Birthdays are a wonderful, and yet strange thing. If you haven't figured it out yet, I am a young kid in a grown ups body. I still get really excited about lots of the little things in life, birthdays are no exception. I look forward to my birthday each year with great expectation, knowing that this years B-day will be greater then the last. I love the attention, the pie (cause I really don't care for cake), the time with family and friends, and lets not forget the presents. There is so much wonder and excitement surrounding a birthday. Having three kids, I remember the day of each of their birth with great detail. Beach Beauty reminds me at times that my details are beginning to get confused from child to child. But I still remember that day with fondness, joy, and excitement.
Each parent can relate with me, that the day their child was born, was such a wonderful day. No matter what circumstances were in your life, for a brief moment, nothing else mattered. As you held your child for the first time, welcoming them to the world, it was if time stood still. You look at their ten fingers and ten toes, round face, precious eyes, little mouth, and button nose, and realize at that moment that God has blessed you with a miracle.
Yesterday was Beach Beauty's birthday! I only wish it could have been a better day for my bride. Before the day was even here, we knew that it would be busy, and plans for celebration were to be moved to a less busy day. Then as she awoke on the day of her birth, she woke with a fierce cough. Who wants to be sick on their birthday? I know I sure don't! As the day wore on, I could tell that her sickness was setting in for the long haul. She is such a trooper! She never once complained about her Birthday being ruined, only that she didn't feel good, and wished she could feel better, that she might go to church. Needless to say, she didn't get out, at all, and the only real celebrating she was able to participate in was Taco Bell in bed late at night, and a small gift. Many Happy Birthday wishes have been shared with her from family and friends,she enjoyed breakfast in bed by the kids, and even an early birthday bouquet of flowers arrived for her on Friday. I only wish that it would have been a better day for her.
With all this being said, let me say once again, she never complained. I am the one complaining at the moment. I hate it that her day was met with illness. So here is what I am proposing. For the lady that gives of herself each day for her family, I think she deserves another Birthday. A day that she can enjoy, anticipate, and have a ball. So even though September 20th has passed, I declare Saturday September 26th as Beach Beauties 2nd 30th Birthday! September 20th will happen again, in order that Beauty can have her day.
Beach Beauty, I want you to know that I Love You, and I am so happy that 30 years ago, God saw it fit to bless your parents with you as their miracle. Then 20 years later He blessed me with you as my best friend, and wife. I want you to anticipate your Birthday with the joy and excitement of a child. I will say once again, as I did many times yesterday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
To all the rest of the Beach Bums out there,
I hope I haven't bored you with the sappy stuff that has flowed all over these pages tonight. Have a wonderful week, and expect more posts to follow.
Until next time,
Clear Skies, High Surf, and Sandy Feet!!!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
I suppose a post is in order!
I suppose I should start this post with an apology to all of you that enjoy reading my ramblings, for the lack of rambling that has taken place over the past several months. I could offer many excuses such as, the summer has been crazy busy, the Beach Beauty's laptop has been and still is out of commission, or there have been way to many fish to catch and not enough time to write a post. However I feel it is best to just say, "I haven't written a post, and now I am, so I'm sorry if you have been sitting by your computer anxiously awaiting a post, and I have failed to give it to you."
OK, now that the formalities are over, I thought I would just spend a few moments updating everyone on the happenings of this summer, that has flown by far too quickly.
It seems that as a minister, the summer time is the busiest time of year. With Sports camps, mission trips, vacations, visitors, picnics, end of school events, school kick off events, planning, reflecting, it all just seems to take all the time out of the summer, and one day you wake up, and it's all over, and the school year has begun once again.
I must say, most of my summer has been a blur, so many things taking place. However, with that being said, there are some wonderful gems from this summer, that God has used to change my life forever.
I want to start with a reference to one of my last posts. If you have been keeping up to date with my blog, then you know that at the start of the summer I made a huge life change. I willing walked away from eating pork, due to a study I had done on the Levitical law. God convicted me about my eating habits, and more importantly on the over indulgence issues that I struggle with. Well, I am happy to say that with the exception of one week, I have been "pork free" since the day I made my last post. I have found that while I am not eating pork, and I really miss it from time to time, mainly when wanting to eat pizza, or smelling a rack of ribs on the Bar-B-Que, I have felt so much better.
Now you may be asking, "why was there one week that you ate pork?" That question leads to me to another wonderful, life changing event from this summer. In late August, I was given the opportunity to leave the land that I love, fly over a portion of the Atlantic Ocean, and minister in a medium sized city in Ceara, Brazil. I spent 9 days ministering with these people, sharing the Love of God with them. I will be preparing a post that will be fully dedicated to the work of God in Brazil, and the work He has begun in me through that experience.
This summer has proven to be life changing. God is speaking, God is working, God is ministering, and God is Amazing. I can't stop talking about how He has worked in my life. I look forward to moments when I can share with someone the way God has revealed Himself to me each day. There are so many wow moments that have taken place that I can't even begin to count them. And here is what is so interesting about each of them... are you ready... this is really going to blow your socks off... here it is, God speaks when you are least expecting it, He speaks in a still small voice, and yet when you are ready to hear He is loud and clear. Let's just say that God placed me in a position this summer where I was ready to hear from Him, and the speaking that He has done has changed my life. I am sure I will post in greater detail in the near future, as I am able to compose my thoughts into complete, logical sentences.
I hope that this post has not been too much of tease. As I have time, I will be telling you more about my trip to Brazil, and the wonderful things that God is showing me. My prayer is that through all of these posts, you will see beyond the "Beach Bum" that is writing these words, and see God glorified and lifted up as the author of this life.
Until next time I wish you,
Clear skies, high surf, and sandy feet!!
OK, now that the formalities are over, I thought I would just spend a few moments updating everyone on the happenings of this summer, that has flown by far too quickly.
It seems that as a minister, the summer time is the busiest time of year. With Sports camps, mission trips, vacations, visitors, picnics, end of school events, school kick off events, planning, reflecting, it all just seems to take all the time out of the summer, and one day you wake up, and it's all over, and the school year has begun once again.
I must say, most of my summer has been a blur, so many things taking place. However, with that being said, there are some wonderful gems from this summer, that God has used to change my life forever.
I want to start with a reference to one of my last posts. If you have been keeping up to date with my blog, then you know that at the start of the summer I made a huge life change. I willing walked away from eating pork, due to a study I had done on the Levitical law. God convicted me about my eating habits, and more importantly on the over indulgence issues that I struggle with. Well, I am happy to say that with the exception of one week, I have been "pork free" since the day I made my last post. I have found that while I am not eating pork, and I really miss it from time to time, mainly when wanting to eat pizza, or smelling a rack of ribs on the Bar-B-Que, I have felt so much better.
