Friday is here

We are looking forward to some much needed family time this evening and tomorrow.  The girls recently learned how to play Yahtzee, and they love it!  Actually, I haven't won a game yet.  They have gotten pretty good.

Saturday will find us sleeping in, maybe, and hanging out as we go shopping and then play around in the sunshine and breezes of Hesston.

Saturday evening will include going to Catholic mass.  Oh, you didn't know I was training to be a catholic priest?  Actually, no.  We are supposed to take in a mass for Worship and Celebration class.

Sunday will be a relaxing first for a while with no responsibilities at church.  Sunday afternoon will find us at a Superbowl party somewhere, yet to be determined.

This is the end of week four of sixteen for the semester.  It is moving quickly.  Please pray for us as we sort through the possibilities of where we go from Hesston.  This has been especially weighing on my mind as of late.  Some of you, for example Dan Swartz, are praying for Ohio as the only possibility.  Keep praying.  God will give us discernment even when we pray for the wrong thing:)  Not saying Ohio is the wrong thing, just saying that there are other states in the United States, actually there are 50 from what I have been told.

We got snow (finally)

The last snow that I remember here in Kansas was just before we left for Ohio before Christmas.  Yesterday afternoon we started to get some snow and it started to stick and cause some slippery sidewalks.  Overnight it continued with wind and cold temperatures.  Right now it is about 14 degrees, and the sidewalks and roads are slick.  We have a very thin covering, about an 1/8 of an inch.  Nothing like the 40-50 inches of you Ohioians.  I really don't miss it as of this point.  Nor do I miss the sub zero temperatures.  Happy white days to you!

Sunday's Sermon

Thank you to those who prayed.  Sunday's sermon went well.  I was extremely nervous at the beginning, due to inexperience, the large crowd, the bold content, and well, speaking on God's behalf as best I know how.

I received a lot of feedback, and affirmation, along with a few critiques.  I will be having a followup evaluation with one of the pastors, along with some written evaluations by other church members.  I am looking forward to watching the DVD and critiquing myself.

The passage was Luke 12:13-34, about the rich man who decides to fill bigger barns instead of filling empty stomachs.  Also Jesus telling us not to worry about life, eating, the body, and clothes.

I felt the need to balance a pretty strong message of living on less than you have and being generous with as much of the extra as possible, against the trust that we can have in God.  I think we worry because we don't trust God to provide or we have too much stuff that occupies us.  God wants us to be free from both extremes.  He wants us to live in faith, so that we can be blessed by his presence and relationship.  These areas were where I received the strongest affirmation.

May God be glorified.

Practice what you preach

The last two posts are my own medicine.  May I complain for a moment?  Since noone said, "No."  I will continue:)  That is the beauty of blogging, no one can interupt you before it's too late!

This past weekend has been "occupied", this week has been busy.  It feels like every extra moment I have is filled with reading or writing or relationships related to college.  And then the moments beyond that are filled with writing and preparing a sermon for Sunday.  (I know Bruce Hamsher and all you great pastors out there are saying, "welcome to ministry.")  This weekend involves an all day Friday and Saturday class.   So there is my rant.  It actually isn't a complaint, it is a confession.  I am not the rested leader that I want to be.  I am busy, but if you asked me how I am doing, I would say "good".  And it is true, but I am just over the edge of my capacity.  I can't sustain this pace for too much longer.  I will have to make time for rest, relaxation, relationship, and reflection.

To that end, I am blowing off the next 30 minutes of productive time by going to the prayer room at HMC and being with God.  Followed by Supper with my family and a guys night out to see the WSU shockers.  All will be well.

The Rested Leader

Here is an article that I recently stumbled upon.  It speaks to me in relation to the post about How are You?

How are you?

Have you ever answered, "busy"?  Usually the question is meant as a feeling question.  Busy isn't really a feeling.  It brings feelings, such as tired, stressed, energized, etc.  It really seems like a good answer in our society.  We think it would be wrong to say, "at peace", because then the assumption is lazy, slothful, disengaged.  How can a Christian or any caring and productive member of a society not be busy?!  If I am not busy, and you are, then I may be afraid that you will give me something to do from your plate.  But maybe I'm not busy, because I have found rest, contendedness, and the assertiveness to say "no".

