A Wow Day



I just had one of those wow moment days. Today is my first day back to work; getting back into the norm after Ripley's surgery. I was stopped by Dean Jones, the V.P. of Transportation, and he told me that he was following Ripley's journey through my blog and that he and his family were praying for us. I was surprised that he was reading my blog. I know is a conservative Catholic but I never would have guess he would take the time to read my blog. You never know who reads these things.

Another wow moment was while driving to the gym for my daily exercise; Teresa called and gave me some great news. Ripley has gained 4 more ounces. That is great news since it took her 3 weeks to get back to her birth weight. This means that the Ladd’s Procedure to correct the malrotation has helped with her gaining her weight. God is good.

Our God is so faithful to us; even when we aren’t faithful back. He is so long-suffering. He gives us so many chances to correct our ways before He corrects us. God is not standing in heaven with a thunder bolt ready to throw it at us at any given time when we step out of line. He sent us His word so we can know what we should do and not do. He sends people in our path to help us stay on the “straight and narrow.” He gives us grace long before He has to correct us. Just like it is not pleasant when you need to correct your child(ren); it’s not pleasant when God needs to correct us. That’s way it’s so important to show our children the Love God shows us. Part of His love is His correction. Hebrews 12:6 says, “FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES."

Because God sees us as His children, He will make sure we are doing what He instructs us to do and behavior in a way worthy of our station. Our station is that as coheirs to heaven with Jesus Christ. If you are a child of God; you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you are a child of God; and thus, royalty. When God draws us to Himself that indeed is the wow day because we will never be the same again. Thank you Lord for saving my soul and healing my daughter. I pray that you draw Ripley to Yourself at an early an age and make her a coheir with Teresa and me.

God’s Kiss Mark

Teresa’s parent headed back to Kentucky this morning. It was great having them help us with Ripley. We had it good this last week. My parents were able to come and sit with us during the surgery, and Teresa’s were here the first day after we brought Ripley home.

We have a follow up doctor appointment on January 11 to see how Ripley is healing. The scare should be just a very fine line after a while. The doctor used surgical glue and a new type of tape instead of stitches. I’ve decided if Ripley asks about how she got the scare, I will tell her that it’s a God kiss mark where God kissed her booboo and made it better.

Since Ripley is doing so well, I’m planning on returning to work in the morning. I’ll use my last two vacation days in January. Our follow up doctor appointment lands on my 40th birthday so what better way to celebrate it by getting confirmation that Ripley is fully healed.

Below are some photos taken this last week. Again, thank you all who prayed for us and our little girl.

Our first family picture. Tken just before we took Ripley to the hospital.

Grandmother burping the baby.

Ripley enjoying grandfather time.

Ripley asleep after coming home from the hosptial.

Grandmother Anne holding Ripley.

Granfather Ray holding baby Ripley.

Ripley Is Home!



Hallelujah, Ripley is home! We checked out at 3:15pm and it only took only 10 minutes to get home. Teresa’s mom held Ripley in the hospital but with all the wires and tubes on her, Ray (Teresa’s step-father) hasn’t held yet. He was almost jumping up and down waiting to hold his grandchild. It was sweet to see. Ray is a 69 year old man who has been a police officer (served as a chief of a small town at one time) and a truck driver. I would call him an old school man’s man. He just turn to mush; very cool.

Teresa and I have both been seen just how great a God we have. I knew but this is God saying “Yes, I’m all you know I am.” My faith has been confirmed, and Teresa’s faith has been strengthened. God doesn’t have to flex His power to prove He is all powerful, but it is nice to know He is a loving father who answers our prayers. God always answers prayers; either yes, no, or wait. He chose, to my delight, to say yes to our request for a full healing. Thank you God!

Face of Heaven



Here’s the update for Ripley. I’m amazed the number of people that read these; word of mouth I guess. God is so good. He is looking out for our little girl. I talked with Teresa this morning and she shared some alarming news with me; Ripley started vomiting around 1:30 am. The issue was that the surgeon’s intern had OKed changing the 1 ounce of milk every 2 hours to 2 ounces every 2 hours and little Ripley was not ready for that much milk only 2 days after surgery. The upside to this was that an x-ray showed a mass in the bowels (poop). Teresa was tired because of the ordeal but was positive with the possibility of a bowel movement in the near future.

I showed up at 8:45 am and Teresa had finished feeding Ripley and then went home to shower. While she was gone, I got to feed Ripley and when the nurse came in to check her vitals, there was poop in the diaper. It was great; nice and green looking like peas combined with spinach (hope no one is offended). Later in the day, Teresa was changing Ripley and she had another one. This is showing that everything is going well and Ripley is doing great. Teresa was able to breast feed her instead of using the bottle. The feeding cycle is now every 3 hours with some feeding with the bottle and some through the breast feeding. Our God is an awesome God.

It was very foggy here this morning so it took longer to get the hospital. The upside of this was I was in the car when KLOVE aired Steven Curtis Chapman’s new song about his daughter that was killed in an accident; the song is called “Face of Heaven.” The words made me praise the fact that I will get to have Ripley falling asleep on my chest again soon and I look forward to talking with her and walking with her. It is only because of my faith in God that I knew (not one ounce of doubt) that He would take care of my little girl. While I was alone with Ripley, I got to talk with her. She was so wide awake with her blue eyes being very alert. I started out how Teresa talks with her. Teresa tells her, “Mommy loves you. Daddy loves you. But most importantly, God love you.” Teresa talks her this all the time. While I talked with Ripley, I told her that whenever I can’t be with her that God is always with her. Just as I love her, God loves her very much. He loved her so much to come to earth as a man and pay for her sins. Her eyes never left mind. She is just so precious. I pray daily that God will draw her to Himself at an early age. All Teresa and I can do and share His love with Ripley. The Holy Spirit will do the actual work.

