I guess it comes naturally...boy are we going to have our hands full later.
Sunday, 29 July 2007
The Kiddo's Family News
Things here in the Kiddo's household have been pretty normal. I did get accepted to Lee University and will be starting on-line classes at the end of August. Caden is continuing to grow more and more. He is walking all over the place. He can walk around the house without assistance and only falls about 10% of the time. When we go out we allow him to walk as much as possible. He really likes to go to Home Depot with me (we're starting him young; Uncle John would be proud)!!!! The past couple weeks have been filled with birthday parties, trips to Grammy's, visits from Mimi and Popop, and his first ever visit to Dubois Park in Jupiter. We are so blessed to have such a beautiful and wonderful son. Caden is a constant reminder to us that there is a God who designed us for His great joy.
Thursday, 26 July 2007
Don't be Suprised that Black is Black
The other day I overheard a conversation about how all three major sports are dealing with some “morality issues." They were talking about how football is dealing with Michael Vick and the dog fighting issue, that baseball is dealing with Barry Bonds and the steroid issue, and basketball where there is a referee who is accused of gambling on games that he referred.
As I thought about what they were saying I just couldn’t help but think, “what else do you expect?” I mean to me it is like saying, “did you hear that the color black is black?” Um-well duh, of course it is. I guess what I am trying to say is why is it that we get so excited when sinful people do sinful people things? Just take a look at history: Watergate, Enron, Bill Clinton, Kobe Bryant, OJ Simpson, Hitler, and Sadam Hussein just to name a few. I just have yet to understand why it is such a “shock” that these people are doing the things that they are doing. What is the point to get all up in arms when a sinful person does a sinful act? The funniest part about it is when we (I) as Christians get all upset and then begin to judge them for their acts. Who the heck are we to judge or look down on them for their behavior? When I hear Christians (and I am guilty myself) do this I think of the story that Jesus told about the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee goes in and thanks God that he is not like the tax collector. The tax collector on the other hand can’t even make it down to the front but falls on his face, beats his chest, and ask God to be merciful on him.
We are all born sinful. We all continue to do sinful things, even when we are “saved.” Jesus loves, died, and has forgiven Sadam Hussein the same way He has done all three of those things for me. I think that when we (I) judge someone like this we are putting ourselves in the shoes of the Pharisee and totally forgetting about where we came from. It is only by God’s grace (oh how I wish we could grasp that) that He chose to draw me to Himself, it is nothing that I did. I remember a couple months ago I was in a conversation about Barry Bonds and the guy I was talking to said that he thought Barry was an “A--Hole” I immediately thought to myself, “well so are you sometimes, and if we want to be real, so am I.” If we all can be “A-- holes” every once in a while how does that make us better than Barry Bonds? I mean if I lust after a woman how does that make me better or my act less sinful than what Bill Clinton did? (Matt. 5:27-28) Here again black is black, there is no way around it.
I just got done reading Blue Like Jazz (which I think is a good read) several weeks ago and in that book Donald Miller talks about how he and some friends set up a “confession booth” on a college campus. When he expressed the idea to friends they thought it was dumb, “were not Catholics, and why do these kids want to confess.” Donald Miller went on to explain that it wasn’t that type of confession but it was the exact opposite. It would be their confession to their peers about how they have sinned, about how they have been judgmental. The minute I read that I thought, “Isn’t that the truth.” We (I) as Christians need to confess to the people around us for living in this “social elite” club that we have made. Just because our “sin” isn’t brought out into the public doesn’t mean it hurts God’s heart any less. So what should we (I) do? I think it is time to be real with people, to love people right where they are. If you think about how Jesus talked with people he never beat around the bush but was quick to truly get to the point. He never was hesitant to be intimate with someone and get to his or her core issues. He saw through their behavior into their heart to see what they Truly needed. We need to be more like Jesus (wow, that might be a good idea). We need to let each other, including the lost, know that even though we are “saved” it doesn’t mean we are this super human but that we are just like everyone else. We struggle with the same things everyone else does, and just like everyone else, we fail…we aren’t perfect so we should stop acting (thinking) like we are. We (I) need to humble ourselves (myself) confess our (my) sin and well, just read James 5:16 or 2 Chronicles 7:14.
