel, and multiples for me travel. But at the same time as my monetary aspirations, I was also taking a spiritual journey. I was asking God who he was and how I could find him. In the years after I was asked the Question, these two journeys would collide again and again. Finally, I came to some conclusions about where Christ wanted me. I also came to an answer to the Question.

Here is my reasoning for my answer to the Question. In my understanding of Christ, I feel very strongly that we are to take care of those that are in need. I get to this Biblically using many references, but here are two. First we have Jesus telling the rich man that if he really wants to get it right, then he should sell all that he has and give it to the poor. Second you have the early church of Acts selling everything that they had and giving it to the church. James then follows this up in his letter by saying that half of true religion is to visit the widows and orphans in their affliction. So the church held all the money and its job was to help.

How does this relate to a Hummer?

How can I justify spending $60,000 on a Hummer H2 when I could spend $30,000 on a nice vehicle that provides the same function and have $30,000 extra that I could give to those in need.

But what if I’m insanely wealthy and $60,000 is just chump change plus I am already giving to people? My answer would be this. First, not buying the car and earmarking that money for someone else is still $30,000 more than what would have happened had I not purchased the Hummer.

Second, I am called by God to modesty and moderation, which falls under the second part of true religion where I keep myself unpolluted from the world. How can I reconcile this call with driving a chrome encrusted behemoth.

I know that I am not actually in a position for me to be deciding on $30,000. But even though I picked an unrealistic example for my life, I still feel it applies in every decision that I make. Do I desire those things that are far in excess of what is needed? If so, what is the root of that desire? Materialism? Servanthood? Piety? Godliness? Insecurity? Greed? Need?

These are questions that lead me to my answer to this Question. This realization has changed my entire outlook on life. It doesn’t mean that I will dedicate my life to living in poverty. I plan on having nice things, a nice house, and a nice car. God has already blessed me tremendously and I have every reason to think that he will continue to do so. What I do intend on doing is striving to be Christ like in my purchases and decisions by reflecting the Word’s values on charity and modesty.

Thank you for tuning in. You can now return to your regularly scheduled programming.

Stephen Covey echoes this in his book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, when he opens the book with the chapter, “Living With the End in Mind”.  (I think that was the title, but I know it’s close.)  In it, he challenged each of us to think about the eulogy that will be given at our funeral.  What would we want people to say about us?  Then, after we have that speech in mind, we need to do the things that will make those ideals a reality.