Friday, June 20, 2014
Problem Solved!
Frustration is often the launching pad for new inventions. I have been frustrated for months. What is so frustrating? Tooth brush organization. Can you believe it. One of my biggest pet peeves this year has to do with our medicine cabinets and tooth brush storage. In our family, we each use an electric tooth brush. These things are thin on top, bulky at the bottom and it seems that they are designed to stand upright. The problem is they are long and light, so one little bump and over it falls, hitting another toothbrush and then the toothpaste. Ultimately, two brushes and the toothpaste end up falling out of the cabinet and onto the counter. This occurs at least three times a week. As a result, I got fed up and decided to try my hand at being crafty. A trip to Michael's, a few magnets, a few strips of stretchy material, twenty minutes of work, and voila...problem solved!
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Monday, June 16, 2014
THANK YOU, DAD!
Thank you dad! A phrase that’s seldom heard,
Only begins to say what I really feel inside.
Your love for me has led me to be who I am today.
And having you as a father fills my heart with pride.
You have done so many things for me.
I can’t begin to remember them all.
But here are a few of my favorite memories
Out of the many that I can recall.
Thank you dad, for taking me to church
In Romeo, where I first got saved.
And thanks for helping me build stock cars
And taking me camping with Boys Brigade.
When I was small, you’d bounce me on your knee
Thanks Dad, for always being there for me.
Thanks for helping me take my first ride
And when the bike crashed, you were there by my side.
Thanks for taking me to Little League.
And thanks for all the Dairy Queen.
Thanks for teaching me to bait my hook
And to clean a fish so it can be cooked.
And thanks for your patience, for goodness sake
I threw two poles in Houghton Lake.
But at the bottom of that lake
Are memories I’ll never forsake.
For you taught me something that will always last.
I was more important to you than the poles I cast.
And thanks for protecting me when I was young
When I didn’t know the difference between danger and fun.
But, I’ll never forget, Dad, the motor-bike
That you got for me when the time was right.
And thanks for all your help along the way
With school and cars and bills you paid.
There’s so much that I have to be grateful for
So let me tell you about just one more.
Thank you, Dad, for loving Mom all these years
Through all the laughter and through all the tears.
Dad, It isn’t always easy to see,
But by loving her, you were loving me.
So, Dad, I hope that you can see
How much you really mean to me.
Thanks for all the time you’ve shared
And all the ways you’ve shown you’ve cared
And so right now, it makes me glad
To say it again,
“Thank you, Dad!”
Friday, May 20, 2011
Nobody Knows The Hour or The Day
Anyone sitting on your roof, waiting for the sky to part? I am not trying to be cynical, but it seems like every so often someone comes along who claims to know when the end of the world is going to happen. It makes the headlines. Some people plan rapture parties, while others sit and scoff at the believers. Some sell all their possessions to get the word out, while others cash in on their hopes and fears. It is a scenario that has repeated itself many times over in the past few millennium.
The latest comes from a guy named, Harold Camping, who claims that judgment day is tomorrow, May 21, 2011. Using numerology in the Bible he arrived at this date, only after coming up with the wrong date the last time. I guess his previous prediction of September, 1994 must have just been a miscalculation. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that Jesus is not coming back. He is! I am not even saying that I know he isn't coming back tomorrow. He could! What I am saying though, is that Mr. Camping should have camped out a little longer in Matthew 24. He seems to have missed a key part of the message Jesus was sharing with his disciples.
After the disciples asked Jesus what the sign of his coming would be and when it would happen, Jesus launched into a long discourse about all the things that would take place beforehand; wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, and the like. He encouraged them to pay attention to the signs. Then, he says something absolutely astounding. He says, "But, about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." He then exhorts them to "keep watch", for they do not know when their Lord will come.
Do you want to know why I am not sitting on my roof waiting, or hanging with my friends at a rapture party? Because I believe the words of Jesus and because I take them seriously. Because nobody knows the hour or the day. Because he will come like a thief in the night. Because he will come at an hour when I do not expect him. But, though I am not on the roof, I am watching. I am waiting. I am living like a servant who is in charge of his masters household, awaiting his return, wanting to be found ready for his arrival.
After the disciples asked Jesus what the sign of his coming would be and when it would happen, Jesus launched into a long discourse about all the things that would take place beforehand; wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, famines, and the like. He encouraged them to pay attention to the signs. Then, he says something absolutely astounding. He says, "But, about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." He then exhorts them to "keep watch", for they do not know when their Lord will come.