As I thought about what they were saying I just couldn’t help but think, “what else do you expect?” I mean to me it is like saying, “did you hear that the color black is black?” Um-well duh, of course it is. I guess what I am trying to say is why is it that we get so excited when sinful people do sinful people things? Just take a look at history: Watergate, Enron, Bill Clinton, Kobe Bryant, OJ Simpson, Hitler, and Sadam Hussein just to name a few. I just have yet to understand why it is such a “shock” that these people are doing the things that they are doing. What is the point to get all up in arms when a sinful person does a sinful act? The funniest part about it is when we (I) as Christians get all upset and then begin to judge them for their acts. Who the heck are we to judge or look down on them for their behavior? When I hear Christians (and I am guilty myself) do this I think of the story that Jesus told about the Pharisee and the tax collector. The Pharisee goes in and thanks God that he is not like the tax collector. The tax collector on the other hand can’t even make it down to the front but falls on his face, beats his chest, and ask God to be merciful on him.
We are all born sinful. We all continue to do sinful things, even when we are “saved.” Jesus loves, died, and has forgiven Sadam Hussein the same way He has done all three of those things for me. I think that when we (I) judge someone like this we are putting ourselves in the shoes of the Pharisee and totally forgetting about where we came from. It is only by God’s grace (oh how I wish we could grasp that) that He chose to draw me to Himself, it is nothing that I did. I remember a couple months ago I was in a conversation about Barry Bonds and the guy I was talking to said that he thought Barry was an “A--Hole” I immediately thought to myself, “well so are you sometimes, and if we want to be real, so am I.” If we all can be “A-- holes” every once in a while how does that make us better than Barry Bonds? I mean if I lust after a woman how does that make me better or my act less sinful than what Bill Clinton did? (Matt. 5:27-28) Here again black is black, there is no way around it.
I just got done reading Blue Like Jazz (which I think is a good read) several weeks ago and in that book Donald Miller talks about how he and some friends set up a “confession booth” on a college campus. When he expressed the idea to friends they thought it was dumb, “were not Catholics, and why do these kids want to confess.” Donald Miller went on to explain that it wasn’t that type of confession but it was the exact opposite. It would be their confession to their peers about how they have sinned, about how they have been judgmental. The minute I read that I thought, “Isn’t that the truth.” We (I) as Christians need to confess to the people around us for living in this “social elite” club that we have made. Just because our “sin” isn’t brought out into the public doesn’t mean it hurts God’s heart any less. So what should we (I) do? I think it is time to be real with people, to love people right where they are. If you think about how Jesus talked with people he never beat around the bush but was quick to truly get to the point. He never was hesitant to be intimate with someone and get to his or her core issues. He saw through their behavior into their heart to see what they Truly needed. We need to be more like Jesus (wow, that might be a good idea). We need to let each other, including the lost, know that even though we are “saved” it doesn’t mean we are this super human but that we are just like everyone else. We struggle with the same things everyone else does, and just like everyone else, we fail…we aren’t perfect so we should stop acting (thinking) like we are. We (I) need to humble ourselves (myself) confess our (my) sin and well, just read James 5:16 or 2 Chronicles 7:14.
Monday, 23 July 2007
Take 2 and Call Me in the Morning
The other day Christa took Caden to the water park with two of her friends. That night I noticed that she had severe sunburn on her shoulders and upper back. She didn’t think much about it until we came home from dinner with my parents and mentioned it to my mom. I love my mom, she is great, but some how she has this knack for knowing these “fix all remedies” I kind of think it’s a mother thing. Well, my mom’s suggestion was to put Colgate toothpaste on Christa’s sunburn and I think that was to make it better (honestly I didn’t hear the rest because I began to think about God and life).
The more I thought about these “fix all remedies” the more I began to wonder about God, life, and existence (which is something I think about a lot). Why can’t real life be like these “fix all remedies”? Why can’t we just take 2 pills and call the doctor in the morning to tell him that we are fine? Why is it so complicated? I mean growing up so many people made God, life, and existence seem so simple. I even believed that it was so simple that I began to doubt my own beliefs because I wasn’t “getting it.” But what if you never get it? What is “getting it” anyways? As I grew up it seemed that the more people I tried to talk to about God and life the more confused I became. It was as if they had a “5 step program” that if I followed it I would “get it.” I had (and still have) all these questions and people just wanted to put a simple answer on it. The older I got the more I realized that some things in life just don’t have answers. I learned that God is bigger than anyone thinks He is and that He is more involved then we want Him to be. I learned that tradition is a tool that the devil uses to miss lead people from knowing The Truth. I learned that life sucks, its hard, and bad things happen to people who don’t deserve them. I learned that innocent kids grow up in homes and situations that will scar them for the rest of their lives and yet they had no say in the matter. I learned that there are some easy answers but for the majority of life there are none or they are just really hard to find. I have also learned that it is ok to not have answers and that just because you don’t have answers your not messed up. I know there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way I do but are too afraid to admit it for whatever reason. We are all hurting inside, we all have huge questions that we want answers to but when we try to find them we just end up with more. I have learned that there is times when no Bible verse or song can make me feel any better. I also learned about this guy named Jesus who lived a long time ago and had a lot of bad stuff happen to Him, yet He still had so much love and compassion for the very people that were hurting Him. I learned that I found more answers to life the more I come to know this Man named Jesus. I learned (and am continuing to learn daily) that He might just be the reason behind life and existence. I have also learned that life was never meant to be done alone, but that we need each other. If you are reading this and can relate to what I am saying please know that I deeply care for you and pray that you too can find out who this Man is named Jesus. It won’t be easy and it will take all you have.
