umm, Hi

so life is good mostly. It is really cold here in Dallas, considering the fact that we were just near 80 (78 by the mini van's report) near the end of last week and right now it is a nice 28 outside, it is a little difficult to get use to.

those that know me, know that I am crazy (my wife is probably more so for marrying me). Many times crazy is what we do best. We have almost perfected it...adding to the list that shows our crazyness, yesterday, I won an auction on eBay. you may say to yourself, that isn't all that crazy, and it isn't, the crazy stuff is that the auction was for a car...in Florida. Next Saturday we fly out to the Fort Lauderdale area and drive my new car back. should be interesting. I hope to have pictures soon of the car and any interesting point along the way back.

anyways, we are well. still up to crazy stuff, jut finding that life is pretty busy. I wish I could retire from my job next week and start working on all the things that I want to do instead but that doesn't look like it is happening. until then, i guess I will have to live with what I have.

I've started working with college aged kids at church (in all honesty I have worked with many of them for a while, they were just younger then) and what I feel the Lord telling me to share with them and direct them in is 'Identity' or that their identity should be rooted in Christ, which is very somple in many ways but it is also so difficult. what is funny in preaching that, studying that and talking with people about our identity being in Christ, is that we soon figure out that when the focus is no longer on us but on Him, we start to realize more (at least I do) that:

#1- I am just a part of the body of Christ
#2- the body of Christ is larger than I could have ever imagined
#3- I play an important role in the body, and as long as I accept my role, doing my part and helping others do theirs isn't that difficult
#4- I am just starting to learn about God, His plans for my life and I still have more questions than answers
#- i am selfish and need ot get over it, God has way too many things planned to allow my ego to get in the way and if I hold on to "ME" and "MY", I've missed out on so much that God wants to share

When we take the focus off of ourselves, we actually start seeing others, and many times can care about others in a way that we are compelled to do something rather than stare in wonder. I believe that one of the bigest reasons followers of American Chruchianity don't want to make changes is that they are comfy in their apathy and are afraid that if they actually dig into what God is calling them to do, if they seek their identiy in Christ, they might have to reach out and be involved in other people's lives. they might actually get dirty in the process...I know this because as much as I hate to admit it, as much as I try to stay away from it, I have bought into many of the ways of Churchianity. the good news is that there is a Cure, his name is Jesus and He is a prayer away from being able to redirecting your path, cleansing and healing you from your strays and always standing there with Love, mercy and grace enough to help you along life's difficult road.

Blessings to you all

the wonder of prayer

this year has been an interesting one of prayer for Kelly and I. I think we have learned a bunch about it, yet there is so much more to know, so much I doubt that I could live long enough to ever get it all. Prayers are answered yet something that I've noticed that is even greater than that is it seems that when we really get into prayer, when we get beyond the reading off the wish list to God, we are given hints about stuff. I guess sometimes it is to let us know what to pray for?!? but also I think to make it so that we aren't so blown away when our prayers get answered. in the last couple of weeks, Kelly and I have seen prayer answered in big ways for two couples that we have been praying for and this weekend I shared with a friend that Kelly and I had been praying for him in a particular area and felt that this year we would see something big come out of it, his response was 'that is confirmation for me, there is no way you could know about this unless God shared that with you, thank you'. What perplexes me the most is that in it all, I'm not doing anything...it is all God, yet for some reason he chooses to include us in it. I'm not worthy, and I could think of others who are better qualified and would make better vehicles for this stuff. Not all prayers are answered the way we want, and sometimes it feels as if they never are but when I look at my life I can’t honestly say that God has ignored my requests or me. even in the times that what I wanted, what I thought the end result should be was much different than the way things panned out...like cancer, but that is for another post.

Prayer. It is so simple yet the effects are so overreaching, not only can prayer change things, it can change us. Bringing us closer to God the whole time. If you have never done it, it as simple as asking God to be in your life and if you are a pro you know that getting back to basics is often the most advanced thing you can do. Wherever you are in life’s journey, I pray that God would bless you immensely and that His purpose would be done in your life.