Now you may be asking, "why was there one week that you ate pork?" That question leads to me to another wonderful, life changing event from this summer. In late August, I was given the opportunity to leave the land that I love, fly over a portion of the Atlantic Ocean, and minister in a medium sized city in Ceara, Brazil. I spent 9 days ministering with these people, sharing the Love of God with them. I will be preparing a post that will be fully dedicated to the work of God in Brazil, and the work He has begun in me through that experience.
This summer has proven to be life changing. God is speaking, God is working, God is ministering, and God is Amazing. I can't stop talking about how He has worked in my life. I look forward to moments when I can share with someone the way God has revealed Himself to me each day. There are so many wow moments that have taken place that I can't even begin to count them. And here is what is so interesting about each of them... are you ready... this is really going to blow your socks off... here it is, God speaks when you are least expecting it, He speaks in a still small voice, and yet when you are ready to hear He is loud and clear. Let's just say that God placed me in a position this summer where I was ready to hear from Him, and the speaking that He has done has changed my life. I am sure I will post in greater detail in the near future, as I am able to compose my thoughts into complete, logical sentences.
I hope that this post has not been too much of tease. As I have time, I will be telling you more about my trip to Brazil, and the wonderful things that God is showing me. My prayer is that through all of these posts, you will see beyond the "Beach Bum" that is writing these words, and see God glorified and lifted up as the author of this life.
Until next time I wish you,
Clear skies, high surf, and sandy feet!!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
What do pigs have to do with the beach?
So you are going to have bear with me once again, as this post will have nothing to do with the beach. At least I don't think it will. Most assuredly I don't have any plans of speaking about sand, waves, sea breezes, sea foam, fish, crabs, dunes, sunsets or anything else beach related. No instead I plan to bore you all once again with more talk about the realizations I am having regarding the book of Leviticus. I hope you all will bear with these thoughts, and understand very quickly, that these are my thoughts, and mine alone. They may be off base at some point, however I don't think any of these thoughts will lead to a miss directed theological view, or legalism. Instead it is my hope that what you are about to read will give you one more insight into the Bible, that I believe was given to me by God.
We all know, or least most of us know, that the Jewish law forbid the Jews from eating pork. Now in today's society, pork is a common meat, eaten by most every people group, except the Jews. We also understand that Jews received this direction (to not eat pork) through the Law that was given to Moses, and passed down through the ages through the book of Leviticus. There are many other animals that were condemned as being unclean in Leviticus, to include fish with out scales, or any other form of sea life that was without scales, many types of birds (all of which were carnivorous), and animals that do not chew there cud. Probably more information then you wanted to know at the moment, however it is important to our discussion. Hold on to this information for just a moment, as I will come back to it shortly, and this should all begin to make since.
As I was studying several chapters in Leviticus today, I began to see a common statement. Moses would describe a ceremonial act of sacrifice, that of a ox, goat, lamb, or bird, and with each of these, he stated that the fat and the blood of the animal was to be offered only to God. The remaining portions of the animal, either the breast or the leg would be given to the priest for his own use. Now... This at first struck me as redundancy. Each animal sacrifice was to be given basically the same way, allowing the priest to have fresh meat from the sacrifice, but they were still about the same. Then the question hit me! Why would God have instructed Moses to give the remaining portions to the priest, and why could they not have the fat. (This is where you my personal opinion begins) Could it be that God was protecting His people? Could God have been showing through example, what was good for the human body to process, and what wasn't? I then began to take this thought a step further. God was allowing the priests to have the "ham" of certain animals. Now I want you to think about the meat you purchase from the store. What are the things you look for in a piece of red meat. Good color, fat marbling, little gristle, and a good price. Now most of the meat you would purchase is what would be considered "breast meat" of the animal, it comes from the muscle rich area of the animal. However a good roast, like a rump roast would come from the upper portion of the "ham" of the animal. This piece of meat should be with as little fat as possible when you purchase it. There may be a layer of fat on the outside, but the inside piece would have little to no fat. And this thought is what got me to thinking.
God condemned pork for the Jews. In today's culture we eat pork as often if not more often then other meats. And for the record, what makes pork such a tasty meat? The FAT!!! A good piece of bacon, pork ribs, and lets not forget a good ham, all have an abundance of fat in them. Of all the animals we eat on a regular basis, the legs "ham" of a pig has more fat content then any other animal. Could this be why God condemned pork. Was He trying to keep us healthy? Of course we could begin to speak of the same things with the other animals I mentioned earlier. A fish without scales speaks of fish like catfish, bottom feeders, that although they have a lot of muscle, are also full of fat. Carnivorous birds as well, are processing more fat in there systems then herbivores.
So why I am so hung up on this? I'm glad you asked! I have been struggling recently with a statement, that comes from many people that claim that Christians are hypocrites. Their statement is this..."how can you condemn my sin, when there are more fat, lazy, gluttonous Christians in the pew, and we know the Bible condemns gluttony as a sin?" Well, there you have it. How can I condemn one mans sin, when I am just as guilty of being a glutton. I will be the first to admit that I have a real problem with eating. If you know me very well, you know that I am not much a vegetable and fruit eater. I love meat, steak, pork chops, ribs, ham, chicken, turkey, roast, hamburgers, you name it, I like it. And to take it one step further, the greasier the better. I am 31 years old, and if I continue to eat the way I like to eat, I will have a very short life. On top of that I am guilty of gluttony toward food.
I have been reading a book recently that has challenged me to not only learn what I am reading, but to also put into action the lessons I have been learning. So with that being said, the Beach Bum is turning over a new leaf. I need each of you to help me with this, being that it is going to be very difficult for me. Here is the task... I am swearing off pork. This is the first step in a new direction, to make everything that I do a worship experience to God. We are to glorify him in all that we say... and do. Eating is something that we do. May my eating habits bring glory to the Lord.
I hope that I have not grossed anyone out, by the nature of this post. I am looking to each of you to hold me accountable in this. It will be very hard for me. Pork is everywhere, and I love it! However it is well worth this endeavor in order to have a body that is fit to be the "Temple of the Lord".
Until next time:
Clear skies, High Surf, and Sandy Feet.
