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.

Lizard Attacks My Son

Everything

"The happiest people are not those who have everything but the ones who make the best of everything." A quote my father shared with me this morning. It encouraged me.

Forgiveness

"Anger makes you grow smaller, while forgiveness forces you to grow beyond what you were." - Cherie Carter Scott

"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." - Matthew 6:14

Natalie Grant - YOUR GREAT NAME - Song Story

This video tells the behind the scenes story of Natalie Grant's version "Your Great Name". So proud of my wife.

Alex Leads Worship on Drums

Kaden Leads Worship

Annie and the Boys sing Elmo World

Uploaded from my new iPhone...

Do It Right

‎"If you don't have time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?" - John Wooden

The Value of Values

I take this to heart...

The Value of Values
He could have had the world handed to him by his father Warren. But as Peter Buffett tells it now, that would have been the worst thing for him.

Peter, in his new book Life Is What You Make It: Finding Your Own Path to Fulfillment, says that the values instilled in him by his parents and the opportunity to find his calling in life were worth more than any financial gift he could receive. As his father put it, people who are born with a silver spoon in their mouths end up with a silver dagger in their backs (meaning a sense of entitlement and a lack of personal achievement). Peter wound up, by his own words, normal and happy instead of spoiled.

"Entitlement is the worst thing ever, and I see entitlement coming in many guises. Anybody who acts like they deserve something ‘just because' is a disaster," he said.

When you have a sense of entitlement, nothing is ever good enough. You'll buy a car, then want a nicer car. Your house is never big enough—you'll constantly want to move up. Think of how bitter you'll become from a lifetime of wanting better stuff. Even after you get it, it's not good enough, thus you want even nicer stuff.

Fathers can be more susceptible to this because guys tend to place a higher value on stuff. Money is a scorecard and if we're not doing well financially, we feel we haven't accomplished anything. As Father's Day approaches, remember how important it is to set the right example for your child.

It doesn't take money; just a parent who cares. You don't need to be a millionaire to teach your kid how to put in a hard day's work, or how to live with integrity, or how to care for the people around him or her.

The best things in life can't be bought. When you teach your kids a valuable lesson and see them start to live by that principle, that's priceless. You can give your son or daughter true security in life by letting them find what their calling is (and allowing them to bump their knees while finding it) and instilling in them the values and discipline to become a self-sufficient adult.

When you say no, your kids will grow.

Source: Reuters 
 

39 and My Two-Minute Warning

As I stand on the doorsteps of 40, I'm "enjoying" turning 39 as best I can today.

Krissy greeted me with breakfast in bed - a gluten-free meal of waffles, apples, scrambled eggs with spinach & herbs and a glass of juice.  That was a surprise!  Then, after Anthem and Alex woke up, we, together, woke up Kaden who was greeted with "Kadie!!" by Anthem as she climbed all over him to wake him up.  (The boys were up late last night watching 'Toy Story').

A Memorable Memorial Day Weekend

My family and I spent the weekend at a camp ground with 25 or so other adults and kids at The Nest Family Camp (TNFC). The Nest is the name of our church. This was our second year going to family camp. The theme of the camp was SHINE - taken from Matthew 5:16.

I'm thankful for Jill Perry for organizing the theme and the teaching. I grew in my Christian walk this weekend. Particularly, I had never known or realized that when Moses came down from Mt. Sinai with the Ten Commandments, his face was shining, glowing with radiant light. We studied The Sun, The Moon and The Stars and used creation to apply the fundamental truth that as believers, we are salt and light. Thank you, Miss Jill!

1 Corinthians 2:16

"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Jesus saw food when 5000 were hungry. He saw healing when multitudes were sick. He saw life when a child was dead. What He saw—took precedence over all other facts. You have that mind (1 Corinthians 2:16). Start seeing what He saw. SEE the solution in every problem.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

The world is unprincipled. It's dog-eat-dog out there! The world doesn't fight fair. But we don't live or fight our battles that way—never have and never will. The tools of our trade aren't for marketing or manipulation, but they are for demolishing that entire massively corrupt culture. We use our powerful God-tools for smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers erected against the truth of God, fitting every loose thought and emotion and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. Our tools are ready at hand for clearing the ground of every obstruction and building lives of obedience into maturity. - The Message

Sunday Morning Satire

Here's a video, my friend and neighbor posted on his blog.  I couldn't post for some reason because it wouldn't play.  So, I found the YouTube link.  See if your church looks anything like this...

