First we are no longer basement dwellers in Jamestown but have purchased a new home in the Holland Heights area. We learned a lot through our our transition period about ourselves, each-other, and some of our dreams for the future! We also discovered how much excess stuff we have as we unboxed all of the stuff we didn't have in the basement of Nichole's parents house. Most importantly I am reminded how God is faithful in all areas of our life and that our timeline is not His timeline!
Next up the kids! Wow are they growing up so fast. Many people will tell you that time flys by when you have kids but you don't fully grasp that concept until you have your own! Peyton is in her second year of Preschool and she loves it! Nichole and I could not be more proud of her as we get emails from her teacher telling us how much fun it has been to have her in class! She has such a personality and likes to help all her friends in her class and really just enjoys learning new things. As proud as I am of her for how she's doing in school I am even more proud to see her start her faith journey. I am amazed at night at her prayers as she prays for her family, friends, teachers, our church, for anyone that is sick to get healthy, and as she gives thanks to God for all that we have. Its not just a repeat of what Nichole and I might have prayed but her own thoughts and prayers. Even though Nichole and I are trying to lead by example here at home we need to give a huge thanks to Peyton's school teachers, Sunday School teachers, and Children's ministries at church for impacting her in such a positive way! You will all hold a special place in our hearts and we are looking forward to seeing God's plans for her as they unfold each day and each year. We also had our first trip to Disney and Peyton loved it!
There is another little guy (who is not so little) running this house these days as well! Mr. Owen John or Bubba as we like to call him isn't slowing down either. Owen is a year and a half now but looks and acts twice that age! He just had his well child checkup and even after being sick for nearly two weeks over Christmas and New Years he's an inch shy of 3 feet tall and 36 pounds! We always said we grow them big but he is a tank! Our little guy has such an infectious personality though and loves to just play and be a boy! Some of his favorite things to do are tackle/wrestle with his sister, play with Choo-Choo's, play hide-n-seek, and EAT A LOT! It comes as no surprise that he is most happy after he has a full tummy! It seems lately though that his learning capacity is doubling every day. He talks all the time and loves to make animal sounds! His favorite being a Lion or Elephant. Speaking of Lion's I liked The Lion King growing up but that boy has an obsession with it and I think we have all watched that movie about 200 times! It has gotten to the point where Peyton refuses to watch it any more LOL! I am not sure 1.5 year old should have his favorite parts in a movie but he most certainly does! As you can see our house is quite busy these days!
Even as I write these words I can't help but to smile and just thank God for the blessings he has given us! Thats not to say its all been easy or that there hasn't been ups and downs because there has but every time I come home from work no matter what type of day I had I am always greeted at the door with the loud screams of DADDY and everything else just fades away. Now most of the credit has to go to Nichole because she is an amazing wife and Mommy and the glue that keeps this place together! She works hard all day with the kids and then still manages to pull off a few hard shifts at work at night! I don't know what God has planned for us going forward but I do know that whatever it is we will walk that path as a family hand-in-hand wherever He may lead us. I am so thankful for each day I am given for with Him leading I can do all things but without Him I am useless.
I do have to admit in the busyness of the past 8 months I regret to say my own personal faith walk has been a bit like a roller coaster. Though my trust is always in the Lord my dedication is sometimes weak. I feel as though I get caught in the ruts of life and busyness and fail to give God the time He deserves. I should be giving God the first fruits when in reality its usually my last. I recently started a new devotion and today was a good reminder for me as I read Psalm 49. It reminded me a little of the Lion King and Mufasa's quote to Simba to remember who he is as he looks up at the sky. I am reminded that though I have been blessed with many things here on this earth they will all come to pass and I need to remember who I am and why I am here in the first place. I am reminded that I shouldn't pursue the things of this world but rather that of our Fathers Kingdom in Heaven. I need to fight to suppress the messages of this world and my selfish desires. I need God's help to lead my family in a way that is honoring to him and that we may teach our kids there is more to this life then what you see. That there is a much greater purpose and that the God who made all things loves them for who they are. Lastly that we can be a light in the darkness or a city on a hill that cannot be hidden.
Psalm 49 NLT
1Listen to this, all you people!
Pay attention, everyone in the
world!
2High and low,
rich and poor—listen!
3For my words are wise,
and my thoughts are filled with
insight.
4I listen carefully to many proverbs
and solve riddles with
inspiration from a harp.
5Why should I fear when trouble comes,
when enemies surround me?
6They trust in their wealth
and boast of great riches.
7Yet they cannot redeem themselves from death
by paying a ransom to God.
8Redemption does not come so easily,
for no one can ever pay enough
9to live forever
and never see the grave.
10Those who are wise must finally die,
just like the foolish and
senseless,
leaving all their wealth
behind.
11The grave is their eternal home,
where they will stay forever.
They may name their estates
after themselves,
12but their fame will not last.
They will die, just like
animals.
13This is the fate of fools,
though they are remembered as
being wise.
14Like sheep, they are led to the grave,
where death will be their
shepherd.
In the morning the godly will
rule over them.
Their bodies will rot in the
grave,
far from their grand estates.
15But as for me, God will redeem my life.
He will snatch me from the
power of the grave.
16So don’t be dismayed when the wicked grow rich
and their homes become ever
more splendid.
17For when they die, they take nothing with
them.
Their wealth will not follow
them into the grave.
18In this life they consider themselves
fortunate
and are applauded for their
success.
19But they will die like all before them
and never again see the light
of day.
20People who boast of their wealth don’t
understand;
they will die, just like
animals.
I will stop here for
today.... But I hope to make this a more regular occurrence so check back
soon!