These thoughts are not aimed at anyone or even a certain situation.  In fact, they are self critical and self convicting.  Just some thoughts that have been rolling around in my head/heart.  If it speaks to you, then it is aimed at you.  I am releasing the arrow with my eyes closed, and my heart open...

Proverbs 27:6a

Weather

I feel bad for those of you with single digit and below zero weather.  Well not real bad though.  We had two days of the low teens, but the wind was still and the sun was shining.  Did I ever mention how much the sun shines in Kansas?  Awesome!

I found the weather forecast to be somewhat humorous if you look at the trail from yesterday till today.  Also, I wanted to rub in how nice it is going to be the next week or so here:)  Look but don't touch.  Enjoy.  I know we will:)

Wow time flies

"Time flies like an arrow.  Fruit flies like a banana."  JD Hershberger, others

The beginning of this semester has been a busy one.  I started out with 16 credit hours, plus 3 audited.  I have since gained my sanity and dropped it to 13 credit hours, plus 3 audited.  My schedule for those of you that may be interested:

And if you want to know what we are upto at any given time, here is our family schedule (yellow is my PM schedule, and blue is Suzanne's work schedule):

Any time that is not scheduled is family time, or reading, writing, and discussion time.  Just for fun, I calculated my weekly in class and project time as 24 hours.  I then estimated my weekly reading, writing, and special project time and came up with about 50-55 hours.  School is like fulltime work, except for I am paying them, and they don't provide any insurance, 401(k), or company banquets.  Venture was an awesome place to work, as are many other places that you may currently toil your hours away.  Perspective.

Peanut?

Answer to the previous post

Referenced from Princess Bride movie.

Breathing better now

Classes started on Tuesday.  Syllabus shock set in shortly after.  I am just recovering and beginning to breath again.

Alyssa went back to school on Monday and is doing great.

Courtney started back on Wednesday and could hardly wait.

Emberlynn went to chapel with me and we weren't late.

Suzanne is the love of my life; she is really first rate.

No more ryhming and I mean it.  Anybody want a ......

We had fun in Ohio

Alyssa learned to play the piano with all the fingers of her hand over break.

I am not sure why there is a break here.  I will use an official line from my manual creation days at Venture Products.

This space intentionally left blank.

Grandma broke out her accordion and wowed the girls with the music she could produce.

We rode sleds on a hill that I frequented when I was this age and slightly older.  It is just across the street from my parents.

More sledding fun.  For some reason I am laying on the ground.  I believe I fell giving Courtney a push.

Every family gathering needs a little computer time.

Our three girls with Suzanne's Grandparents on her mother's side.  We enjoyed visiting with them over break.

Sled riding at the Hershbergers.  You may have a sharp enough eye to notice that something is missing.  Suzanne and her sister Christa had the smarts to snap some pictures prior to stopping the fun.  I think the grass is going to make it.

Nolt Cousins, my side.

Alyssa getting her hair blow dried with an "antique" dryer.  It still smells the way I remember it back when I was this age.

Lehman Cousins, Suzanne's side.  The two little ones in the front, we met for the first time over break.

New Family quote

Courtney had a funny one at 3:34am this morning.  I was carrying her upstairs to bed.  As I went to lay her down she said, "Uh oh. I dropped my skunk."

It's probably not what you think:)

We made it home

We left Saturday Morning at 8:01am EST.  We arrived in Hesston Sunday morning at 3:32am CST.  That makes 20-1/2 hours on the road.  The girls slept, watched DVD's, sang songs, told funny stories, ate, and played well, and Suzanne and I slept in this morning.  Now it is clean up, laundry, and settling in.  Great time with family and friends in Ohio.  Good interviews with two churches; one the first Monday in Ohio, and one on the way from Ohio to Hesston (that explains the long trip back).  I am so proud of our girls and how they have traveled and visited these last two weeks.  I am proud of Suzanne too:)

Off to Hesston

By the time you read this, we will probably be on our way back to Hesston.

Road trip, coffee, hamburgers, and some coke zero, and lots of good memories.

It was good to see you and it will be good to see you again.