The Lord's Prayer - New Quietime Podcast Series on MyQuietime.com

We start a new series in the Quietime Daily Devotion and Prayer Podcast today.  We focus on praying the way Jesus taught in Matthew 6:5-15.  This scripture is core to the Quietime mission and vision.  Each day we will be breaking down The Lord’s Prayer and bringing focus to it as God leads.  I trust it will enrich your personal prayer time and strengthen your relationship with God as a result.

In case you don't know, Quietime music is a series of instrumental piano music that's intended for use during personal prayer and worship time.   Check out the daily devotion and prayer podcast at myquietime.com.

Flood of Franklin - May 2010

Flood pictures

This is in my neighborhood.

Reflections on the Songs We Sing - Your Great Name

I recently came upon a wonderful illustration using scripture and personal experience to describe the truth of this song.  My wife, Krissy, is co-writer of the song.  Many of the scripture examples were inspiration for the song’s origin lyrically!  The writer captures the essence of the song very well.  Click here to link to the page.

Camaro Conversations

The boys are already talking about the kinds of cars they want to buy when they turn 16.  Kaden's highly motivated.  Lately he's been getting up at 6:45 to get to work at my business - shipping media.  Kaden is planning to buy a black Camaro with white stripes.  Alex is working towards a red Camaro with black strips.  They are 6 years away, but every day we drive in the car together they notice all of the cars and dream of what they want to drive.  Very cute.

The Wingfeather Saga

A few weeks ago on Facebook I asked my friends what books they'd recommend for my boys.  My neighbor, after kiddingly recommending Stephen King novels at first, then answered seriously "The Wingfeather Saga" books by Andrew Peterson.  Well, last weekend he lent them to me for Alex to read.  Alex, my 10 year old crazy reader, devoured both books - each 300 pages or more - in about 2 days.  This, while going to school and doing sports also.  He could not put them down. He was up early and stayed up late to read them.  Tonight, he shared the stories within the books with me in detail.  Andrew Peterson is a maker of great music, and also great adventure/fantasy novels.  Get them for your kids.  Andrew, please write a third.  My son and I beg you.

Head Butt Kisses

Our daughter, Anthem kisses us with a head butt.  When I say, "Annie, give me a kiss."  She will bend her head forward and then I kiss her.  This morning, we all head butted each other goodbye as the boys were leaving for school.  Now, I have a headache.

In doing my "research" for this blog entry, I found this interesting article...

Seriously, the head butt is not that hard.  Here's a Parenting magazine article about serious head butting issues...

Boys and Time of My Life

This age 7-8 to 10-12 is just such an awesome time for me as a dad.  Today was just another reminder of it.  Not only do I get to enjoy being involved in their sports and important events because I work from home, but also I get to help them in their first jobs working for me on the Ebay and Amazon business we're starting.  They're doing a fantastic job helping with shipping and listing products.  I just want you to know, boys, if you read this later, this is the best time of my life.  God, grant me more experiences like the ones this weekend.

Cheese Nuts

This week I told Kaden I didn't want him saying "I like pie" anymore.  It was getting old and I think it has a gross underlying meaning.  So, now he says "I like cheese nuts" instead. Ugh.

Fang Fingers!!! EEEE EEEE EEEE

Go Predators! 4 to 1 over the Obama's Blackhawks! Yeah baby!

Dove Awards Week International Plans Thwarted

Flights are being cancelled coming from Europe...and here's why:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8623534.stm

The Mercy Tree

In the garden of eternity

There grows an endless mercy tree

Everyone who does believe

Is sheltered by it’s covering

The branches stretch as to embrace

It’s flowers bloom in scents of grace

Breezes blow away the pain

Close your eyes and drift away

Find forgiveness

Find relief

Find rest from suffering

Find healing

Find peace

Underneath the mercy tree

It grows as high as it goes deep

The roots reach back to calvary

How small we are, how great is He

The maker of the mercy tree

by Krissy Nordhoff

(c) 2009 TwoNords Music

Andy Andrews - The Traveler's Gift

My family and I listened to this book on CD on our way to and from our Spring Break trip. If you like history, biographies, non-fiction literature mixed together in an inspirational story, I highly recommend The Traveler's Gift and all of Andy Andrews other books.

Stuff White People Like

If you're as white as I am, you will love these things as much as I do.

Needed a Break

Just a quick note to say that I'm not done with blogging. Honestly, for the last few months I haven't had much to say, share or express online. I hope to be back to writing at least weekly soon.