1. I am leaving my job that has sustained my family for the last 5 years. I believe that God got me the job, and I also believe that God is moving me out of it. Be praying for us during the transition! Praise God with us for allowing us to celebrate His Sabbath each week with consistency! We have prayed for this for a long time.
2. I am starting college again, at Ivy Tech, pursuing an associates degree in Computer Numerical Control programming. If you haven't heard of that, it is usually called CNC, and typically involves metal lathes, and milling machines, but can include all sorts of different manufacturing machinery. I am only two semesters away from that coveted piece of paper.
3 Our paster has asked me to be be more involved in the worship music at our church, which was not possible with my old job, at least with any consistency. This is an answered prayer, because it allows me to lead worship with the help of my kids, thus proving that God is awesome, and truly cares about the desires of our hearts.
4. We will be starting up the "Teen Bible Study" again, most likely on Sunday nights. This too was impossible to do with any consistency while at my old job, and I am really excited about doing it again. It will be more of a young person's bible study than a teen study though, as I have had a lot of twenty-somethings ask me to get one going again.
2. I am starting college again, at Ivy Tech, pursuing an associates degree in Computer Numerical Control programming. If you haven't heard of that, it is usually called CNC, and typically involves metal lathes, and milling machines, but can include all sorts of different manufacturing machinery. I am only two semesters away from that coveted piece of paper.
3 Our paster has asked me to be be more involved in the worship music at our church, which was not possible with my old job, at least with any consistency. This is an answered prayer, because it allows me to lead worship with the help of my kids, thus proving that God is awesome, and truly cares about the desires of our hearts.
4. We will be starting up the "Teen Bible Study" again, most likely on Sunday nights. This too was impossible to do with any consistency while at my old job, and I am really excited about doing it again. It will be more of a young person's bible study than a teen study though, as I have had a lot of twenty-somethings ask me to get one going again.
Having said all of that, lets talk about July 4th 2007.
This July 4th was the best that I have ever had in my entire life. Tonight, my family went to the Symphony on the Prairie by Indianapolis. The concert was excellent. The feeling of patriotism that was displayed by everyone involved, from the military all the way down to the people who directed traffic was beyond measure; awe inspiring.
If you know me, you know that I do not say things like this lightly. I love this country. I believe that our God, the loving creator of heaven and earth, gave us this land. Because of that, I believe that this land is worth dying for, and worth loving. The people at Conner's Prairie did an outstanding job of celebrating our Independence.
There was a part of the ceremony where each branch of service was asked to stand up while the crown applauded. When Army was called, I stood up, along with about 200 other guys, most of which were WWII veterans by the looks of them, and I must say, that I felt proud. I felt proud to be able to be a part of such an elite group of men and women. I started to get a lump in my throat when I looked at my wife and kids looking back at me, smiling. I want them to know how important this is to me, and I think that tonight they did.
As I was standing there soaking it all in, a man dressed in Revolutionary war garb ran over to me, gave a hearty saluted, and said, "Thank you sir! Thank you."
It was an honor.
Later, my boys and I got to talk to a man who was a soldier form the French and Indian war era. As we spoke, I told him that I was a veteran. The first words from his mouth were, "Thank you. Thank you for what you did."
Again, the honor is mine. I am not used to hearing people talk like this. If you just listen to the news media, you might get the impression that everyone hates America, nobody supports the war, and our heritage is something to be ashamed of. Tonight, Hoosiers proved otherwise.
It is hard to explain how good it makes me feel when I am surrounded by patriotic people, and today, I had the privilege of being surrounded by them.
This morning I got to be a part of the raising of a new flag pole at our little town's fire station. The call went over the radio for volunteers to help raise the flag for the first time in front of the new station. Six people showed up. Each one of us showed up for one reason - we love our country, and feel that these things are of the utmost importance; possibly more so than ever.
I pray that the heart of this country would be turned toward God again; that people would recognize that these rights that we possess - that we take for granted are ours by the grace of God. Try to seperate church and state if you must, but these rights were recognized by the founders of our country to be granted to us by God alone. They said that it was "self evident". The desire is placed within us all to be free.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Self evident indeed.
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
-Abraham Lincoln
May God bless America.
It's good to b e back... stay tuned!
This July 4th was the best that I have ever had in my entire life. Tonight, my family went to the Symphony on the Prairie by Indianapolis. The concert was excellent. The feeling of patriotism that was displayed by everyone involved, from the military all the way down to the people who directed traffic was beyond measure; awe inspiring.
If you know me, you know that I do not say things like this lightly. I love this country. I believe that our God, the loving creator of heaven and earth, gave us this land. Because of that, I believe that this land is worth dying for, and worth loving. The people at Conner's Prairie did an outstanding job of celebrating our Independence.
There was a part of the ceremony where each branch of service was asked to stand up while the crown applauded. When Army was called, I stood up, along with about 200 other guys, most of which were WWII veterans by the looks of them, and I must say, that I felt proud. I felt proud to be able to be a part of such an elite group of men and women. I started to get a lump in my throat when I looked at my wife and kids looking back at me, smiling. I want them to know how important this is to me, and I think that tonight they did.
As I was standing there soaking it all in, a man dressed in Revolutionary war garb ran over to me, gave a hearty saluted, and said, "Thank you sir! Thank you."
It was an honor.
Later, my boys and I got to talk to a man who was a soldier form the French and Indian war era. As we spoke, I told him that I was a veteran. The first words from his mouth were, "Thank you. Thank you for what you did."
Again, the honor is mine. I am not used to hearing people talk like this. If you just listen to the news media, you might get the impression that everyone hates America, nobody supports the war, and our heritage is something to be ashamed of. Tonight, Hoosiers proved otherwise.
It is hard to explain how good it makes me feel when I am surrounded by patriotic people, and today, I had the privilege of being surrounded by them.
This morning I got to be a part of the raising of a new flag pole at our little town's fire station. The call went over the radio for volunteers to help raise the flag for the first time in front of the new station. Six people showed up. Each one of us showed up for one reason - we love our country, and feel that these things are of the utmost importance; possibly more so than ever.
I pray that the heart of this country would be turned toward God again; that people would recognize that these rights that we possess - that we take for granted are ours by the grace of God. Try to seperate church and state if you must, but these rights were recognized by the founders of our country to be granted to us by God alone. They said that it was "self evident". The desire is placed within us all to be free.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Self evident indeed.
It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
-Abraham Lincoln
May God bless America.
It's good to b e back... stay tuned!
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