We all know, or least most of us know, that the Jewish law forbid the Jews from eating pork. Now in today's society, pork is a common meat, eaten by most every people group, except the Jews. We also understand that Jews received this direction (to not eat pork) through the Law that was given to Moses, and passed down through the ages through the book of Leviticus. There are many other animals that were condemned as being unclean in Leviticus, to include fish with out scales, or any other form of sea life that was without scales, many types of birds (all of which were carnivorous), and animals that do not chew there cud. Probably more information then you wanted to know at the moment, however it is important to our discussion. Hold on to this information for just a moment, as I will come back to it shortly, and this should all begin to make since.
As I was studying several chapters in Leviticus today, I began to see a common statement. Moses would describe a ceremonial act of sacrifice, that of a ox, goat, lamb, or bird, and with each of these, he stated that the fat and the blood of the animal was to be offered only to God. The remaining portions of the animal, either the breast or the leg would be given to the priest for his own use. Now... This at first struck me as redundancy. Each animal sacrifice was to be given basically the same way, allowing the priest to have fresh meat from the sacrifice, but they were still about the same. Then the question hit me! Why would God have instructed Moses to give the remaining portions to the priest, and why could they not have the fat. (This is where you my personal opinion begins) Could it be that God was protecting His people? Could God have been showing through example, what was good for the human body to process, and what wasn't? I then began to take this thought a step further. God was allowing the priests to have the "ham" of certain animals. Now I want you to think about the meat you purchase from the store. What are the things you look for in a piece of red meat. Good color, fat marbling, little gristle, and a good price. Now most of the meat you would purchase is what would be considered "breast meat" of the animal, it comes from the muscle rich area of the animal. However a good roast, like a rump roast would come from the upper portion of the "ham" of the animal. This piece of meat should be with as little fat as possible when you purchase it. There may be a layer of fat on the outside, but the inside piece would have little to no fat. And this thought is what got me to thinking.
God condemned pork for the Jews. In today's culture we eat pork as often if not more often then other meats. And for the record, what makes pork such a tasty meat? The FAT!!! A good piece of bacon, pork ribs, and lets not forget a good ham, all have an abundance of fat in them. Of all the animals we eat on a regular basis, the legs "ham" of a pig has more fat content then any other animal. Could this be why God condemned pork. Was He trying to keep us healthy? Of course we could begin to speak of the same things with the other animals I mentioned earlier. A fish without scales speaks of fish like catfish, bottom feeders, that although they have a lot of muscle, are also full of fat. Carnivorous birds as well, are processing more fat in there systems then herbivores.
So why I am so hung up on this? I'm glad you asked! I have been struggling recently with a statement, that comes from many people that claim that Christians are hypocrites. Their statement is this..."how can you condemn my sin, when there are more fat, lazy, gluttonous Christians in the pew, and we know the Bible condemns gluttony as a sin?" Well, there you have it. How can I condemn one mans sin, when I am just as guilty of being a glutton. I will be the first to admit that I have a real problem with eating. If you know me very well, you know that I am not much a vegetable and fruit eater. I love meat, steak, pork chops, ribs, ham, chicken, turkey, roast, hamburgers, you name it, I like it. And to take it one step further, the greasier the better. I am 31 years old, and if I continue to eat the way I like to eat, I will have a very short life. On top of that I am guilty of gluttony toward food.
I have been reading a book recently that has challenged me to not only learn what I am reading, but to also put into action the lessons I have been learning. So with that being said, the Beach Bum is turning over a new leaf. I need each of you to help me with this, being that it is going to be very difficult for me. Here is the task... I am swearing off pork. This is the first step in a new direction, to make everything that I do a worship experience to God. We are to glorify him in all that we say... and do. Eating is something that we do. May my eating habits bring glory to the Lord.
I hope that I have not grossed anyone out, by the nature of this post. I am looking to each of you to hold me accountable in this. It will be very hard for me. Pork is everywhere, and I love it! However it is well worth this endeavor in order to have a body that is fit to be the "Temple of the Lord".
Until next time:
Clear skies, High Surf, and Sandy Feet.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A Response to the past week!
OK! I know it has been a while since my last post. I have been having trouble coming up with a topic to write about. Isn't it still to early to have writers block? Well anyway... I have been thinking a lot lately about the topic for this post, and I hope that you can follow the rambling that are sure to follow.
So before I can start talking about the "mystery topic", first I have to tell you about the events that have led to this topic. For the past week I have been struggling with, or should I say, pondering God's divine nature. I have been in several different discussions over the last few days where someone has questioned the nature of God. Whether they are questioning his intentions in regard to Law that was given to the Hebrews, or questioning their freedom through "Christian Liberty". Either way both of these scenarios seem to question the Divine nature of God. Then as if I had not been bombarded enough with these thoughts, I was brought to question my own desires in relation to God. You see it is really easy to see the faults of others, and see how they are quick to stretch their liberty with the excuse of grace, or to question the ethical ramifications of actions based on a changing world climate, but how easy is it to place my own life judgement before the one and only Divine God.
So here it comes...
Tonight as I was doing some reading I decided to begin studying the book of Leviticus. Now many of you would ask "why Leviticus, were you trying to make yourself sleepy?" And yes I am aware of the nature of this book. It is full of minute details regarding sacrifice and levitical law, and at times can be read with the same enthusiasm as the genealogy's that we all love reading. However I was on a mission. After one of these discussions I mentioned earlier I was brought to question God's intention with a specific "rule" that many seem to think is outdated, and unjust. I figured I would search the levitical law and find out for myself the context of this rule and try to offer my friend a biblical grounded response to his question. In turn I was given some food for thought for myself, and still have not found an answer to my friends ethical questions.
So the mystery topic is this:
Just how perfect is perfection in the eyes of God?
Scripture tells us that the world was created in perfection, by the will of God who is perfect. Now as we all know, Genesis tells us that sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, as they went against the plan of God and became aware of Good and Evil. Now with that being said, it was no longer possible for man to have a walking, talking, communing, relationship with God, because sin placed a barrier between God and man. Now, this is where it gets interesting, at least in my mind. The only way that God could have the relationship with man that He desired, was for man to sacrifice unto God. In a way, the man was paying penance for his sin. This allowed him to be temporarily abolished of his sin, until the next sin. What I find interesting is this... Levitical was very clear on the procedures of offering sacrifice. The bull, goat, sheep or bird was to be perfect, without blemish, and then prepared very specifically and intentionally for sacrifice, then placed on the alter for burning in a very specific way, so specific in fact that portions of the animal were to be burned directly while others were to only be near the fire, and smoked. God did not sacrifice a single detail as He gave Moses the law. He expected things to be carried out in His manner, or they would not be carried out at all.