Thank you for your prayers. If you want to check out Steven Curtis Chapman’s CD, go to http://www.stevencurtischapman.com. It has some good songs; “Face of Heaven” will start playing once you go to the website.

Knowing Why



Some people have commented on the fact that we are praying for a bowel movement for Ripley. The original reasoning was that the surgeon will not allow Teresa to feed Ripley until the bowels start to move. Teresa was beside herself because her little girl was hungry. An I.V. was supplying Ripley liquids so she was all right. Actually, the above situation was resolved this morning. Ripley was allowed an ounce of Pedialye at 9am and another at 11am. Since she kept it down, Ripley has been able to have an ounce every 2 hours of Teresa’s milk. Early this afternoon, Ripley had a little moving of her bowels and another one just before I left my ladies. We are praising God because it is showing that nothing is wrong with her bowels.

You see, the surgeon needed to make sure that the operation was worked. If we would have feed Ripley and the bowels were not lined up, then she would have been vomiting and it would have been a setback. The doctor knew what he was doing and he informed us of the reasoning for the no feeding, but it still broke Teresa’s heart to hear Ripley being a little fussy. We had sugar-water to make her think she has something. The 36 hours of no feed were rough on Ripley but was for the best.
God does the same with His people. God knows everything, and He communicates to us that we should not do something or should do something. We may not understand why (even though we know any), but we should obey. He is looking out for our best. Just as if we feed Ripley any way and everything was not right with her bowels; the consequences would have been bad. It could have been deadly. The consequence for man for not listening to God was separation from Him. God came in the form of Man and paid the sin debt for us to be reconnected. The consequence for Christ-followers for not listening to the voice of God is discipline. Sin is fun; even the Bible says it is fun but only for a season. In the poetry section of the Old Testament says that sin is like eating honey; sweat and tasty until it gets to the stomach and it gives you a stomachache.

Since Teresa and I listen to the authority(the one who knew best); Ripley is doing great and now gets her Mommy’s milk. Wwe should heed God’s voice and obey Him. He wants and has the best for us.

Perfect Peace



Last night before Teresa, Ripley, and I went to bed, we prayed together. I prayed that God would give Ripley a nice night of sleep and that Teresa and I would have total peace. God never stops amazing me on how loving a God He truly is. Teresa and had to wake Ripley up twice to feed her; she slept solid. I slept until Teresa woke me just before the alarm sounded; set for 5am. She shared with me that she was claim and had peace. It was awesome.

Before heading to CHKD this morning, we checked out e-mail and FaceBook. It is only because we have a true relation with Christ that we have peace through this storm. I read one person who I know is searching but isn’t completely share about Christ that she couldn’t sleep (time stamp was around 3am) because of her concern for Ripley and the operation. Because of the journey and relation Teresa and I have with Jesus Christ, we know He has little Ripley in His hand and His prefect will was going to be done today. We had perfect peace.

Praise God, Ripley came through the operation perfectly. The Ladd’s Procedure only took around an hour. She went in at 8:30am and we heard they were finished by 9:25am. Dr. Kelly told us that there are ranges with malrotation and Ripley had the more extreme so the operation was needed. They only had to cut Ripley about 2 inches to do the procedure. They used no stitches, but tape so the scare will small and will be almost invisible the time she is an adult.

I came home long enough to get Teresa some stuff. They have a small bed in Ripley’s room so she will stay with her at night. It’s nice we live maybe 5 minutes from the hospital (through the mid-night tunnel and we are there). I’m heading back but wanted to give the praise report.

Ladd’s Procedure



CHKD called and confirmed that we are to check in at 6:30 am on Friday with a start for the operation is set to begin at 8:30 am. Dr. Robert Kelly will be doing the Ladd’s procedure to correct the malrotation. In Ladd's procedure, the abdomen is opened. The small intestines are seen first and appear to hide the colon. The entire intestinal mass is delivered out of the abdomen. The intestinal mass is rotated to reduce the volvulus. The intestines are re-positioned in the abdomen. Dr. Kelly will remove the appendix since it is on the wrong side and this will help avoid any possible appendicitis.

Dr. Kelly said that Ripley could be in the hospital from 3 to 5 days depending on her recovery. Dollar Tree has been great to me. My bosses are making sure I get the days off I need and my Director and Manager bought Teresa and me dinner for next week; they gave me $25 gift card to Pizza Hut. I think that is awesome because they didn’t have to do it.

It may sound really weird to write this, but we are just so blessed. Granted, our 18 day old baby needs surgery but we could have gone forever until the intestinal track could have been blocked and this planned surgery needed to be an emergency surgery. It was only because we had a concern with Ripley’s lack of bowel movements we tested for a block that showed the malrotation. God gave us one of the best pediatric surgeons to do this procedure. God is making sure everything is taken care of; my parents will be here and Teresa’s parents will be here so help will be here.

This past week, our church family has really loved on us with dinners all week. My fellow Elders have called and prayed with us. All in all, we are truly blessed. Our God is awesome!