Do you want to know why I am not sitting on my roof waiting, or hanging with my friends at a rapture party? Because I believe the words of Jesus and because I take them seriously. Because nobody knows the hour or the day. Because he will come like a thief in the night. Because he will come at an hour when I do not expect him. But, though I am not on the roof, I am watching. I am waiting. I am living like a servant who is in charge of his masters household, awaiting his return, wanting to be found ready for his arrival.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Kids! How can anyone not love them?
I got all ready to leave the house for work this morning, said goodbye to Jewelly, and gave Kaiden a kiss on the forehead while he slept soundly on our bed. Then I went out to the car to bring in a few things left from the night before. As I was about to head back out for real, I whispered "I love you" to my wife. It was a faint whisper, but loud enough for Kaiden to hear. He proceeded to cry, crawl out of bed and try to follow me out of the house. On days like this it is hard to leave. I just want to pretend it is "take your son to work day". Maybe I can petition to make that a weekly Holiday :)
Friday, May 13, 2011
Another case of the overreaching government
Is anyone else a little repulsed by the idea of a local government creating a law stating that schools cannot punish students by keeping them out of student activities. I read a recent news article regarding the high school senior who posted a sign on the front of the school. The sign, made of large cardboard letters, seemed to be a harmless invitation to prom, addressed to a girl at the school. The student and two friends who helped put up the letters were suspended and consequently told that they could not attend the senior prom. This created a surge of responses from people who believe "the punishment does not fit the crime." Everyone from an NFL quarterback to the mayor and even the Governor of Connecticut have weighed in on the issue.
Now, state representatives are hoping to amend a bill that would force schools to offer an alternate punishment rather than banning them from events. Talk about a case of overreaching government. Since when is prom a birthright? Don't get me wrong. I do not think what this student did was some heinous crime. I teach at a school that allows students to ask each other to events in very unique ways. Some students send notes, gifts, or balloons to others during class. Some students decorate cars, they announce their invitation over the PA, they make videos, they organize flash mobs and they even ask from the middle of the gym in between volleyball games. Every year I look forward to seeing the creativity of our students. What this one student did at Shelton High School was certainly creative. It was cute, and many would even say it was Romantic. So what is the problem? The problem is that policies at Shelton High School were broken. Whether the policies have to do with the actual hanging of the letters, the use of a ladder, being on school premises after dark, or all of the above, the fact remains that the school has certain policies that the students are well aware of and expected to abide by. If the school policies were broken in this situation, it seems to me that the school is justified in following through on the discipline.
You may not like it. You may think it is harsh. You may even think that the punishment does not fit the crime. But a policy was broken and a long established discipline procedure was put into effect. If an exception is made for this student just because what he did was cute, then an exception should be made for everyone. Then, we may as well tell the students that they can do whatever they want because there really aren't any consequences. I can only imagine how productive schools will be then.
For the government to step in and cuts the legs out from under the leadership of the school is utterly absurd.
Sincerely,
A concerned citizen
Now, state representatives are hoping to amend a bill that would force schools to offer an alternate punishment rather than banning them from events. Talk about a case of overreaching government. Since when is prom a birthright? Don't get me wrong. I do not think what this student did was some heinous crime. I teach at a school that allows students to ask each other to events in very unique ways. Some students send notes, gifts, or balloons to others during class. Some students decorate cars, they announce their invitation over the PA, they make videos, they organize flash mobs and they even ask from the middle of the gym in between volleyball games. Every year I look forward to seeing the creativity of our students. What this one student did at Shelton High School was certainly creative. It was cute, and many would even say it was Romantic. So what is the problem? The problem is that policies at Shelton High School were broken. Whether the policies have to do with the actual hanging of the letters, the use of a ladder, being on school premises after dark, or all of the above, the fact remains that the school has certain policies that the students are well aware of and expected to abide by. If the school policies were broken in this situation, it seems to me that the school is justified in following through on the discipline.
You may not like it. You may think it is harsh. You may even think that the punishment does not fit the crime. But a policy was broken and a long established discipline procedure was put into effect. If an exception is made for this student just because what he did was cute, then an exception should be made for everyone. Then, we may as well tell the students that they can do whatever they want because there really aren't any consequences. I can only imagine how productive schools will be then.