So, what does all this have to do with me. Well, as I continue to study, and reflect on these previous conversations, I am drawing a common theme. Man is sinful, when placed to his own devices he will almost always sin before choosing the will of God. Then it becomes a matter of the heart. Where is my heart in this matter, or that matter, or better yet what is the central focus of my heart. Do I seek the things of the Lord, or do I seek the desires of my flesh. You see as we continue on in life, it is very simple to live a life that is self serving, especially in today's humanistic society. However that is not what God designed us for. He designed us to have a walking, talking, communing relationship with Him, on this earth, in the present. I fail at allowing this each day, each moment of each day. He has given us the guidelines, but I know I fail to keep them. Often times I find myself thinking that the sacrifice does not have to be specific, because God knows whats on my heart, however He has shown me through the Levitical law, that specifics are just as important as the heart. A heart knowledge is good, but following that heart knowledge with action is what leads to perfection. You see, the sacrifice that Jesus paid on the cross would not have been worth anything if Jesus had not followed Gods will by going to the cross. His heart would have known God's will. He could have desired that all men be saved from the sins of their lives that lead to death. However, without following God's will in the specific action of dying on the cross, there would never have been the sacrifice.
So here is my question to myself, and I hope that you will reflect on it as well, then act on it. In what ways has God given you specific instruction that you have all heart felt desire of following, and yet there are no "feet" to your thoughts? Secondly, Is it good enough to want to be without sin? is that perfection? or is perfection produced through action?
I am sure that many, if not all of you will be lost through these ramblings, however, this post is just as much for me as it is for everyone else that may read it. It is my prayer that each one of us will choose to seek perfection in God, rather then a hum-drum life of adequacy. May my Christian walk be one that is productive, and not relying on Christian Liberty but instead seeking the face of God on a daily, moment by moment basis, that my heart may change, and in turn my actions be those of God.
Until Next Time:
Clear Skies, High Surf, and Sandy Feet!!!
So before I can start talking about the "mystery topic", first I have to tell you about the events that have led to this topic. For the past week I have been struggling with, or should I say, pondering God's divine nature. I have been in several different discussions over the last few days where someone has questioned the nature of God. Whether they are questioning his intentions in regard to Law that was given to the Hebrews, or questioning their freedom through "Christian Liberty". Either way both of these scenarios seem to question the Divine nature of God. Then as if I had not been bombarded enough with these thoughts, I was brought to question my own desires in relation to God. You see it is really easy to see the faults of others, and see how they are quick to stretch their liberty with the excuse of grace, or to question the ethical ramifications of actions based on a changing world climate, but how easy is it to place my own life judgement before the one and only Divine God.
So here it comes...
Tonight as I was doing some reading I decided to begin studying the book of Leviticus. Now many of you would ask "why Leviticus, were you trying to make yourself sleepy?" And yes I am aware of the nature of this book. It is full of minute details regarding sacrifice and levitical law, and at times can be read with the same enthusiasm as the genealogy's that we all love reading. However I was on a mission. After one of these discussions I mentioned earlier I was brought to question God's intention with a specific "rule" that many seem to think is outdated, and unjust. I figured I would search the levitical law and find out for myself the context of this rule and try to offer my friend a biblical grounded response to his question. In turn I was given some food for thought for myself, and still have not found an answer to my friends ethical questions.
So the mystery topic is this:
Just how perfect is perfection in the eyes of God?
Scripture tells us that the world was created in perfection, by the will of God who is perfect. Now as we all know, Genesis tells us that sin entered the world through Adam and Eve, as they went against the plan of God and became aware of Good and Evil. Now with that being said, it was no longer possible for man to have a walking, talking, communing, relationship with God, because sin placed a barrier between God and man. Now, this is where it gets interesting, at least in my mind. The only way that God could have the relationship with man that He desired, was for man to sacrifice unto God. In a way, the man was paying penance for his sin. This allowed him to be temporarily abolished of his sin, until the next sin. What I find interesting is this... Levitical was very clear on the procedures of offering sacrifice. The bull, goat, sheep or bird was to be perfect, without blemish, and then prepared very specifically and intentionally for sacrifice, then placed on the alter for burning in a very specific way, so specific in fact that portions of the animal were to be burned directly while others were to only be near the fire, and smoked. God did not sacrifice a single detail as He gave Moses the law. He expected things to be carried out in His manner, or they would not be carried out at all.
So, what does all this have to do with me. Well, as I continue to study, and reflect on these previous conversations, I am drawing a common theme. Man is sinful, when placed to his own devices he will almost always sin before choosing the will of God. Then it becomes a matter of the heart. Where is my heart in this matter, or that matter, or better yet what is the central focus of my heart. Do I seek the things of the Lord, or do I seek the desires of my flesh. You see as we continue on in life, it is very simple to live a life that is self serving, especially in today's humanistic society. However that is not what God designed us for. He designed us to have a walking, talking, communing relationship with Him, on this earth, in the present. I fail at allowing this each day, each moment of each day. He has given us the guidelines, but I know I fail to keep them. Often times I find myself thinking that the sacrifice does not have to be specific, because God knows whats on my heart, however He has shown me through the Levitical law, that specifics are just as important as the heart. A heart knowledge is good, but following that heart knowledge with action is what leads to perfection. You see, the sacrifice that Jesus paid on the cross would not have been worth anything if Jesus had not followed Gods will by going to the cross. His heart would have known God's will. He could have desired that all men be saved from the sins of their lives that lead to death. However, without following God's will in the specific action of dying on the cross, there would never have been the sacrifice.
So here is my question to myself, and I hope that you will reflect on it as well, then act on it. In what ways has God given you specific instruction that you have all heart felt desire of following, and yet there are no "feet" to your thoughts? Secondly, Is it good enough to want to be without sin? is that perfection? or is perfection produced through action?
I am sure that many, if not all of you will be lost through these ramblings, however, this post is just as much for me as it is for everyone else that may read it. It is my prayer that each one of us will choose to seek perfection in God, rather then a hum-drum life of adequacy. May my Christian walk be one that is productive, and not relying on Christian Liberty but instead seeking the face of God on a daily, moment by moment basis, that my heart may change, and in turn my actions be those of God.
Until Next Time:
Clear Skies, High Surf, and Sandy Feet!!!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Just how fast does a storm move?