Late Night Musing



Its 12:45ish in the morning. I went to sleep at around 8:30 on Wednesday night. Yesterday was a tough day. The best part of yesterday for me was knowing our fellow Christ-follows are praying for us and Ripley. I’ve had a lot of e-mails and FaceBook messages letting me know Ripley is being prayed for and that Teresa and I are being prayed for. It does my heart well to know this. I’ve been serving my God since the age of 16 years old and have been the one who visited and encouraged others. It’s weird being on the other side. I didn’t know how to react to it to be honest.

I had a great e-mail from one of the guys in the men’s group I lead about wanting to get together and pray for us. I was great. My sister said something to me that stayed with me and since it’s in my head, I need to write about so I can get back to sleep. Wanda said that she wished this didn’t happen to us. To that I say why not us? Jesus never said we will have it easy; but the opposite. He said when the storms come our house will be fine because of our foundation (Himself) is strong enough to withstand it. Jesus is growing Teresa's faith and strengthening me during this trail. I have no doubt whatsoever that at the end someone will come to know Christ as Lord. I have co-workers reading my blog; family members reading my blog; Teresa's former co-workers reading my blog. They are all seeing how we are viewing this and my desire is for them to ask how can we react this way? We react this way because of Jesus. I don't want to sound like I'm trying to be the man but I sincerely believe some great will come out of all this.

When Ripley comes through the operation on Friday with flying colors, I will give the honor to God. God is the great physician and He has decided to us Robert Kelly to be His hands to help Ripley. If for any reason, God chooses to go another way with the operation then I hope I will react like David did when his child was taken home but until then I will trust God will heal my daughter completely. Through the good, the bad, and the indifferent times, God is still God. His ways are the best even if we don’t understand them.

The above paragraph was to be the conclusion, but Teresa had me hold Ripley so she could power her nose. I get lost in Ripley’s little face. They are very much wide open right now and I say wow to her wonder. As I wrote before, God put her together this way for His glory and I will trust in His Sovereignty. We serve a great and awesome God who created the universe but still cares to us and our problems. No matter what the end will be, I will glorify God.

Malrotation



We have answers to what health issue Ripley has. It was because of her lack of bowel movements that we know. The two procedures that CHKD did told us that she has malrotation. Malrotation is is twisting of the intestines (or bowel) caused by abnormal development while a fetus is in utero, and can cause obstruction. Dr Kelly of CHKD will operate on our little girl on Friday. The great physician will heal our little girl by using this surgeon. Lord wiling, she will be out in 3 to 5 days.

We have been so blessed by the love of our fellow Christ-followers. We have been told that people all over the U.S. have been praying for Ripley. Please continue to pray for Teresa for peace and for me. Our God is so good and I know He will be glorified through this.

My Dad and Mom are driving back over from western VA tomorrow to be here. Pray for safe journey.

I will let you know how God blesses this time in little Ripley's life. She is just so adorable.

Crisis of Belief



Today Teresa and I were given some news from our pediatrician. The x-rays that were taken of Ripley during her barium enema showed something we never thought. Little Ripley’s lower intestines are on the wrong side. The organs that belong on the left are on the right and the organs that should be right are on the left. The doctor has made an appointment for us to see a Pediatric Surgeon at CHKD on Wednesday. It seems that this is not life threatening but it did leave us dishearten. It seems that the lower organs didn’t move into place during the last part of Teresa’s pregnancy; this is rare with only 3% of this happening. When things like this happen, you can go one of two ways. One, blame God for this and turn from Him. Two, run to God and seek His help. This is a crisis of belief.

I will be upfront with you and I was a little beside myself. When the doctor left us, I held Teresa (Teresa had Ripley) and I prayed. I had not a clue on what to ask for. I am so glad that the Holy Spirit in times we are unable to communicate our needs knows what we need and shares them with the Father. Through God’s word, we are told that God forms us in the womb so God created Ripley with this. I have no clue why but I trust He knows what He is doing; He is God after all. I have faith that God will do something awesome with this situation. The only thing I can could ask God for after about an hour of the news was to ask for Him to save my little girl; the situation is not life threatening but it’s my little Ripley.

God has carried me through so much in my life and He has carried Teresa and me through so much together that how can I not trust in Him through this storm? God is Sovereign; He is all knowing; He is all powerful; God is my Father. We will know more about the options on Wednesday, but this could go back to normal on its own or surgery may be needed. We are laying Ripley at God’s feet and we are trusting that He will heal her.

Father, please heal my little girl. Give her a long life so that she will point others to You. Please encourage Teresa while she is seeking Your face. I pray only that you will receive the glory and honor for what you are about to do. I love You.

Ripley on Prune Sugar High

Since Ripley is only had Teresa's milk, the prune juice leaves Ripley buzzing. Below are three pic showing her on a high.

Ripley on Prune Juice sugar high no. 1.

Ripley on Prune Juice sugar high no. 2.

Ripley on Prune Juice sugar high no. 3.

From The Father’s Eyes



I will never really know how God views us. Now I am a father, I might have a better understanding of how He may view us. This morning I held Ripley for a while so Teresa could get more sleep. As I held her, I kept looking down at her. I get lost looking at her (time tends to fly). As I looked at her, I thought, “she is so small;” “she is so fragile;” “she needs her Mommy and Daddy for everything.” As I thought these things, it hit me that is how God sees us.

God has us in the palm of His hands. As He looks down on us, He knows we are so small, fragile, and we need Him for everything. God has given us everything; our food, housing, clothes, and even our mental capacity. God designed us to be who we are. He put us together.

I enjoy holding my baby and talking to her and I long for the day she I can talk with me. God longs to speak to us through His Word (the Bible), and He wants us to talk to Him (prayer). Being a parent has helped me see a little clearer how God may see us.

