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Gavyn had a spring concert last night. He sang a short solo. I took a few quick pics of him all dressed up and of course his little brother wanted in on the action.

I was messing around with my camera tonight and playing with some new lighting techniques. I couldn't get anyone to come outside and help (It was getting a little cold) so I was my own model. What can I say,,,,I look gooooood!

I am so ready for spring. The last couple of days it's been warm and beautiful. The best part has been how good it has smelled. Spring time smells so clean, warm, green, wet, it smells so good. Everything is new and fresh. I love it. The earth breaks free from it's winter bondage into brand new vibrancy. Spring is a time of new beginnings. Maybe you need a new beginning. It's time. It's spring!

I have had several emails lately asking where I've been. Well, sometimes life get's crazy. I apologize for the lack of posting. Life has been busy. We have had a lot of challenges as a family lately that have taken my attention. So, I will make a greater effort to post regularly. I love posting and sharing. I love my "Blog Family". So don't give up on me.

We had a little visitor outside the back yard today. Took a quick shot to share. When I opened the backdoor he took off.

My friend Blaine shared a post on his blog The VertiCall yesterday that really resonates with me. So check it out here.

Reading Blaine's article provoked me to share what Julie and I have been doing to help keep our boys from being over saturated with media. Although we are very careful of what we let our boys watch, play and listen to...it is still possible for them to get way to much media. To much TV, to much playstation, to much mp3 time, and to much computer. So, what we have done is to develop a media chart. The boys are only allowed 14 hours per week of media time. When they use their time up they are done until the next week. It has been awesome to see them monitor their time. They turn the tube off more to save time for something else (ie. Saturday morning cartoons or a movie night). We have also used the chart to handle behavior issues. In other words if they misbehave (fighting with each other, breaking a household rule, etc) they can lose time. If they do something right (extra chores without being asked, helping each other, using kind words) they can be rewarded with extra time. We spent a lot of time explaining the reason for the chart. How media can affect us, etc. They have really responded well. We have seen them spend more time playing with each other, reading, playing outside and being creative. It's been great. Above is a picture of our chart.

My ultimate goal is to raise up my boys to be godly, creative, balanced, thoughtful men who love to learn and have a desire for God.

Hopefully this helps some of you out.

I'm reading a book right now that was written for kids. I took the boys to the city library the other day so they could get some books and I found this one that I'm reading. I love books. I love the smell of old books, the feel of a book in my hand, the sound of many pages turning. I love books. My boys have inherited that love from me. Going to the library is a huge deal in our house.......wait, I got off track.

I'm reading a kids book right now. When we were last at the library the boys were looking for books to read and I was helping. I found one that I thought they would like but they weren't interested. The problem was I got hooked on it. So, I'm reading a kids book. Anyway, there was a line in the book that I loved and I wanted to share it with you.

"That is because your people are brought up to believe that serving another is a weakness. It is not out of weakness that one serves, but out of strength."

Isn't that a great line. It is so true. It is the lesson that Christ taught us over and over.

Mark 10:42 Jesus called them together and said, "You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 43Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Luke 22:26 But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves.

Servanthood should be the goal of believers.

Serving others puts us in a place where we are more like Jesus.

Serving is a selfless act and selflessness is the opposite of selfishness and selfishness is the root of sin. When we serve we are walking in humility. Serving is becomings less so that HE can become more in ours. Serving is aligning ourselves with the attitude of our Lord. Our goal should be serving.

So, serve someone today.

I'm a little scattered this morning but I hope you get the idea. We need to serve!

Here is another pic of Gavyn at yesterdays play practice for the community theater. He is in "The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe". He had so much fun. He found out that his character has a sword fight with one of his friends and "kills" him in the final battle scene. He was so excited...maybe I should be worried about that.

Go check out my photoblog...I've started a photography business and need to create some buzz. Check it out and leave me some comments on it. Thanks! Check it out here.

If you are maybe you should stop!!!!

In case you weren't sure here is a little reminder.

Public Service Announcment.

Sometimes you can have a cloudy heart. Life sometimes waylays you when your not expecting it. Just remember that the "Son" always shines after the storm and shines brighter than ever. If you have clouds in your soul today ..... this storm will pass!!!

