News Item of the Day!!

Giant Popsicle Melts, Floods New York Park - Yahoo! News
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050622/ap_on_fe_st/popsicle_disaster

Inspiration from my brother

This morning my brother posted a blog called Buddy Check.

The past year, I have been fortunate to have 3 "buddies." We meet every week and "check" on each other. Satan has been doing a doozie on my recently to create tension and confusion between me and the others. Last night when we met, I finally was able to let it all out. While I knew the truth that they loved me, the fear of losing them had prevented me from being real and open with them.

It hit me last night that that is exactly what I do with God. I am so fearful of his punishment and/or disappointment in me that I avoid Him, further exacerbating the guilt of the sin. Ultimately refusing the love and grace he has and freely offers.

When will I learn, and if I do how will it change my life?

Brother Where Art Thou?

For me the answer is very obvious, they are trying to talk to me. Starting yesterday a barage of emails and phone calls calling to talk to me. Both of my biological brothers called me with in 12 hours of each other. 4 brothers by the blood of Jesus also called within that 12 hours. 2 of which i had not spoken with in a few weeks and of those 2 one I still need to talk with but was talking to my older brother. (sorry Kevin)

So needless to say, I felt popular and loved.

It's so hard to say goodbye

The past few days I have been in a funk. For many reasons but one of them is that the next couple of months I will say goodbye to three of my close friends. Kara will be heading to Birmingham in July. Eric will be heading back to IL for a teaching postion near his hometown in August and Adam will graduate and head to who knows where for his Ph.D. in Dec. It is so evident in each of their lives that God has opened and blessed their paths they are choosing however it is hard on my heart. It is so easy to focus on the negative and think about how little time we have together. So I try to remain postive. But I will miss the daily interaction with them. The Band of Brother will no longer meet once a week in the same way. God has always been faithful in providing exactly what I need. So while I am sad, I am excited and trying to trust God in what he will bring about in the coming months.

Dinner for Twelve

Tonight I prepared dinner for 12 college students ranging from freshmen to people getting their Ph.D. We had lasagna (my sis-in-law recipe), Buffet Potatoes, green beans, corn on the cob, salad and bread followed bymy grandma's 4 layer dessert and my sis-in-law's Strawberry Layer Dessert.

It started with me inviting two of our summer interns over for dinner when I normally cook for my bros. I decided that I wanted to cook for more of my friends and ADam had a new couple who had just moved here that he wanted us to meet.

I think this was the largest number I have cooked for. We still have TONS of leftovers.

I am so grateful to my grandmothers for passing down the hospitality genes to my parents who have instilled it in me.

After we ate we sat around and talked, a group went to play ping pong ( one of the benefits of living in the student center), and now Adam & Eric are playing on their guitars.

Rough Morning

This past Sunday AM I was teaching the college class and leading singing. So I set my alarm and my phone to wake me up at 5:30 so I could get mentally ready as well as do some other normal tasks for me each Sunday AM. I slept through both alarms. Could not find anything to wear that looked and felt right. Then as I was leaving I could not find my wallet. I realized that I had thrown in the past of yesterday in the wash I started that morning. So yes I had washed my wallet. During church we sang “Turn Your eyes Upon Jesus” and I used my morning of an example of how wonderful it is that morning such as these do “grow strangely dim” when you focus on Jesus. So this morning someone of our congregation sent me an email saying they would try to squelch the rumor that I was into money laundering. I did not get it at first and had to ask for clarification. Boy did I chuckle and feel silly that I did not get it the first time.

Did you?