Prayer is being Answered

Last night, Ripley had a nice big bowel movement. We were happy. The prune juice/water mixture is working. Below is a pic of me and her relaxing together and a video. She is sooooo adorable.

We're enjoyng a lazy day as a family. The weather outside is cold and wet but we are comfortable and dry (for now). ; - )

This after Ripley finished cry because of gas.She is so adorable.

Pray for Baby Ripley



Teresa and I just got back from Ripley's doctor's appt. We would like to ask that you pray for Ripley. It's been 5 days since she has had a bile movement. The doctor does not seemed to be too concerned because Ripley is not dehydrated and she has regular wet diapers. The doctor suggested we use a 1 oz water/1 oz prune juice mixture to loosen Ripley up. The doctor thinks this may help but if not we have an appt with a local children's hospital on Monday to check out Ripley. We know God's will be done but we are praying that the water/juice mixture works.

I do want to thank Dollar Tree for allowing me to be out one more day. I've used 9 days of my vacation to spend with Teresa and Ripley. I was to return back on Monday, but I want to be with Teresa and Ripley for the appt. I have 7 more days to use by end of January but my boss could have been a jerk about it but Dollar Tree is very pro family. God has blessed me with a good job. Thank you for your prayers.

Ripley's First Sponge Bath

Tonight, Teresa and I gave Ripley her first bath at home. Below are some highlights.

The kitchen counter is now the wash area.

Start with getting the head shampooed.

Getting the tummy and chest nice and clean.

Getting the back nice and clean.

Ripley is happy that the washing is over. Now she is nice and warm.

Teresa and Ripley are happy.

A Father's Request



Every since Teresa found out she was pregnant with Ripley she has had a concern on heart. Her concern is that something will happen to me. Teresa’s father was killed in a coal mining accident when she was 4 years old and her mom had to care for her and her older brother alone for several years. Her grandfather died due to his time in the mines so she saw two women lose their men. That will play with a person’s head. I’m doing what I can to stay healthy. I watch my diet, I exercise almost every day, and I drive the best I can. I promise Teresa that she is stuck with me until God is done with me.

I believe that God has placed an expiration date on all mankind. When we are born, the clock starts counting down. We do not know when we will die, but we know we will die. Life is a fatal disease; 10 out of 10 don’t get out alive. I live life to the extreme at times; I’ve whitewater rafted in Montana, I climbed rock faces, I run in adventure races, and I even jumped out of an airplane at 30,000 feet. I know that nothing will happen to me until God is done with me.

As I grow older, I look forward to seeing my God face to face. I look forward to talking with my Savior. I love to worship Him now with the songs we have and to thank Him daily for His goodness. I long for heaven. With the birth of Ripley last week, I know that my time here is even more needed. I know that God will take me when He is done but I had to ask Him for more time.

On Monday, I talked with my Heavenly Father and asked for 60 more years on this earth. That will make me 99 years old. I asked only so I can be here to show Ripley what a loving father looks like so she will know how loving our Heavenly Father is. I want to me here to encourage Teresa as she grows in her journey with God. I long for heaven, but I know I am needed here. If God chooses not to allow me 60 more years then that is His call. I have no rights; I’m His servant. If I live, I live to bring Him glory. And if I am taken home, then He will be glorified in that as well.

Idea of Christmas



A friend sent me this poem about Christmas. So many Christians are soooo afraid or mad that our society is taking Christ out of Christmas. I preached last year about the true spirit of Christmas. The true spirit of Christmas is giving to others. That's what God did. He gave Himself in the form of Jesus Christ. We are to give always and especially this time of the year. It's all about giving as Christ gave and not about shopping, Santa, reindeer, etc. Take a few minutes and read the poem and leave your thoughts.

Twas the month before Christmas*
*When all through our land,*
*Not a Christian was praying*
*Nor taking a stand.*
*See the PC Police had taken away,*
*The reason for Christmas - no one could say.*
*The children were told by their schools not to sing,*
*About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.*
*It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say*
* December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.*
*Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit*
*Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!*
*CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod*
*Something was changing, something quite odd! *
*Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa*
*In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.*
*As Targets were hanging their trees upside down*
* At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.*
*At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears*
*You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.*
*Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty*
*Are words that were used to intimidate me.*
*Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen*
*On Boxer, on Rather, on Kerry, on Clinton !*
*At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter*
*To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.*
*And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith*
* Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace*
*The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded*
*The reason for the season, stopped before it started.*
*So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'Dream Tree'*
*Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.*
*Choose your words carefully, choose what you say*
*Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS ,
not Happy Holiday !*

RIPLEY IS HERE!

Teresa and I are so happy that our little girl has arrived. We are thankful to God every day but with the nation's official day of thanks coming up on Thursday, it means a little more to me. Below are some pic. Enjoy.

Teresa talking to her mom.

Checking my e-mails as we wait for Ripley to come.

My dad and mom made it in time for Ripley's arrival.

Eileen Frost spent most of the day with us; she is a great friend.

Ripley just came out and is clearing her lungs.

Ripley being weighed; 7 pounds 4 oz.

Ripley is soooo beautiful.

Just minutes old and getting cleaned.

Almost Here



Teresa and I are at the medical center and we are listening to Ripley’s heartbeat. These 9 months are flown by soooo fast. I feel we are ready; as ready as anyone can be for their first child. We are very loved by our friends and fellow Christian s from Common Ground. We have many people praying for us and I can feel it. My number one prayer for Teresa is for peace. As I read this, Teresa and talking with Eileen Frost and she is nice and claim. Again, I know this will pass but Teresa is doing soooo well. I am a very lucky man to have her. God knew what He was doing when He gave her to me; and He gave me to her.