Have you ever wanted to do something so bad, that you would risk really looking foolish in order to get a chance at it. Well I had one of those experiences today. Fishing has become a do or die for me. I love getting out on the water, casting a line, and waiting for the bite. Well today was the day to go fishing. I'm off on Mondays and my fishing buddy who is retired, will fish at the word go, so we decided to chance the weather (storms were in the forecast) and go out just as long as we could.
Shortly after getting out on the water, we began to hear thunder in the distance, and were watching a storm move from west to east, just north of us. The storm was beautiful, with all sorts of color. Well of course we kept our eyes on the storm, just hoping it would hold out long enough for us to catch a few fish. However, no sooner did we get anchored out in the middle of the bay, and got our hooks in the water, did we witness something that I have never witnessed before. The air temperature dropped 10 degrees in a matter of a few seconds, and we looked north to where the storm had been, and all of a sudden you could no longer see the storm in the distance, because it was on top of us. Mind you the time that had elapsed was literally just a few minutes. Needless to say we pulled anchor, cranked the motor, and took off across the bay to our dock, in hopes that we would arrive safely before the storm took swallowed us up as bait.
Thankfully, about five minutes later we were tied up at the dock and safe from the storm in the shelter of Fishing Buddy's house. Now as any good optimist would do, we planned to wait out the storm, figuring it would only be around for a short time, being that it moved in so quickly, however, three hours later I am writing this post, having given up on the fishing extravaganza.
To be very honest with you, I am quite bummed at the weather. However, I am really thankful that God saw to it to protect us on the water today, and allowed us to make it home, before the storm settled in.
Until Next Time:
Clear Skies, High Surf and Sandy Feet
Shortly after getting out on the water, we began to hear thunder in the distance, and were watching a storm move from west to east, just north of us. The storm was beautiful, with all sorts of color. Well of course we kept our eyes on the storm, just hoping it would hold out long enough for us to catch a few fish. However, no sooner did we get anchored out in the middle of the bay, and got our hooks in the water, did we witness something that I have never witnessed before. The air temperature dropped 10 degrees in a matter of a few seconds, and we looked north to where the storm had been, and all of a sudden you could no longer see the storm in the distance, because it was on top of us. Mind you the time that had elapsed was literally just a few minutes. Needless to say we pulled anchor, cranked the motor, and took off across the bay to our dock, in hopes that we would arrive safely before the storm took swallowed us up as bait.
Thankfully, about five minutes later we were tied up at the dock and safe from the storm in the shelter of Fishing Buddy's house. Now as any good optimist would do, we planned to wait out the storm, figuring it would only be around for a short time, being that it moved in so quickly, however, three hours later I am writing this post, having given up on the fishing extravaganza.
To be very honest with you, I am quite bummed at the weather. However, I am really thankful that God saw to it to protect us on the water today, and allowed us to make it home, before the storm settled in.
Until Next Time:
Clear Skies, High Surf and Sandy Feet
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Sand and Ice Cream
Friday's are days full of family in most families. Many families use Friday night for pizza and a movie, going out to eat, watching ball games, and the list goes on and on. The Beach Bums are no different. Before moving to the beach, my family would be found most Friday nights sitting in front of the T.V. watching a movie that my kids had found, eating whatever Beauty had prepared, and I would be working. This move has changed a lot of that and as you may have already guessed, yes it involves the beach.
You may remember that I confessed in my first posting, that I really have never cared for the beach all that much, at least the sand. However, I am getting to where the toleration is turning into a time that I really enjoy. My wife on the other hand has gone from enjoying the beach to desiring to be at the beach most if not all of the time. So, being that Friday nights are free most weeks, it's very cheap, and we all love it so much, we have decided to make the beach our Friday night tradition. It kinda works like this... I arrive home by 4, we prepare dinner and eat by 5 and are well on our way to the beach by 5:30. This gives us a couple of hours of playtime before the sun goes down. Of course every week I call Beach Beauty before I leave the office to find out if we have plans, and just about every week she says "no, we don't have any plans, but I figured we could go to the beach". It never fails, and I have to say that I am beginning to look forward to this time with her and the kids more and more. So, let me tell you about tonight's adventure.
Our trip to the beach tonight was like most others, we arrived early in the evening and began playing as soon as our feet hit the sand. I was trying my hand at building a sand castle, the girls were trying their hand at helping me, Surfer Boy and Beach Beauty were playing in the water. It was just a normal trip to the beach. Now Sea Breeze has decided recently that she is not very fond of the beach, she has no real reason, however ever time we arrive she begins to ask when are going home? can we leave now? my feet are tired! Basically a bunch of complaints to make us decide to go home and usually we will stay for less than an hour and then head home. Well this evening was wild. As soon as I arrived home from work today I asked Sea Breeze how she was doing today and she said "not good, I have a cold". This is not uncommon for her to tell us this, and there is not anything wrong with her, she is just saying it because she sneezed once about 4 hours before. With that being said, we kind of ignored her, and went on with our plans.
So on the way home we find out that Sea Breeze has a sore throat, her voice is getting more and more croaky, and she basically just looks pathetic. Whats the remedy for these ailments? Ice Cream! We just had to stop for Ice Cream on the way home, Sea Breeze needed it to feel better, and every body else needed it just because it's Ice Cream. So, we pull up to the drive in and begin asking each of the kids what they would like. Beach Beauty offers them each either an ice cream cone, sundae or milk shake. Without evening missing a beat Puca Shell asks very seriously "what is a sundae?" Now I have to say, I was taken aback by this question, because she was dead serious. I began to question my parenting skills, asking "where have I gone wrong? how could we have not taught her by the age of 7 what a sundae is?" We of course explained the Ice Cream concoction to her in detail and she decided that a hot fudge sundae sounded like the best bet. Now Surfer Boy was not given the choice in this matter, he was given his very first cone, and boy did he love it. As we drove home he ate, and ate, and ate and ate, until eventually the cone was folded over in an L shape, and the ice cream was all over him, his car seat, and the rest of the damages will be assessed in the morning. The girls of course loved their sundaes! So, here you have it, the newest Beach Bum tradition, Sand and Ice Cream!