For the government to step in and cuts the legs out from under the leadership of the school is utterly absurd.
Sincerely,
A concerned citizen
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Two Points For Kaiden!
We finally loaded a number of videos that we have taken over the past year and decided to test one out on the blog. The following is from Christmas 2010. Kaiden is going to show us how to make a basket on his new hoop. He is a little hesitant to relinquish the ball, but ultimately he is successful and scores two points for the team.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Something!
I just felt like writing a little something, since it has been quite some time. Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful moms and moms to be.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Precious Moments
So, it's been a while since I've written anything on this blog, but I've been thinking about writing on it for a while...here goes.
These days, these hours, these moments are so very precious! Kaiden is almost six months old. Time is flying! Every day I fall a little more in love with my sweet boy. He is growing, and learning, and advancing in so many little and big ways day after day. This week he popped two teeth. TEETH!!! This means soon he'll be munching away on food, REAL food. I'm a little sad to see our days of simple breastfeeding change to morsel cluttered chair trays and food covered floors. But, at the same time, I'm excited for Kaiden to experience new flavors and textures as he learns a little more about this big ol' world. God has been so good to us. We are blessed beyond words to have such a wonderful little boy. What joy it is to embrace life with this little one and see things through his eyes.
Lord, thank you! Thank you for Kaiden. Thank you for his sweet face. Thank you for 10 fingers and 10 toes. Thank you for happy screams and "Feed me please!" whimpers. Help us to raise him in a way that casts all the glory back to you. Show us how to bring him up in a balanced, healthy way, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Teach us to rely on the Spirit - cultivate in us the fruits of the Spirit...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Bind the enemy in all things concerning Kaiden and our family. We love you and trust you. Be glorified in and through us each and every day, hour, minute.
These days, these hours, these moments are so very precious! Kaiden is almost six months old. Time is flying! Every day I fall a little more in love with my sweet boy. He is growing, and learning, and advancing in so many little and big ways day after day. This week he popped two teeth. TEETH!!! This means soon he'll be munching away on food, REAL food. I'm a little sad to see our days of simple breastfeeding change to morsel cluttered chair trays and food covered floors. But, at the same time, I'm excited for Kaiden to experience new flavors and textures as he learns a little more about this big ol' world. God has been so good to us. We are blessed beyond words to have such a wonderful little boy. What joy it is to embrace life with this little one and see things through his eyes.
Lord, thank you! Thank you for Kaiden. Thank you for his sweet face. Thank you for 10 fingers and 10 toes. Thank you for happy screams and "Feed me please!" whimpers. Help us to raise him in a way that casts all the glory back to you. Show us how to bring him up in a balanced, healthy way, spiritually, emotionally, and physically. Teach us to rely on the Spirit - cultivate in us the fruits of the Spirit...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Bind the enemy in all things concerning Kaiden and our family. We love you and trust you. Be glorified in and through us each and every day, hour, minute.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Our Part
I heard a crazy statistic the other day that really bothered me. It went a little something like this: There are approximately 140 million orphans in the world. If you stood them shoulder to shoulder on the equator, they would wrap around the earth 3 times. If you drove your car at 60 mi/hr it would take you a month to drive past all of the orphans. Then the speaker asked a really good question, "Will you stop the car to help one orphan?" This challenge comes shortly after hearing another statistic that went something like this: If just 3 families from every church in California would adopt a foster child, every child in California would have a family. There would be no more need for the foster care system. What amazed me about that was how easy it seemed to me. Just 3 families!!! What if Churches in every state got on board. We could effectively wipe out the need for foster care and orphanages in the United States. Then it dawned on me that there are somewhere in the ballpark of 2 billion people in the world who "claim" to be Christian. Then I asked myself the question, "Why are there still orphans in the world."
My friend, I would like to encourage you to think about what part you can play in changing the life of an orphan. If you have never considered adoption, would you think about it? If adoption is not an option, would you at least consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International or World Vision. Together we can make a difference, one child at a time.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. --James 1:27
My friend, I would like to encourage you to think about what part you can play in changing the life of an orphan. If you have never considered adoption, would you think about it? If adoption is not an option, would you at least consider sponsoring a child through Compassion International or World Vision. Together we can make a difference, one child at a time.
Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. --James 1:27
Saturday, August 8, 2009
First Bath Mishap
Kaiden received his first bath yesterday. He did really well with it. He sat there quietly while we got him all cleaned up. When he was finished, we wrapped him in his hooded towel to dry him off and warm him up. Being new parents and all, we were enjoying the moments, taking it all in. We were so enamored by his cuteness that we lingered in getting him to where he needed to be...in his diaper. As soon as he was dry and laying quietly in Jewelly's arms, we heard a noise that caused the proverbial "uh-oh!" Sure enough...big yellow stain on the white towel. Being the smart parents we are, we rushed him over to the diaper caddy to get him set up. The towel was removed, legs were lifted, diaper put under him and...you guessed it. He peed all over himself. Kaiden did not seem to enjoy round two in the bath so much. But, Jewelly and I got some valuable training and learned the art of quick change.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
Happy Monday!
My last week of work has finally come! It's hard to believe that starting next week I won't sit at my desk Monday mornings wishing for just one more day of weekend. I'm trying to picture what it will be like to trade scheduling and meetings for housework and playdates. Not too hard to imagine...I've longed for this for years! I can't wait to have time to make breakfast for Brian and pack him a lunch - what a reverse, he's usually the one doing this for me now! I'm overjoyed with the anticipation of sitting on the couch nursing Kaiden, taking him and Macchiatio for walks around the neighborhood, meeting up with Chelle for mommy time, or showing up at Brian's school just to have a surprise lunch. Just one more week of corporate life, then bliss!
Friday, June 26, 2009
Class of Three
I am sitting at the computer while my students are working on homework. A third of my class is missing today. Lest you think that is a lot, it is only one student. I have been blessed with only three students to work with for three weeks of summer school. I must say it is the quietest, hardest working class I have ever had. What a blessing. I will be back to a normal summer school class with about seventeen students for the second semester, but for now, I am enjoying the laid back atmosphere in my class of three :)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Michigan 2009
These are for you Mom. It has been way too long, but I finally got some pictures together from the trip to Michigan. We had a great time hanging out, laughing, taking a walk, and opening shower gifts. Jewelly and I want to give a huge thanks to you and to Ann for putting the shower together for us. Also a big thanks to Tara for making the cake and thanks to everyone else who came to spend the day with us and to shower us with baby gifts. We look forward to Kaiden's arrival. He should be here in a little under 8 weeks. Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The craziness of life has slowed up for about a week so I had a little time to finally update the blog. Over Memorial weekend the family went up the the mountains for a great time of camping. It was beautiful. We sang around the campfire, cooked smores, relaxed, hiked around Lake Gregory, and just had a great time. The following are a few pics. Enjoy!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Living Life
That's what we've been doing...just living life. Last week we had the blessing of visiting with Brian's family in Michigan. It was great to be able to see everyone! Even his sister Kristy and her husband Greg came from South Carolina!
Mixed in with the visiting was a trip to our house out there...yeah, let's just say that was not so fun...We really need wisdom to know what to do with that place. To rent it we would have to put a bit of money into it and selling it in the market back there is not a possibility at the rate we would need to. That said, we're looking at our options, praying for wisdom, and seeking godly counsel. It is in the Lord's hands and He knows what is best for us.
On a lighter note, our precious little boy continues to grow and develop day by day. I can feel him moving off and on throughout the day and as a result can not help but smile! Just 100 more days (or so) until we meet him! What a blessing and a joy this pregnancy has been so far! :-)
Life is busy, but sweet. Brian is in the home stretch of the school year, both in teaching at WCHS and in his classes at Biola. He has a weekend class starting tonight and going through Saturday and then just a few more meetings of his semester long class. He is completely swamped with reading and paper writing! While he is focused on all of this work, I am trying to keep myself busy preparing for the baby and my friend Kim's wedding.
We have a ton of pictures to share, just need to take the time to put them on the computer...I'll try to post something this weekend.
Mixed in with the visiting was a trip to our house out there...yeah, let's just say that was not so fun...We really need wisdom to know what to do with that place. To rent it we would have to put a bit of money into it and selling it in the market back there is not a possibility at the rate we would need to. That said, we're looking at our options, praying for wisdom, and seeking godly counsel. It is in the Lord's hands and He knows what is best for us.