Ripley will be here before we know it. My number one prayer is for God to draw her to Himself at an early age. That she will know Him as Savior and not just as her parents’ God. I am very thankful to God for saving me at 7 and I have been able to follow Him for over 32 years (sometimes not so faithfully as I should).

I take my role as Ripley’s daddy very seriously. How Ripley views God will be a reflection of how I treat her. I’ve counseled so many young women who struggle with seeing God as a loving Father because their fathers weren’t so loving. My role as Ripley’s daddy is to point her to the Father with my love and actions. I pray that God will help me with this role.

The Offering



I read today in Genesis 22 the offering of Isaac account. I’ve read this passage many times over the years but God showed me something rather awesome. Allow me to point some things out regarding this event in the lives of Abraham and Isaac.

1. Abraham never debated with God when God asked him to offer up his son (Gen. 22:2-3). If Abraham did question the command, we are not shown this discussion.
2. Abraham believed that God would either step in before he killed his son (Gen. 22:7-8) or restore his son to life. Abraham knew that God keeps His word, and they had an agreement (covenant) that his son would carry on his name.
3. Isaac did not fight his father (Gen. 22:9). Abraham was over 100 years old and Isaac was a young man. Isaac could have fought his father but the passage leads us to believe he willing allowed his father to tie him up. Isaac was willing to be a sacrifice; after all, he grew up listening to the stories of the greatness of God from his father. He may have thought, “If God wants my life, there must be a good reason for it so I’ll lay it down.”
4. God did step in and stopped Abraham from doing what He commanded him to do (Gen. 22:11-12). Since God is all knowing (omniscience), He knew how Abraham would react. Even if he did killed Isaac God could have restore him with little effort (He is God after all).
5. God provided an animal for Abraham and Isaac to offer as a sacrifice instead (Gen. 22: 13).

God was testing Abraham to see just how much he loved Him. God wanted to see if Abraham loved his son more than he loved his God. In Isaac, Abraham had the fulfilled promise God made to him. Children were everything in this culture. Isaac represented the Abraham’s name living on past his death. Isaac was his hopes and dreams. Abraham was willing to give up his hopes, dreams, and his legacy because God told him to. That’s what God’s test for Abraham was. Did his hopes and dreams have more priority or his faithfulness to God?

That comes home for me and I’m thinking for you, too. What or who is Isaac to us? Or better asked what are your hopes and dreams or who is most dear to you? Do they have a higher priority in your life than your faithfulness to your heavenly Father? As God gave Isaac to Abraham, He gave you everything; job, money, home, spouse, children, everything. Be willing to give them up if He asks you to, because He the God of your life; not the hopes, dreams, or children. It’s something to think about.

Final Countdown



Teresa and I are on the final 2 weeks of our journey with our baby. Teresa’s doctor told her yesterday that Ripley is currently 7.5 pounds and they project her to be 8 to 8.5 pounds on November 22. We will check in to Maryview Hospital at 4pm on Sunday, November 22 and they will start to induce Teresa. Lord willing, Ripley will arrive on Monday, November 23; one week ahead of her due date.

Teresa and I are so excited to know that in less than 2 weeks we will have our gift from God in our hands. This little girl will be so loved. With her pending arrival, God has taught Teresa and me so much about His love. Ripley isn’t even here yet and we love her so much its unbelievable. We have friends joking with us about the sleep or the lack thereof after the birth, but we’re not even thinking about that right now.

I’m thinking about how we can show Ripley the Love of God. Teresa and I want so much to be examples of God’s love for Ripley so she will know Him at an early age. We both know that Ripley is not ours. She belongs to God and He has entrusted her into our care. That is mind blowing to me. I know it will be hard to commit Ripley over to God but she is His.

I just can’t want to meet this little gift from God. To hold her in my arms; to kiss her little face, toes, and stomach; to bath her; to read her stories and see her reaction to the stories; to teach her things that daddy can only teach; love her like I have never loved before. We are in the final countdown; 13 days, 22 plus hours, and change until her possible arrival.

How great is out GOD!!!!!!!!????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Commitment to Personal Growth



We are called to commit ourselves as disciples. Disciples are learners. We should never reach a point in life at which we are no longer learners. We never reach a point in life at which we have arrived. On this side of heaven, no one is perfect. Even Paul said about himself in Phil. 3:12;

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

The truth is that most believers have never reached past the point of feeding on milk when they should be ready for meat. Again, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 3:2;

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able.

Make a commitment to continue to grow spiritually. Take positive steps to do so. Start a Bible reading plan. Set aside time each day to pray. Read good Christian books. Use the internet to find good sites that will food your soul and not your flesh. Never give up on learning.

Committed To Christ



Why do you suppose that there are close to 100 million church members in America yet they are not making more of a moral and spiritual impact? Why is it that on Sunday morning thousands of churches have more empty seats than full? Why is it that the average Sunday School in America has less than 66 in attendance and that the average worship service has 84? Why is it that only 50% of church memberships attend on Sunday mornings? If Christians really believe in a real heaven and a real Hell, how can we be so silent? . . . The answer to all of these questions is tragically simple! Commitment; God’s people have made a decision about Jesus….but have never made a commitment to Him.