I hope that each of you have a family tradition that you take part in on a regular basis. Whether you go to the beach, or have meatloaf night every Tuesday, the event doesn't matter, but are you spending a given amount of time each week with your family. As I close I will tell you this. Spending time with your kids and spouse will do more to develop a long lasting strong relationship then anything else will. Some day don't you want your adult children to come to you before walking off into an important decision? Don't you want them to seek your advice and enjoy your counsel? At some point in the future, don't you want your kids to know that they can come to you with anything, and that you will love them, and support them? I think we all want that, and the first step to that is having consistency with them. Give them a time each week to look forward to.Until next time: Clear Skies, High Surf and Sandy Feet!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Rub a little dirt on it
How often do you find yourself looking back at years gone by, and questioning or regretting the decisions you made in the past. If you are anything like me, you probably do this on a fairly frequent basis. The cliche of "hindsight is 20/20 is very true, and many times in our lives we get caught up in looking back, at our mistakes, failures, better times, the good old days, and we fail to look to the future. Today, I want us to take a few minutes and look at the future.
Last night I was watching Dave Ramsey's Internet broadcast called "The Town Hall for Hope" and my hope is that all of you were able to witness this event. If not you missed a wonderful event packed with information and a strong Christian Worldview of the times that we are living in. While listening to the message that Dave was bringing I found myself looking back at the past, as I do often. I began to wonder why it is that I didn't listen to the wisdom of those that were in my past, and why didn't I focus on the future. Obviously I didn't come up with an answer to that question. I have never been able to answer the question of "why" when it comes to matters of the past, the only answer I can come up with is "because... I don't know, I guess I was young and stupid". Be that as it may, Dave brought up a wonderful point last night, and it is my desire to share it with you today. This will be the Beach Bum version of what I got from Dave Ramsey, so please, if you witnessed the program, understand, this is me, not Dave Ramsey speaking.
Why do you we look at the past with regret? There is nothing that we can do that can change the course of the past. Yes, I have made some bad decisions, I have failed, fallen flat on my face, been picked up, and fallen again. That is what we call growing. Think of your children, when they begin to walk, they fall, many times, but they get back up and continue to try to walk. Eventually that child will walk without falling, however there may be a stumble every now and then. Over time the stumbles will become non existent. It is the same with us, as we live our lives. We all will fall at some point, or have fallen. Some of us more then others, because some people learn from their mistakes quicker then others. We may wonder if we will ever get it right, and the answer is, if we are willing to look back on our mistakes, not with regret, but with an attitude prepared to learn from the mistake, then yes at some point we will get it right. You see failure breeds success. Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, and many others were viewed as failures during their life, because they had failed numerous times before learning from their mistakes. Edison created many, many failed light bulbs before creating one that worked successfully. Abraham Lincoln had failed law practices before becoming one of the greatest if not the greatest president in United States history.
So the question I have for you today, and I am asking myself also. What are you going to do with your failures? Are you going to continue looking back at them and regret all of your past decisions, or are you going to move forward determined not to make the same mistake twice? This applies to every aspect of your life. Finances, relationships, work, child raising, and how abut this, our relationship with God. You see in Romans 3:23 we are told "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". That means just what it says, yes we have all sinned, but what are you going to do with that sin. Are you going to lay around in that sin and continue to find yourself falling short of the mark of God, or are you going to learn from that sin, and repent from your sinful ways, and strive to meet the mark of God. I pray that we all choose to learn from our failures, dust ourselves off and move forward.
As I close I would like to share a little story with you, from my childhood. My Dad taught me how to play baseball. We could often times be found in the backyard playing catch or swinging a bat. Now any of you who have played baseball or softball know that at some point you are going to be hit by the ball, and lets be honest, the ball hurts. Now Daddy would tell me get in front of the ball, however I was scared, cause I knew that if the ball hit me, it was gonna hurt. Well low and behold I got hit by the ball, and being a young kid, I cried. Now Dad would look at me, and ask me some simple questions, "are you bleeding?, is it broke?" those sorts of questions, and then when I had calmed down enough to be rational he would embark his wisdom on me by saying "rub a little dirt on it and go on". Now this may not be the most hygienic remedy to our problems, however there is a lot of truth to his statement. When you fall down, get hit, make a mistake, whatever the case may be, don't let it stop you, instead rub the spot long enough that you will remember it is there, mark the spot with a little bit of dirt, then get up and keep going.
I hope you have found this post to be helpful. It is my desire to share what I am going through with you in hopes that you will grow in your walk with the Lord each day. Continue to look for opportunities to share your faith with others, and find your way this weekend to a local Church where you can fellowship and worship with other believers.
Until next time,
Clear Skies, High Surf, and Sandy Feet!!!
Last night I was watching Dave Ramsey's Internet broadcast called "The Town Hall for Hope" and my hope is that all of you were able to witness this event. If not you missed a wonderful event packed with information and a strong Christian Worldview of the times that we are living in. While listening to the message that Dave was bringing I found myself looking back at the past, as I do often. I began to wonder why it is that I didn't listen to the wisdom of those that were in my past, and why didn't I focus on the future. Obviously I didn't come up with an answer to that question. I have never been able to answer the question of "why" when it comes to matters of the past, the only answer I can come up with is "because... I don't know, I guess I was young and stupid". Be that as it may, Dave brought up a wonderful point last night, and it is my desire to share it with you today. This will be the Beach Bum version of what I got from Dave Ramsey, so please, if you witnessed the program, understand, this is me, not Dave Ramsey speaking.
Why do you we look at the past with regret? There is nothing that we can do that can change the course of the past. Yes, I have made some bad decisions, I have failed, fallen flat on my face, been picked up, and fallen again. That is what we call growing. Think of your children, when they begin to walk, they fall, many times, but they get back up and continue to try to walk. Eventually that child will walk without falling, however there may be a stumble every now and then. Over time the stumbles will become non existent. It is the same with us, as we live our lives. We all will fall at some point, or have fallen. Some of us more then others, because some people learn from their mistakes quicker then others. We may wonder if we will ever get it right, and the answer is, if we are willing to look back on our mistakes, not with regret, but with an attitude prepared to learn from the mistake, then yes at some point we will get it right. You see failure breeds success. Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, and many others were viewed as failures during their life, because they had failed numerous times before learning from their mistakes. Edison created many, many failed light bulbs before creating one that worked successfully. Abraham Lincoln had failed law practices before becoming one of the greatest if not the greatest president in United States history.
So the question I have for you today, and I am asking myself also. What are you going to do with your failures? Are you going to continue looking back at them and regret all of your past decisions, or are you going to move forward determined not to make the same mistake twice? This applies to every aspect of your life. Finances, relationships, work, child raising, and how abut this, our relationship with God. You see in Romans 3:23 we are told "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". That means just what it says, yes we have all sinned, but what are you going to do with that sin. Are you going to lay around in that sin and continue to find yourself falling short of the mark of God, or are you going to learn from that sin, and repent from your sinful ways, and strive to meet the mark of God. I pray that we all choose to learn from our failures, dust ourselves off and move forward.
