Happy Birthday Krissy! 37 Things I Love About You

Happy 37th Birthday Krissy! I love you and I miss you today.

1. I love having three kids with you.
2. I love how you see things as either black or white - right or wrong.  You are my moral compass.
3. I love building a home with you.
4. You're a farm girl.
5. Letting you beat me in all things competitive.
6. Reading yet another detox book with you.
7. The way you plan my new decade birthdays.  You went over and above (literally) this year.
8. How you lead worship and sing in the Spirit.  I love hearing the new songs God gives you.
9. Watching Steve Carell movies with you.
10. Tag teaming with you to keep our kids in line.
11. You change Anthem's diapers and I don't have to.
12. Watching you sing a Spanish song in church for the first time (Your Great Name).
13. When you think you've lost something, you tell me and before I can answer you, you've found it already.
14. Listening to your dreams.
15. You experiment with new recipes and meals for first time guests.  You have more guts than me.
16. You're up for trying new things.
17. You have much wisdom.
18. You were the cure for my Facebook addiction.
19. You give me 5% writers credit on your songs.
20. You don't wish you had married a Mexican avocado farmer.
21. You dress our daughter up in pink, girlie clothes.
22. You are fun to go on vacation with.
23. You like to try new things.
24. We made it to 13 years of marrige and we still love each other.
25. You're a charismatic Dutch reformer.
26. You make me look better than I really am.
27. You are generous.
28. You are genuine.
29. I can trust you with anything.
30. You notice when I'm not wearing my wedding ring.
31. You are persistent.
32. You pay attention to details.
33. We are opposites when it comes to our toot times.
34. I may win in the games we play, but you win in the stuff that matters.
35. Your naturally curly hair.
36. You are a prayer warrior.
37. I get to watch you design our new house.

I miss you, but I will see you again in a couple of days.

The Search For My Headphones

Tomorrow, we have our closing on our construction loan for the new house we're building.  This is the third closing of four that we are going to be doing.  This time its with a different closing attorney.  I'm grateful we were led to Hunter Battle of The People's State Bank, who is handling our lender.  He was able to push our closing to tomorrow even after the appraiser only had 2 days since he got the plans and review the property and put together the appraisal.  Unbelievable.  Even Mickey Barnes, our builder, was amazed at how quick he was able to put it all together.  So, I'm grateful to him for doing that.  I'm also very blessed to have found the builder we did.  We have so much favor.  God is definitely looking after and over our family.  My focus today will be on His faithfulness and His favor over us.  I will look for opportunities to praise Him today.

Last night, speaking of praising Him, I was frustrated because I couldn't find my white headphones for my iPhone and also the blue camera we bought.  I have been looking for them on and off for the last two weeks since we came back from Florida.  We are going away on a 10 day trip tomorrow and I could really use them for the travel.  By 9pm Krissy had a great idea - to pray and ask God to help us find them both.  So, she brought Anthem over to my side and both of them put their hands on my right arm and prayed.  Krissy prayed while Anthem bowed her head in earnestness while keeping her hand on my arm.  After Krissy was done asking God to show us where both the headphones and camera were, we both waited in silence for Anthem to stop praying.  She continued bowing her head in earnestness being quiet for at least 30 more seconds.  It was a very sweet moment, because, even though she wasn't saying anything, we could both tell she was earnest and serious about her prayer to God.  When she finally raised her head and took her hand off my arm, Krissy asked her if she heard God tell her where the headphones and camera were.  Well, she immediately pointed over towards the foyer area of our condo.  Krissy pressed her for more information asking her "where over there?"  Anthem said, "In da bag." - in almost a Michigan accent. "In what bag?", Krissy asked.  Anthem said, "In Daddy's bag."  Aha, so the three of us went over first to my briefcase that I was sitting in the foyer and looked through it.  We didn't find anything in there.  I wasn't too hopeful about that because I had already looked through it countless times.   So, then Krissy and Anthem opened the little foyer closet to look for another bag.  They found my little carrying bag that I last took with me to New York as a carry-on for the plane.  Low and behold, after looking for several seconds, Krissy spotted my little white headphones and pulled them out with glee!  All three of us and the boys (who came running over when they heard our cheers) were praising God!  He had shown Anthem where to look for my headphones!  What is amazing as I think back about it this morning, is that Anthem heard God say it was my BAG.  We were looking in my briefcase first, not my bag.  He clearly told her it was in my BAG.  That small GMA bag of mine was tucked away almost hidden (because it's black) in that small dark closet.  I believe she truly heard from the Lord about my headphones.  I praise God for speaking to her in that way.  It was a faith-building moment for us.

I looked for another 15 minutes asking Anthem the whole time where my camera could be.  She directed me to the storage closet in the hall outside our condo.  We looked in every other bag we had with us at the condo complex - to no avail.  However, I have faith that God will show us where that camera is in His timing.  He loves us so much to care about the little things in our lives.  

Hot Air Balloon Ride

Yesterday, I turned 40.  Yes, I'm over the hill.  For my birthday, my beautiful wife gave me a hot air balloon ride to go on with a couple of my best buds.  Now, I can cross this off my Bucket List.

I just wanted to share a video so that I capture the moment on my blog.

PIECES - A Father Daughter Video

Here's a video I created with my daughter using my wife's song "PIECES" as inspiration.  It was pure joy taping it and producing it.  I love my little girl.  I will be very happy and blessed on Father's Day.  If you'd like to purchase this song for your iTunes catalog, you can download it here.

This Road

"I am with you always, even to the end of the age." ~Matthew 20:28

"We are all on This Road called life. The road has a beginning and it has an end. Sometimes the way is smooth and the road is a joy to travel on. Other times we can barely walk. The road called life is both hard and beautiful; however, the most beautiful thing about this road is you are never alone on it. Whether you know it or not, whether you believe it or not, it makes it no less true. The truth is you have a friend there walking with you. This unseen friend has been there all along from the start of your journey and will be there at the end ~ even when you take your last step. This companion can carry you when the way is too rough and you want to give up. This friend desires to walk in front of you, leading you when the way is too dark to see. This friend will speak to you words along the way that fill you with joy even when it's raining and cold. There is someone on that road with you all of the time, who knows you better than you know yourself, and since He is the creator of this road, He knows every bump, every turn, every hill and every valley you will ever travel He traveled it, too. My hope is if you do not know this friend, you ask to meet Him." - MeMe Stephens

Your Love Is Chasing Me

IT'S YOUR LOVE
By Luke Finch (UK Worship Leader)

These mountains are high
But your grace is greater
These valleys are deep
But your healing's deeper
I cannot escape your incessant love
So I won't run, I will wait

It's your love, it's your love
It's your love that saves me
It's your love, it's your love
It's your love that sets me free

My life is a path that keeps on winding
And all I can do is your truth believe in
I cannot explain this depth of longing
But I won't run, I will wait

This burden is light but I feel I'm dying
Losing my life and then yours I'm finding
I cannot contain it, this love's
Compelling me to run, but I will wait

I cannot run
I cannot hide
I can't escape your incessant love
Your love, your love, your love is chasing me

(c) 2010 Song Solutions Daybreak info@songsolutions.org

The Lie

God defines success so radically different than I do. If I'm honest with myself, I desire personal gain, wealth and, yes, even fame and personal glory. How wrong I've been to believe the lie and the liar! The world's greatest lie is that I'm here for any personal gain, wealth, power and fame. How shallow and empty I feel when that is my pursuit. God, help me to walk in Your definition of success - my loss, Your gain...my weakness, Your strength...my death for Your life. To live is Christ. A daily pursuit...thankful for His grace.