There is of course a difference between a decision and a commitment. Perhaps this cannot be seen any clearer than it is in the failure rate of marriages in America. According to statistics at least 50% of all marriages will end in divorce. Why do you suppose that is happening? Not to sound too judgmental, but some of couples made a decision but did not make a commitment. Every person who is married made a decision! They stood before a preacher and made promises and recited vows. They made a decision, they kissed each other and walked out together to live but not necessarily “happily ever after” and not necessarily together. So why did they divorce? The answer is that they made a decision, but they did not truly commit their lives to each other. But when a couple marries and makes a commitment to one another that is a different story.

The same is true in the church. The reason that the church is not making more of an impact in our society is that many church members made a decision about Christ, but have not made a commitment to Christ.

Trunk or Treat Report



It really shouldn’t surprise us but I do get surprised on how great our God truly is. He is always faithful to do what He says He will do so why am I surprised. The surprised I mention is how God blessed Common Ground Community Church’s “Trunk or Treat” event on Saturday. The Elders decided on doing simple instead of going overboard with the bells and whistles; to be honest we can’t afford the bells or the whistles anyway. The concept is a simple one; have people put candy in their cars’ trunks and when kids come, give them candy. It’s so simple but so great for outreach. The community sees that we care enough to make sure their children are safe while trick or treating.

God blessed our event first of all by giving us great weather. At first I thought it would be raining but that stopped several hours before the event. It was very warm for October; 75 degrees. Our people came out to show the love. We normally run 80 to 90 in a weekly attendance and we had around 30 of our people come to help; most had their car trunks/truck beds full of candy. We had our faithful grilling master, Doug, on the grill making sure the hot dogs were ready for the people. We had 4 types of chili, along with drinks. Thank you Becky Allen for heading the food side of this for us; great work.

We had bought 192 grab bags, and we ran out toward the end. According to our greeter (Teresa Thomasson), some people had their own so we are guessing that we had 300 children come through plus their parents. Our guess on total attendance is 500 people. That is a testament on how great our God is. We followed His lead and reached out to the community and the community came.

It’s not about giving candy out on October 31, it’s about showing the community that we care for them. People don’t care what you know until they know that you care for them. Our desire is for our community to know that Jesus Christ died for them, and that we at Common Ground Community Church love them where they are in the life journey.

Thank you for those who were able to help on Saturday, October 31.

Just Say “No”



Today at work, the management bought donuts and apple cider for everyone to enjoy. I had to say “No” to this offering of sweet treats. I’m not a big fan of sweets anyway (not even as a kid), but I do appreciate the thought. We have an end of the month birthday celebration with a cake for those whose birthday was during the month; I never partake of the cake but do attend. It may sound weird to some but if I’m going to treat myself with something bad, I rather have pizza and not sweets. Pizza is my weakness.

You may ask why I don’t partake with the sweets. Well 7 years ago, I discovered that I’d allowed myself to weigh 220 pounds. I wore a 36 inch pants but they were getting a little snug. Teresa, my wife, had joined Weight Watchers so I joined her with counting the points. I got to where I could tell you the points of anything (still can). In 5 months, I lost 45 pounds and got down to 175 pounds. I felt great.

Well 4 years ago, I discovered that I gained half of this weight back so I did the WW thing again and went down to 180 pounds. This time I decided to stick to an exercise routine. My track record with exercise has been one of 3 to 4 months on and 2 to 3 months off; I’d done this since my mid-twenties. I wanted to make sure to keep this weight maintained and I knew exercise was the only way.

I started with walking on the treadmill and light free-weights. I had run in my youth and had stopped but I started again after a few months of the treadmill. Running was as fun as I remembered it, and I kept that up until Teresa told me that I was running the length of a 5K race so I signed up for my first race and never looked back. Since that first 5K race, I’ve run in 3 5K races, an 8K Mud Run, two half marathons, and an 8K adventure race (running and biking through mud and over obstacles). Two years ago, I started to go to the YMCA during my lunch break and have been doing that for 2 years straight where I do 2 days (Tuesdays and Thursdays) of heavy weight training with the stationary bike on the other days. I ran (still do) outside after work almost everyday (weather permitting). After a few months of this, I added swimming to my routine. I always enjoyed the water so I thought I’d try it and found I love it the most. It was the toughest of the new things but I stuck to it, and am up to 30 minutes of laps each time (Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays) equaling swimming for 90 minutes each week.
While doing all this exercise, I’m watching my diet. My diet has had to change from the mindset of a dieter to that of an athlete because I was not eating enough for all the exercising I was doing. Food is fuel, and the right food works better than junk. That’s why I say no to cake and donuts and eat pizza only once and a while.

I started dieting and exercise to stay healthy and not to need to live on pills like my parents. The side affects of this is feeling great and according to Teresa looking sexy (her words; not mind). My personal opinion is that all pastors and ministry people should be role models in how we live. Diet and exercise is part of that along with having a constant Christian walk.

Who Am I?



Last night I had a great reminder of just how blessed by God I am. Last night just before Teresa fell asleep, I held her and baby Ripley while lying in bed (as far as for Ripley, I held Teresa’s stomach). We didn’t say anything; we just laid there. I am so blessed to have Teresa for my wife. Not to sound cheesy, but God has used her to make me the man I am today. I just laid there holding my ladies and just praising God in my head. It makes me think why has God blessed me so? Who am I that I have been blessed so much?

Going back to the beginning, God drew me to Himself at the age of 7. I started serving Him at the age of 14, and He called me to preach at the age of 16. I have had the opportunity to use my youth to serve Him. He gave me good Godly (not perfect) parents and a loving home to grow up in. He gave me good examples (pastor, youth pastor, and music director) to learn from at an early age. My God is so giving.