As I close I would like to share a little story with you, from my childhood. My Dad taught me how to play baseball. We could often times be found in the backyard playing catch or swinging a bat. Now any of you who have played baseball or softball know that at some point you are going to be hit by the ball, and lets be honest, the ball hurts. Now Daddy would tell me get in front of the ball, however I was scared, cause I knew that if the ball hit me, it was gonna hurt. Well low and behold I got hit by the ball, and being a young kid, I cried. Now Dad would look at me, and ask me some simple questions, "are you bleeding?, is it broke?" those sorts of questions, and then when I had calmed down enough to be rational he would embark his wisdom on me by saying "rub a little dirt on it and go on". Now this may not be the most hygienic remedy to our problems, however there is a lot of truth to his statement. When you fall down, get hit, make a mistake, whatever the case may be, don't let it stop you, instead rub the spot long enough that you will remember it is there, mark the spot with a little bit of dirt, then get up and keep going.
I hope you have found this post to be helpful. It is my desire to share what I am going through with you in hopes that you will grow in your walk with the Lord each day. Continue to look for opportunities to share your faith with others, and find your way this weekend to a local Church where you can fellowship and worship with other believers.
Until next time,
Clear Skies, High Surf, and Sandy Feet!!!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Gulf Coast Fishing 101
Today I ventured out on my first Gulf Coast fishing expedition since our move. I'm not what you would call a real "angler", however I do enjoy casting a line and waiting to pull in an empty hook on occasion. What I really look forward to on my fishing adventures is the nature that I get to see, and the time I get with the people I go fishing with.
Today was just like any other fishing expedition, I loaded up my rods, all tangled up and dirty from my last trip, grabbed my tackle box which had not been opened in over a year, and head out to meet some new friends at the pier where I was to meet them. Shortly after my arrival at the pier, I was met by two friends and their boat, and we headed out to with all intentions of catching a large mess of white trout. Of course they were optimistic as to the bounty we would receive today. I on the other hand was less then optimistic, knowing that I have never brought home a "mess" of fish, I'm lucky to bring home even one fish.
Anyway... The expedition was showing no signs of being a plentiful trip, when all of a sudden I felt a tug on my line. Being that I'm not used to actually catching fish, I get a little excited when the line tugs. My hands begin to sweat a little, my heart begins to race, a huge smiles comes on my face, and before you know it, I'm reeling in my line just as fast as I can. All of sudden I don't feel the tug anymore. Well I have been here more times then not, and figure I have lost the fish. However, this was different, the line was still tight, and it seemed as if I was pulling in something, but what. There was obviously not a fish on my line, it didn't move, tug, slither, shake, or fight, there was just dead weight on my line. So I did what any good fisherman would do, and continued to reel in the infamous boot. However, when the end of the line became visible under the water I saw that there was something on the line, not a boot, not a toilet seat, not seaweed, or driftwood, any of those things would not have surprised me in the least bit. Instead what I found holding on to my little piece of bait with all its might was a blue crab. A CRAB!!!
With all that said, the crab was the only thing that came home with me today. We fished for another hour or so, and didn't catch a thing. So it really turned out to be a typical fishing trip for this beach bum. However the rest of the day still had some great surprises in store.
I just had to show the kids my catch of the day. They were all very excited to see the crab, Sea Breeze was scared of course, Pu Ca Shell was asking all sorts of questions like "Dad, how was the crab going to eat the bait you had on your hook, it doesn't even have a mouth?" and Surfer Boy just had to get his hands on it, and play with it, like I had brought him a new toy home. Of course I didn't let him play with the crab, but I did find it humorous that he was not scared of it, even in the least little bit.
Well after dinner, baths, and bed time it was time for my trip to the store. I tend to go out in the evenings and do the grocery shopping for the family, I may not go out every night, but most nights you can find me at the local Wal-Mart. After completing my shopping, and loading the groceries in my car, I went to drive off, when a man stopped me. He explained that He was in need of gas to get to his home a few miles away, and was wondering if I could help him pay for some gas. Until recently I would have come up with some excuse as to why I couldn't help the man, however God has really been working on me with this sort of thing, so I changed course, just slightly and went with the man to the pumps across the parking lot. While pumping the gas in the mans truck, we struck up a conversation, and I learned a lot about his situation. The economy is hurting this man, just like so many others. He is out of work, broke, and searching for the light at the end of the tunnel with no luck. We continued to speak, and I asked him if I could pray with him and his companion before they drove off into the night. He quickly agreed, and allowed me to pray a short prayer with them. After this, we parted ways, and I prayed as I drove off that this would not be the last time I would get to speak with this man. You see, we all need to find hope. Many people are looking for hope in their finances, properties, and jobs. Others are finding their hope in a bottle, pipe, needle, or companion. However, we will never truly find hope in any of these things. The only hope we have is in Jesus Christ and the debt he paid for our sin. God in all His mercy paid the price for me and for you by sacrificing His only son in order that when all that we know in this world is gone, we will have an eternity with Him in heaven.
Jesus told his disciples to "follow me and I will make you fishers of men". That thought has really rang true with me today. Here I had a fairly unsuccessful fishing expedition on the waters of the gulf coast, and yet, I still was able to bait the hook one last time and minister to a man. How cool is that! I want shout from the rooftops, across the sea, and off the highest mountain "Our God Reigns, He is in Control, and the only way to find Hope is to set all of your Hope and Trust in the one who makes regular fishermen into fishers of men!"
Until next time: Clear Skies, High Surf and Sandy Feet!!
Today was just like any other fishing expedition, I loaded up my rods, all tangled up and dirty from my last trip, grabbed my tackle box which had not been opened in over a year, and head out to meet some new friends at the pier where I was to meet them. Shortly after my arrival at the pier, I was met by two friends and their boat, and we headed out to with all intentions of catching a large mess of white trout. Of course they were optimistic as to the bounty we would receive today. I on the other hand was less then optimistic, knowing that I have never brought home a "mess" of fish, I'm lucky to bring home even one fish.