On a lighter note, our precious little boy continues to grow and develop day by day. I can feel him moving off and on throughout the day and as a result can not help but smile! Just 100 more days (or so) until we meet him! What a blessing and a joy this pregnancy has been so far! :-)
Life is busy, but sweet. Brian is in the home stretch of the school year, both in teaching at WCHS and in his classes at Biola. He has a weekend class starting tonight and going through Saturday and then just a few more meetings of his semester long class. He is completely swamped with reading and paper writing! While he is focused on all of this work, I am trying to keep myself busy preparing for the baby and my friend Kim's wedding.
We have a ton of pictures to share, just need to take the time to put them on the computer...I'll try to post something this weekend.
Monday, March 30, 2009
It's a....
Our little adventurer continues to grow big and strong. We found out little guy's gender on March 17th - so glad our little leprechaun didn't avoid the ultrasound tech's skilled hand. Growing up with three brothers, I always said I was going to have all boys! Brian and I are thrilled to be venturing into the world of toy trucks, Lego sets, dinosaurs, and every kind of ball (or puck) you can think of!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
The Pregnant Girl's Dilema
I think I saw this comic on a friend's blog when she was pregnant and today I got it in one of the pregnancy emails that come each week. So true!!!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Hello, Hello
Well hello there friend! It's been some time since the last update, so I thought I would stop in to say "Hi". I am 18 weeks pregnant today. Can you believe it!?!? Time moves right on by. In some ways everything is going so quickly, but in others we can't get to August fast enough. I continue to have a delightfully easy pregnancy - thank you Lord! It is evident our little one is growing as my belly continues to do so as well. I'm starting to out grow work clothes, so it's time to go shopping. Bummer is I can't seem to find good in between pants. They're either to casual with draw-strings or made for a much bigger belly. Any suggestions of good affordable places to shop for cute transitional work clothes would be much appreciated! :-)
At our last appointment we got to hear the baby's heart beat for the second time. The first time our little one was a little shy, but not so much this time. Along with the heart beat we got to hear the baby kick the doppler scope and move around a bit. What a wonderful, amazing, beautiful thing to hear life inside myself! Today I am almost positive I'm feeling little flutters and kicks. Someone is going to be very active from the get go. Go figure, it's my baby! ;-P The baby's heart rate was 165 at the first appointment and 150 at this appointment - both quite fast. Brian said he can already sense the baby taking after me. Go, go, go!
One thing I would like to see moving along is our plan for the future, but that doesn't seem to be God's plan. We know what we want for our family and we're looking for ways to make it happen. Being a planner by nature I would like to know NOW of course - but being a follower of the Lord requires that I wait patiently on Him and His time. Just as I have at other points in life I cling to Jeremiah 29:11 - "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'" As I think about it, this verse reminds me of the many times in the nation of Israel's history that the Lord said, "Wait. I have a plan, but you have to wait. I know what's best for you and I will bring it about at the proper time." It's comforting to know what a great God I serve, who is always working on my heart, bringing about what He knows is best for me. And so, I will wait, and trust, and prepare for this little one as best I can where He has me now - knowing that wherever He has us in the future it will be just right!
At our last appointment we got to hear the baby's heart beat for the second time. The first time our little one was a little shy, but not so much this time. Along with the heart beat we got to hear the baby kick the doppler scope and move around a bit. What a wonderful, amazing, beautiful thing to hear life inside myself! Today I am almost positive I'm feeling little flutters and kicks. Someone is going to be very active from the get go. Go figure, it's my baby! ;-P The baby's heart rate was 165 at the first appointment and 150 at this appointment - both quite fast. Brian said he can already sense the baby taking after me. Go, go, go!
One thing I would like to see moving along is our plan for the future, but that doesn't seem to be God's plan. We know what we want for our family and we're looking for ways to make it happen. Being a planner by nature I would like to know NOW of course - but being a follower of the Lord requires that I wait patiently on Him and His time. Just as I have at other points in life I cling to Jeremiah 29:11 - "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.'" As I think about it, this verse reminds me of the many times in the nation of Israel's history that the Lord said, "Wait. I have a plan, but you have to wait. I know what's best for you and I will bring it about at the proper time." It's comforting to know what a great God I serve, who is always working on my heart, bringing about what He knows is best for me. And so, I will wait, and trust, and prepare for this little one as best I can where He has me now - knowing that wherever He has us in the future it will be just right!
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