I can see how He directed my path from childhood to now, and it is amazing. When I wish things went differently while I was younger, I stop and remember I would not be me; the me I am now. God knows what He is doing when we do not. The Bible says that He knows us from before He created everything. David wrote that He knows us in the womb. He knows my baby and is forming her to be what he wants for her. That is just simply wow to me.

The Casting Crowns’ song “Who Am I” bridge puts it best;

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

My purpose in life is to bring glory to God the Father and I will never stop trying to do so. The best part of living my life for Him is that it’s not me doing it; it’s all Him. He is the One who leads; He is the One who directs; and He is the One who loves. I’m simply following His lead. My God is awesome and I am not worthy to be His child. Thank you Father for making me worthy to be yours. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you.

God's Plans



Teresa and I were talking last night about how it’s been a fast year. It’s hard to believe that as of November 8th, it will be a year since Teresa was laid off from QVC. If it was up to Teresa, she would have liked to have a new job by January but God has other plans for her. In human logic, she should have been hired in no time. Teresa has an undergrad and grad degree in Business Management; she served 5 years as an officer in the Army; worked two years in manufacturing; and 13 plus years at QVC. She has the experience and education. This is where God’s plan is best.
Because of this past year, Teresa’s walk with Christ is stronger; our relationship is the best it has ever been because we have been able to spend more time together (Teresa worked 10 to 15 hours a day at QVC); and best of all, we have baby Ripley on the way (5 weeks more and she will be with us). I’ve written this before, we do not know what’s around the corner but God does. He had everything planned out before we were ever born. We need to trust in Him. God’s plan is best for us even when we can’t see it at the moment; that’s where faith comes in.
I’ve written before, if we have enough faith to trust our souls to God why can’t we trust our lives to Him. After all, He does know best. Trust in the Lord with all you might, and lean not on your own understanding. Because God is all knowing, all powerful, and present everywhere, He knows what He is doing.
If you are going through unknowns in your life and you are a Christ-follower, God knows the plans for you. Trust in His plan for you. God’s plan will fit you like a glove, and you will be happier than if you were in your own plans. Trust God.

Justice



On Monday and Tuesday of this week, I fulfilled my civic duty by performing jury duty for Portsmouth, VA. I sat on a murder/attempted robbery trial. The case was basically a 19 yr old man shot and killed another 19 yr old man and shot another 19 yr old man while trying to take a golf cart. The crime was just senseless. There was no verdict because one juror didn’t think the person was guilty; a hung jury.

While we were in the juror room talking over the evidence, one of the men on the jury asked “How have we as a society come to this?” It’s simple, SIN. It goes back to when Adam and Eve rebelled against God and ate the fruit. Since that time, mankind has been at war with God. Society has changed a lot in my lifetime and I’m only 39 yrs old. I think a crime like takes place simply because we as a society have stopped teaching that everyone is a creation of God and started teaching we are all glorified monkeys. You teach that a person has come from apes long enough, people start to act like their ancestors were intend apes. Society thinking tends to change with the wind, but we as God’s people go by the ultimate standard; God’s Word.

As God’s people, we go by what the Bible says and not go with the flow as society does. Society’s law says that this young man broke their standards and because of that; he must pay. As a jury, we were not of one mind so this man will have another trial. I shared with the other 11 people on the jury that we must take in all the evidence and make a decision. If we say he’s not-guilty and he is there is a final judgment after death. I didn’t say anything after that and no one asked me to explain my statement.

God is the ultimate judge; He will judge us by the ultimate standard. When we breathe our last, we will stand before Him and give an account of our lives. He will ask us one question, “Why should I let you know to heaven?” If we say anything other than Jesus Christ, we will not enter. We are all born guilty of sin but Jesus came to take our place. I have been set free from the guilt of sin. He paid the sin guilt on the cross and I received His gift. Even though I deserve to spend eternity separated from God, He made a way for me to spend it with Him. When God sees me, He sees His Son. I am guiltless because of Jesus’ gift of eternal life. Without Jesus, I am no different than the young man that was on trial. Jesus makes all the difference.

What about you? Do you have the assurance that you will spend eternity with Jesus? You should make sure.

Living Out What Your Believe



I received an e-mail last night from a friend who shared with me how our friends are doing in the ministry. It was nice to hear the good report; the wife published her first book and is beginning a speaking ministry to women, and the husband’s ministry to the youth is growing. It was encouraging. Four years ago this story was completely different. The husband was stationed (through the Navy) outside the country and the family was unable to join him so the time apart gave Satan a foot hold and he thought about ending the marriage. Of course, he had no Biblical reason so I called him out on it. Through e-mails I lovingly held him accountable to what he was thinking of doing. The Holy Spirit used my e-mails and caused him to come to his senses; he and his wife are closer now than ever and their children have a whole family. Satan wanted to destroy this man and his family before they could do what they are doing for God. I don’t think Satan knows what God has planned for us as we serve Him, but he is out to destroy us before we are totally committed to God and his plan for our lives.

All I did was hold a dear brother accountable for his actions and reminded him “What does the Bible say” about divorce and the reasons for it. The Holy Spirit did the real work. If we as Christians totally believe the Bible to be the real words of a living God why are we not living it out for the world to see? Jesus told us that the world will know we are his people by the love we give; why don’t we love more? Our job as Christians is to bring glory to God the Father. If we are living out our love for the world to see, they will wonder why we are different. It will give us opportunities to point people to Christ. Only God can save people; not us, but we are called to share our faith by loving.