I know I am only 28 years old but I know two things: one, Truth is out there and two, life doesn’t have simple answers.
The more I thought about these “fix all remedies” the more I began to wonder about God, life, and existence (which is something I think about a lot). Why can’t real life be like these “fix all remedies”? Why can’t we just take 2 pills and call the doctor in the morning to tell him that we are fine? Why is it so complicated? I mean growing up so many people made God, life, and existence seem so simple. I even believed that it was so simple that I began to doubt my own beliefs because I wasn’t “getting it.” But what if you never get it? What is “getting it” anyways? As I grew up it seemed that the more people I tried to talk to about God and life the more confused I became. It was as if they had a “5 step program” that if I followed it I would “get it.” I had (and still have) all these questions and people just wanted to put a simple answer on it. The older I got the more I realized that some things in life just don’t have answers. I learned that God is bigger than anyone thinks He is and that He is more involved then we want Him to be. I learned that tradition is a tool that the devil uses to miss lead people from knowing The Truth. I learned that life sucks, its hard, and bad things happen to people who don’t deserve them. I learned that innocent kids grow up in homes and situations that will scar them for the rest of their lives and yet they had no say in the matter. I learned that there are some easy answers but for the majority of life there are none or they are just really hard to find. I have also learned that it is ok to not have answers and that just because you don’t have answers your not messed up. I know there are a lot of people out there who feel the same way I do but are too afraid to admit it for whatever reason. We are all hurting inside, we all have huge questions that we want answers to but when we try to find them we just end up with more. I have learned that there is times when no Bible verse or song can make me feel any better. I also learned about this guy named Jesus who lived a long time ago and had a lot of bad stuff happen to Him, yet He still had so much love and compassion for the very people that were hurting Him. I learned that I found more answers to life the more I come to know this Man named Jesus. I learned (and am continuing to learn daily) that He might just be the reason behind life and existence. I have also learned that life was never meant to be done alone, but that we need each other. If you are reading this and can relate to what I am saying please know that I deeply care for you and pray that you too can find out who this Man is named Jesus. It won’t be easy and it will take all you have.
I know I am only 28 years old but I know two things: one, Truth is out there and two, life doesn’t have simple answers.
Monday, 16 July 2007
No, that isn't a Man Bag
If you have read some of our other blogs you will know that Caden got his first "man bag" from his Uncle Don. Unfortunately Caden isn't old enough to know the difference between his "man bag" and mommy's purse. This is a picture of Caden picking up Christa's purse and looking at it a little confused thinking, "this isn't my man bag, where is Snoopy?".
Man's Best Friend
I find it funny that of all the toys that Caden has he finds the most enjoyment out of the ones that are simple. Some of his favorite toys are from the kitchen. He loves to play with wooden spoons, plastic storage dishes, and pens. However, his favorite toy is Bella. I think he likes playing with her the best because she is the only toy that will lick him back. One day Christa came walking down the hall to the sight of Caden holding Bella's ears while Bella was licking the inside of Caden's mouth. Its funny how all the technology that we have today it is the simple things that make us the happiest.
Tuesday, 10 July 2007
A Point to Ponder???
Christa and I read Galatians 1 today and as I was reading verse 4 a word just seemed to stick out that makes me wonder. Verse 4 reads, "who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father." The author uses the word, "this present evil age" which at first may seem obvious what he might be referring to but after taking a second look maybe there is more to this than the obvious. But before I go into what I see as the deeper meaning let me give you a little background about myself.