Anyway... The expedition was showing no signs of being a plentiful trip, when all of a sudden I felt a tug on my line. Being that I'm not used to actually catching fish, I get a little excited when the line tugs. My hands begin to sweat a little, my heart begins to race, a huge smiles comes on my face, and before you know it, I'm reeling in my line just as fast as I can. All of sudden I don't feel the tug anymore. Well I have been here more times then not, and figure I have lost the fish. However, this was different, the line was still tight, and it seemed as if I was pulling in something, but what. There was obviously not a fish on my line, it didn't move, tug, slither, shake, or fight, there was just dead weight on my line. So I did what any good fisherman would do, and continued to reel in the infamous boot. However, when the end of the line became visible under the water I saw that there was something on the line, not a boot, not a toilet seat, not seaweed, or driftwood, any of those things would not have surprised me in the least bit. Instead what I found holding on to my little piece of bait with all its might was a blue crab. A CRAB!!!
With all that said, the crab was the only thing that came home with me today. We fished for another hour or so, and didn't catch a thing. So it really turned out to be a typical fishing trip for this beach bum. However the rest of the day still had some great surprises in store.
I just had to show the kids my catch of the day. They were all very excited to see the crab, Sea Breeze was scared of course, Pu Ca Shell was asking all sorts of questions like "Dad, how was the crab going to eat the bait you had on your hook, it doesn't even have a mouth?" and Surfer Boy just had to get his hands on it, and play with it, like I had brought him a new toy home. Of course I didn't let him play with the crab, but I did find it humorous that he was not scared of it, even in the least little bit.
Well after dinner, baths, and bed time it was time for my trip to the store. I tend to go out in the evenings and do the grocery shopping for the family, I may not go out every night, but most nights you can find me at the local Wal-Mart. After completing my shopping, and loading the groceries in my car, I went to drive off, when a man stopped me. He explained that He was in need of gas to get to his home a few miles away, and was wondering if I could help him pay for some gas. Until recently I would have come up with some excuse as to why I couldn't help the man, however God has really been working on me with this sort of thing, so I changed course, just slightly and went with the man to the pumps across the parking lot. While pumping the gas in the mans truck, we struck up a conversation, and I learned a lot about his situation. The economy is hurting this man, just like so many others. He is out of work, broke, and searching for the light at the end of the tunnel with no luck. We continued to speak, and I asked him if I could pray with him and his companion before they drove off into the night. He quickly agreed, and allowed me to pray a short prayer with them. After this, we parted ways, and I prayed as I drove off that this would not be the last time I would get to speak with this man. You see, we all need to find hope. Many people are looking for hope in their finances, properties, and jobs. Others are finding their hope in a bottle, pipe, needle, or companion. However, we will never truly find hope in any of these things. The only hope we have is in Jesus Christ and the debt he paid for our sin. God in all His mercy paid the price for me and for you by sacrificing His only son in order that when all that we know in this world is gone, we will have an eternity with Him in heaven.
Jesus told his disciples to "follow me and I will make you fishers of men". That thought has really rang true with me today. Here I had a fairly unsuccessful fishing expedition on the waters of the gulf coast, and yet, I still was able to bait the hook one last time and minister to a man. How cool is that! I want shout from the rooftops, across the sea, and off the highest mountain "Our God Reigns, He is in Control, and the only way to find Hope is to set all of your Hope and Trust in the one who makes regular fishermen into fishers of men!"
Until next time: Clear Skies, High Surf and Sandy Feet!!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Setting the Course
Now that we have set sail, it is time to set the course. Any of you that are reading this, and have experience with sailing and such, please feel free to correct me on my use of nautical language, being that I have absolutely no experience with this kind of thing. Be that as it may, it is time to set the course. Oddly enough the message brought by our pastor this morning was on this very subject.
Where are you headed? I am asking myself the same question. Am I heading in the direction of personal satisfaction through material things, wealth, prestige, pride, and glory, or am I headed toward finding my satisfaction in Jesus Christ and the future that I have in Him. Anything short of the latter is hypocrisy. Are the works that I perform works founded in the love of Christ, or are they works that I hope will benefit me? I must constantly ask myself these questions in order to stay on the course that has been set.
Today I pray that we will all be mindful of the course. As we look out onto the horizon, and the sun begins to set, we see a lighthouse. The lighthouse is the goal, Jesus Christ reflecting from our lives, as we work our way through our travels on this earth. Set the course for the lighthouse, do not let the boat drift off course, and find our boat smashing into the rocks of hypocrisy. Instead we find the channel, and ultimately finish the journey in the safe harbor of Jesus.
Is there a more wonderful and productive way to worship our Lord then to live a life that is on course? Allow God to have full control of the boat, be obedient in the commands that He gives, and find the greatest joy that anyone can have by finishing the journey in the hands of God.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Setting Sail!
So here goes nothing!! It's time to set sail on the latest adventure of the Beach Bum Family. Three months ago we moved to the beach, the one place that I really could live without. You see, I have a real problem with sand, it is not a little problem either. I really hate the stuff, it gets everywhere, is a pain to clean up, irritates every part of skin it touches, and did I mention it gets everywhere! However, recently I have began to find that the beach is a wonderful place. The sound of the waves, the laughter of children, the beauty of a coast lined sunset, crabs scurrying across the sand, all of these are a wonderful part of God's beautiful creation. How could I have allowed a little sand to get in the way of me seeing God's gift to us.
For those of you reading this that don't know me, I will share a little about myself and my family, in order that you may understand my family a little more.
Nine years ago I was given the gift of a wonderful wife. Jennifer, who I will be referring to as (beach beauty) and I have had great times together, and like most couples, some not so great times.
The one thing about us, is that over the years God has always taken care of us. Seven years ago He blessed us with our first daughter who we will call (Pu ca Shell). 
Just over a year later He gave us our second daughter (Sea Breeze).
We thought after that, that we would be done having kids for a while, and waited several years. Then, while I was finishing up my bachelors degree in Church Music, here came our son (Surfer Boy)
.
Shortly after Surfer Boy was born, I graduated from college and took my first full time music ministry position in Montgomery Alabama. We stayed there for a year, a year that I am very thankful for, and very glad to be done with. Over that year, I found out a lot about myself, and my relationship with Jesus Christ, and I learned a lot about worshipping God. We were given the opportunity to take a position in the panhandle of Florida after being in Alabama for one year. God truly opened up the door for this experience, and we jumped in with all ten feet.
Since we moved we have really began to grow as a family, and in our individual relationships with God. My hope is to share with you the things that are going on with our family, as they relate to our ministry. I also would like to share with you the new things that God shares with me through my bible study, prayer, and worship experiences. I have found that I am really able to be alone with God on the beach, as I study, pray, and meditate. God is really using the beach to create a beach bum out of man who hates sand.
I hope you will find my blog useful, educational, and entertaining! Please continue to come back and check as I will try to post several times a week.
Until then,
Clear skies, High surf, and Sandy feet!
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