1 Corinthians 13 is clear when it tells us that if we have no love for those around us it doesn’t matter what we know or what we can do; it’s empty. We can love only because Christ loved us first. The love we have to give is Christ’s love. If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and only through Him we can have eternal life are you living that out in the open for all to see? It’s I received an e-mail last night from a friend who shared with me how our friends are doing in the ministry. It was nice to hear the good report; the wife published her first book and is beginning a speaking ministry to women, and the husband’s ministry to the youth is growing. It was encouraging. Four years ago this story was completely different. The husband was stationed (through the Navy) outside the country and the family was unable to join him so the time apart gave Satan a foot hold and he thought about ending the marriage. Of course, he had no Biblical reason so I called him out on it. Through e-mails I lovingly held him accountable to what he was thinking of doing. The Holy Spirit used my e-mails and caused him to come to his senses; he and his wife are closer now than ever and their children have a whole family. Satan wanted to destroy this man and his family before they could do what they are doing for God. I don’t think Satan knows what God has planned for us as we serve Him, but he is out to destroy us before we are totally committed to God and his plan for our lives.

All I did was hold a dear brother accountable for his actions and reminded him “What does the Bible say” about divorce and the reasons for it. The Holy Spirit did the real work. If we as Christians totally believe the Bible to be the real words of a living God why are we not living it out for the world to see? Jesus told us that the world will know we are his people by the love we give; why don’t we love more? Our job as Christians is to bring glory to God the Father. If we are living out our love for the world to see, they will wonder why we are different. It will give us opportunities to point people to Christ. Only God can save people; not us, but we are called to share our faith by loving.

1 Corinthians 13 is clear when it tells us that if we have no love for those around us it doesn’t matter what we know or what we can do; it’s empty. We can love only because Christ loved us first. The love we have to give is Christ’s love. If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and only through Him we can have eternal life are you living that out in the open for all to see? It’s something to think about.

Outlook On Life



By nature, I’m a people watcher. I get this from my parents who enjoy sitting and watching people at the mall. It can be fun trying to put traits on people by just looking at them. One trait of a person that is hard to see by looking at a person is how they see life; at least for me. Some people see circumstances as “the cup is half empty” and some see it as “the cup is half full.” I’ve not made a study of this so I’m assuming the people who view life as “the cup is half empty” tend to be more pessimistic while the “the cup is half full” people tend to be more optimistic. As I said, it’s hard to see by looking at people unless you are a body language expert; which I am not.

The life philosophy of Gene Simmons’ mom (yes the Gene Simmons of KISS) is very interesting to me; she is definitely a “the cup is half full” person. Any day that you are above ground is a good day. Meaning, no matter how bad your day could be going; at least you are still alive. This is a good life philosophy which was created out of being a Nazi holocaust survivor.

I’m not a doom and gloom sort of person so I guess I’m a “the cup is half full” person. There is no need to dwell on the bad because I know the One is has everything in the palm of His hand. If things are going well, I praise His name for the good He has given me, so why would I not do the same in the bad times. Just as the poem “Foot Prints in The Sands” nicely puts it, when good stuff is going on Jesus is walking with us and when bad things happen He carries us through it.

I have a great example of how a Christian man sees himself in the scheme of things. This man has been a pastor for several decades serving his Savior well. I was informed 3 months ago that he was told he has cancer and the outcome seems dire. His reaction was something awesome. Where most people (Christian and lost alike) would ask, “why me?” his reaction was why not me. If my God will heal me of this illness then great; if not, then I’ll see Him soon. That is a mature man of God.

How do you view life; “the cup is half empty” or “the cup is half full?” I guess it really depends on how you live your life and in whom you belong.

Staying Focused




A few years back, I made a decision not to allow politics to have a place in my ministry. It was part due to reading Billy Graham’s quote, “I’m not for the right wing or the left wing; I’m for the whole bird.” It was also part understanding no matter how you lean (liberal Democrat or conservative Republican) you still have a need for a Savior. I remember when I was 14 years old and watching the 1984 Democratic convention and seeing a well known Christian artist performing thinking, “Why is he there with the Democrats instead of with the Republicans?” I was big into Ronald Reagan and still have a lot of respect for him as President. Especially, now I know that he was a Christian who shone his light to others in his way. I thought if you are a Christian, you should be Republican because they have values (I know now that not all Republicans are pure as the driven snow; more like pure as yellow snow). As an independent Baptist, I thought that all our church members should back the GOP. I was wrong in my thinking.

I say that to say this, I think that we have allowed politics to enter too much into our churches. We should not be concerned with who is in office; we are called to pray for our leaders regardless their party. I think that the church got off focus when the church entered politics. If you are called to pastor a church, you are called to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and equip the saints so they can grow in their walk with Christ. As pastors, I feel we should be apolitical. We should encourage our members to vote their conscience (making sure to check out the facts). Not to push one party over another because both parties have good and bad in them. I do not believe a pastor should ever allow the pulpit to be used to proclaim anything other than the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Instead of backing the “Religious Right,” I think we should point people to Jesus Christ. Instead of lobbying the government to make changes, we should get on our faces before God and ask for change. I think, we don’t ask for change because we are afraid of His response to us; that we must change our hearts and motives. The purpose for Christians in this world is to bring glory to God. We need to stay focused on this and not get sidetracked on petty things that have no eternal value. Countries come and go, but God is forever.

NOTE: The reason for this posting is more to remind myself to not get caught up in the current political situation. Good, bad, or indifferent Barack Obama is the man God has place in the oval office. As President and as a man, I pray for him; for wisdom as he leads the country and for his salvation.