I grew up in the conservative Christian Baptist church and I must say I was taught more about Heaven than I was about following The Way (and by the Way I mean everything that makes up Jesus). Over the past 5 years I have studied the scriptures and have found that Jesus never called people to Heaven but called people to Himself. He spoke more on living a Life or a Way more than He talked about where people would spend eternity. So I began to question why in the world growing up we put so much emphasis on Heaven as opposed to following this Way, this Man. I even found that Jesus never asked the question, "if you were to die tonight do you know where you would spend eternity," or "if you pray this prayer after me and really mean it you will be saved." Actually I never even found this "magical" prayer. What I did find blew my mind. I found this Man who lived a life of selflessness all because He loved people so much and wanted them to know that He knew a better Way (do you see a theme here with the word Way?) to live. I began to realize that Jesus was trying to show people a Way to live; The Way that God designed back in the garden.
So what does this have to do with "this present evil age"? Well, Jesus is the one who rescues us from "this present evil age" (the life that is here on this earth). Hell is now!!! Hell isn't (just) when people die. People who are Christians can live in a marriage that is hell the entire time. People who go to church every Sunday can be living a life that is a Hell and never realize that it isn't suppose to be this way. Jesus didn't die so we could pray a prayer and then live a life of frustration, confusion and an ultimate hell. Jesus died so we could be connected to the One who created us, our Father. Like it or not life is all about God and Jesus came to live a life, a Way, that was the example of God's original design. Jesus is trying to save people from hell now!!! Not (just) when they die. I am learning that salvation is about being saved from myself and the life and the way that "this present evil age" is trying to make me live. Salvation is about being connected back to who I am in God's eyes and no one else. Salvation is about being and KNOWING who's son I am. Eternity, well that is just a mere formality.
I grew up in the conservative Christian Baptist church and I must say I was taught more about Heaven than I was about following The Way (and by the Way I mean everything that makes up Jesus). Over the past 5 years I have studied the scriptures and have found that Jesus never called people to Heaven but called people to Himself. He spoke more on living a Life or a Way more than He talked about where people would spend eternity. So I began to question why in the world growing up we put so much emphasis on Heaven as opposed to following this Way, this Man. I even found that Jesus never asked the question, "if you were to die tonight do you know where you would spend eternity," or "if you pray this prayer after me and really mean it you will be saved." Actually I never even found this "magical" prayer. What I did find blew my mind. I found this Man who lived a life of selflessness all because He loved people so much and wanted them to know that He knew a better Way (do you see a theme here with the word Way?) to live. I began to realize that Jesus was trying to show people a Way to live; The Way that God designed back in the garden.
So what does this have to do with "this present evil age"? Well, Jesus is the one who rescues us from "this present evil age" (the life that is here on this earth). Hell is now!!! Hell isn't (just) when people die. People who are Christians can live in a marriage that is hell the entire time. People who go to church every Sunday can be living a life that is a Hell and never realize that it isn't suppose to be this way. Jesus didn't die so we could pray a prayer and then live a life of frustration, confusion and an ultimate hell. Jesus died so we could be connected to the One who created us, our Father. Like it or not life is all about God and Jesus came to live a life, a Way, that was the example of God's original design. Jesus is trying to save people from hell now!!! Not (just) when they die. I am learning that salvation is about being saved from myself and the life and the way that "this present evil age" is trying to make me live. Salvation is about being connected back to who I am in God's eyes and no one else. Salvation is about being and KNOWING who's son I am. Eternity, well that is just a mere formality.
Thursday, 5 July 2007
Happy 4th of July!!!
We hope all of you had a very enjoyable 4th of July. I had to work but Christa was able to take Caden over to see my sister and her family in the afternoon. Then in the evening Christa and Caden went over to "Uncle Dale and Aunt Deb's" where they got to hang out with Grammy and Papa. The picture to the left is Caden in the pool with Aunt Sandi. The picture to the right is Grammy giving Caden a bath in the kitchen sink (Dale, thanks so much
for letting us use your sink for a tub we won't let you live it down!!!).
Sunday, 1 July 2007
Saying "Good-Bye"
This weekend we helped pack up and send off Stephen, Kelly, and Kate to Atlanta (you can see their blog to the right). Kate is the 20 month old in the picture with the pink shirt that Christa watched throught the school year. Over the past couple months we have been blessed to get to know the Burton's. Stephen, who worked at Maranatha Church for the past seven years, moved on to be a school Chaplin at a private school in Atlanta. We enjoyed being with them and wish them luck.
The Man Bag
Caden is sporting his new "man bag" that he got from his Uncle Don for his birthday. Caden puts his toys in it and carries it around with him throughout the house.
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