Category: Family

On our very first date Stephanie and I took a picture together in my Toyota pickup as we headed off to Andy’s frozen Custard and a movie.  I still remember it like it was yesterday.  Last night we started the night off the same way.  We got in the Cherokee and took a picture as we headed off to dinner and a movie!

We ended up eating at the Down Under Pub. I was really hoping to have some alligator tail, but they didn’t have it. So here is what we ordered.
I got the Combo Basket. Tender whitefish fillets, jumbo shrimp and chicken fingers batter fried. Served with Aussie fries and coleslaw. Very good Shrimp and fries!!!

Stephanie got the Angel Hair with Fresh Tomatoes and Basil. Fresh tomatoes, basil and garlic lightly sautéed finished with white wine and topped with fresh Parmesan cheese. It was nice!

After Dinner we went to see “Get Smart”!
Great movie made us laugh the whole time. A movie worth going to see!  I believe it is rated PG-13.  I didn’t notice a lot of bad language in it.  The movie was fast paced for the mos part and held you attention throughout.

After the Movie, we went to Starbucks for some Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino® blended coffee with Chocolate Whipped Cream. We had a lot of fun together, without the kids.  We will definitely do it again soon!!!

I am so excited, my wife and I get to go on a date night tonight!  One of our students has volunteered to watch our two boys.  This will be the first time that we will be able to go out and not worry to much about Jackson.  Now we have to decide what we are going to do!  Maybe Dinner and a Movie!  Kinda old school, but its good to go back to the basics every once in a while!

While I was away at Camp, (awesome week with God and Students at Wild Week), Stephanie and the boys, as well as Nana and Papa, her mom and dad, had pictures taken.  In my office I have a new picture of Stephanie and the boys given as a Fathers Day present!  I love my family!

It’s official, Jackson is trying to walk.  I had a feeling he would take his first couple of steps while I was at Camp last week but he waited until I got home.  Last night, he took 2 steps before he fell down and then today, Stephanie said he took 4 steps.  It won’t be long before he is running after Josiah!

My dad came and hung out with us tonight.  Josiah was so excited!!  Every 10 minutes at the pool today he was asking, is PaPa Dan here yet?  My dad finally got here at 6:00pm and neither onw of the boys let him out of their sight.  They wrestled, played soccer, watched a movie, and ate cookies.  It was so good to see them connect with my dad.  The coolest part for me was watching Jackson and PaPa Dan eat cookies together and then Josiah showing PaPa Dan his yearbook from school.

Tonight, as we are laying down as a family, Jackson is watching a Baby Einstein movie and the three of us Stephanie, Joe, and myself are in the bed. Josiah decides to ask, “Why are people Black?” It is amazing how little minds think. I simply answered that God made some people white and some people black. Even you and mommy have different skin color. He thought for a moment, and said, some people are yellow. I said thats right Josiah because God made them that way. Kind of like the song: Jesus Loves The Little Children

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They’re all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

Whether you’re rich or whether you’re poor
It matters not to Him
He remembers where you’re going
Not where you’ve been

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They’re all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

If your heart is troubled
Don’t worry, don’t you fret
He knows that you have heard His call
And he won’t forget

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They’re all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

All around the world tonight
His children rest assured
That He will watch and He will keep us
Safe and secure

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Black and yellow, red and white
They’re all precious in His sight
Jesus loves the little children of the world

I had the joy of taking Jackson to get one of his shots today. Stephaine usually does it but now that she works in the afternoon looks like it is going to be a daddy and son bonding moment. We had some time to kill, so I took the boys to McDonalds, and so did every other Mom in town. It was crazy, but the boys had fun!

So, this weekend as I put Josiah in Time Out for one of the many things he has done lately, Jackson our 1 year old thought it was time to play. Here is a pic,

As a dad what do you do? We didn’t experience the terrible two with Josiah, but the three’s and four have been ruff. Yes he has had to deal with a lot this past year so we try to be understanding, but the kid just seems to do off the wall things leaving Steph and I saying, “Where did he learn that?” So we are looking at what we watch, how we talk, how we act and respond to situations, because he is starting to model who we are. This is the scary reality we must face as parents. Or we could just blame the kids he goes to school with. After all, he didn’t act this way until he went t school this last year! It’s much easier to play the blame game instead of owning our own dysfunction.

Well we have been talking about painting our Student Center which includes our Worship Center and Cafe’. Our Creative Arts guy gave us great ideas based on my poor job of describing what we want. I feel like I have led our team in several different ideas, but we just haven’t seemed to hit those two or three colors that resonate with what we are trying to do. However, while my family and I were at Chipolte on Friday i took some pics of their wall. This totally resonates with me and describes the look that I am going for. I would call this an industrial look.

Maybe I am wrong but if you have pics of ideas, PLEASE send them my way. Maybe your pic is the missing color we have been looking for!

Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of these men who heard what John said and then followed Jesus. Andrew went to find his brother, Simon, and told him, ‘We have found the Messiah’ (which means ‘Christ’.

Then Andrew brought Simon to meet Jesus. Looking intently at Simon, Jesus said, “’our name is Simon, son of John—but you will be called Cephas’ (which means ‘Peter’). v.40-42

Jesus begins building a team of men that we know today as the Disciples. He will gather 12 of them who will be with him 24/7. As a read today I am challenged by the attitude and zeal that Andrew and Phillip both had when they found out that Jesus was the Messiah. Both of them waisted no time in telling others. Andrew went and told his brother Simon, who we know as Peter, and Phillip went and told Nathaniel. Both brought others to Jesus just based on the little they knew about Him. These 4 men would begin a journey, joined by 8 others with the living Son of God, Jesus Christ.

Sometimes we are afraid to share with others about Jesus. There are several reasons, fear that we don’t know enough, or that we might mess up, or we don’t want to offend others. When I read this passage I am convinced that these guys didn’t care how much they knew. They didn’t worry about how to tell others and they just wanted people to know about Jesus, they didn’t care if it was politically correct or not. I think sometimes we worry more about messing up than about sharing. We don’t have to know it all, we just have to share what we know and let God do the rest!!!! So today, take some steps toward sharing Jesus with others, the more you get to know Him, the easier this will become!