Matthew 6:34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. NIV

Don't worry.

Easy to say....hard to do.

The economy...my over due bill.
Our health...we've go little control over it.
Disaster, tragedy, unexpected shortfalls, broken relationships.
There seems to be no control.

Don't worry!

How?

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding; NIV

Trust....that's all we need. That's all................not so easy sometimes!

Dictionary online.com
1.reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.
2. confident expectation of something;

Hope

We struggle, we falter, we worry......God is not surprised by our circumstance!

God is able!!!

Worry brings fear. We fear.....we're afraid....uncertainty breeds fear. Failure feeds fear. Disillusionment perpetuates fear.

Matthew 10:31 So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

We combat worry, fear, uncertainty with trust.

Trust that God loves, trust that God guides us, trust that God sees us in our need.

We do not need to fear. We need Faith!!

Faith in our God.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

We may not see the end of our circumstance but we have Faith in our God!

Don't worry!

I need to make a confession. I love Facebook. I didn't think I would like it as much as I do. I got an account on a whim. I thought, "What the heck", and signed up. Now, I'm addicted. I've reconnected with so many old friends. I can't believe the number of folks that I've discovered. I've also made some new friends. I have to say that social networking is cool. If you have been wondering about Facebook you need to give it a try. If you do, make sure to add me as a friend!

Well, he isn't actually the leading man but in my book he'll always be the most important person on the stage. My son Gavyn tried out and was cast in a play at our local community theater. Last fall we were downtown during an art promotion in our city (the shop windows were filled with local artist works and we took a self guided tour) and when we passed the theater Gavyn saw that "The Lion, the witch and the wardrobe" was playing in the spring. He kept his eyes and ears open and discovered that the tryouts were last week. Soooo, we took him to the tryouts where he read for several parts. In the picture below you can see him reading on stage. He's the second from the left. He wanted a lead role but he got a supporting cast role. He's a mouse. Not glitzy, but we all start somewhere. He is so pumped. It's a big commitment for him over the next 6 weeks, but he is ready to give it all he's got. When the time comes you are all invited to the play. It is the first two weekends of March.

Julie and I have thought about adopting a child for several years. It hasn't worked out for us yet. I have a good friend that adopted a little girl. It is so awesome to see them together. The whole idea of adoption stirs me deeply. Someone choosing to open their heart and life to a child at such a level of intimacy and giving so much love so freely. Wow. It paints a picture of God's great love for me. It causes me to "feel" God's love in such a raw way. I guess I can't really describe it. God chose me and I know it. Thank you Father!! This morning during my quiet time with God I read the book of Galatians 4:6-7 and was unusually stirred.

6Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba,[a] Father." 7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

Our God's love is so great!!!!

Do you ever find yourself looking at the modern day church and scratching your head and wondering if we are missing something? Well, check this out...very intersting.
HERE...

A friend of mine shared some thoughts on his blog the other day that I thought were powerful. Check it out here.

I've been captivated lately by the passage in John 11:38-44. It is the story of the raising of Lazarus. I keep coming back to this passage over and over. What has gotten a hold of me is in verse 44 when after Lazarus is resurrected and come out of the tomb Jesus says, " Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

The grave clothes.

Lazarus had been resurrected from death to life yet he still had on the grave clothes. The remnants of death still clung to him.

I think perhaps there are believers who have been resurrected yet still have grave clothes hanging on them. Grave clothes that keep them connected to the remnants of death. This is not God's plan.

I think that is what Paul refers to in Romans 7:21-25, "24......what a wretched man I am, who will rescue me from this body of death." Paul was talking about the grave clothes that were still connected to him. The sin, the remnants of death, that still attempted to keep him from obeying the law of God.

The words of Christ echo today...." Take off the grave clothes and let him go." We do not have to allow the grave clothes to remain. Through Christ we can find freedom from the remnants of death!

There is something interesting in this passage. Lazarus couldn't remove the grave clothes on his own. He needed others to help him. Jesus commanded others to help him.

So, there are still those that walk this christian walk allowing grave clothes to keep them connected to the remnants of death. We have been given new life through Christ. We do not need to stay connected to our grave clothes. Through the power of the holy spirit and the help of the body of Christ we can be free. Don't be satisfied with anything less.