I remember distinctly the first time we found out we were pregnant. We were so excited and I remember the people around me communicating similar excitement. When I shared the news with friends, family, and even strangers, their immediate response was either “Congratulations!” or “How exciting!”…something like that. Based on that first experience I assumed that was the way people always respond when someone announces a new life will be joining this world. When I made that announcement my new baby was just an “it”…an unknown person, unknown sex and I had no idea what ‘it” would be like. Today, that little baby is my 16-year-old daughter, Mannah. Continue reading Children are a Blessing…Yes, Even the 6th Child!
Category Archives: Faith and Family
Lucky to be in Love with My Best Friend
I have heard plenty of women talk about their spouses as if they can’t stand them. They go on and on about this or that shortcoming. They fantasize about time spent away from them. They speak about them with disrespect, disregard, and sometimes even disgust. They talk about how they wish their husband was more this or more that. They idealize other women’s husbands as so much more upright, handsome, successful, thoughtful, funny, hard-working, romantic, and witty.
I have a confession to make. I feel extremely guilty and uncomfortable when caught in the middle of one of these conversations. Continue reading Lucky to be in Love with My Best Friend
Blessed to be in Love with My Best Friend
This post is in response to my wife’s post called “Lucky to be in Love with My Best Friend“. I was a little caught off guard when I read her post today as it is not our anniversary or Valentine’s day or some other occasion when you might expect some type of romantic message from your spouse. It happens to be my 39th birthday today but that’s not really cause for such kind words from my Sweetie. So I’m not really sure what the catalyst was for her post but I do appreciate it and I hope that some day I will live up to the picture she painted. 
I confess that I felt honored but I also felt slightly embarrassed that she shared such intimate words with the world. Continue reading Blessed to be in Love with My Best Friend
Pause Before You Honk
Are you the type of person who reacts before you know the whole story or before you see the whole picture? Do you pause before you honk?
Let’s face it. All of us have acted in haste without knowing all of the facts. We explode at our spouse, children, friends, and strangers before we ever try to see the situation from their point of view. The other day I had the opportunity to witness this phenomenon acted out before my eyes. Continue reading Pause Before You Honk
globalx trip to San Salvador, El Salvador PICTURES!
Thanks to everyone that supported Mannah with donations and prayers! She was able to raise all of the money needed for the globalX trip to San Salvador and the departure date has finally arrived! I dropped Mannah off at the Atlanta airport this morning at 7:00 for her trip to El Salvador! I am so excited to hear about her trip and see some pictures. I only have pictures from this morning at the airport so far but I will upload more pictures soon. Please continue praying for Mannah and her team that they will have a safe trip and that they will be used by God in a mighty way. Continue reading globalx trip to San Salvador, El Salvador PICTURES!
Ultrasound…it’s a boy!
We had an ultrasound a few weeks back and the technician said she was pretty sure we are having a boy but today she confirmed that November’s blessing will definitely be a boy. We decided to bring all of the kids with us to the appointment so they could be part of the experience. I’m so glad we did! They were perfectly behaved and we all got to see his little arms and legs, his alien shaped face, and most importantly, his beating heart. We were able to listen to the baby’s 135 beats per minute heart and watch as the technician pointed out each of the 4 chambers. Everything checked out and all signs are that the baby is healthy and growing well. Please keep Bethany and the baby in your prayers. Bethany still has 5 months to go so your prayers are appreciated. Continue reading Ultrasound…it’s a boy!
Lesson 007 – Rescued versus Redeemed
Several years ago I was introduced to JJ Heller while listening to K-LOVE radio on the drive to a project in Indianapolis. We don’t have a K-LOVE station in Atlanta so I was hearing lots of new Christian music every week as I made the commute from the airport to the client’s building in Fisher, IN. The first time I heard JJ Heller was the song “Your Hands” and I knew right away I had discovered a new favorite artist. Since that time I have pre-ordered all of her albums and recently downloaded her new album “Loved“. I enjoyed all of the songs on the “Loved” album and a couple of them have made their way to my favorite’s list but one song in particular struck a chord with me and has been consuming my thought time in the car and as I drift away to sleep each night. Continue reading Lesson 007 – Rescued versus Redeemed
Cherokee Tribune – Front Page Story Mother’s Day 2013
I was so proud of Bethany this Mother’s Day…not that I’m not always proud of her but this Mother’s Day she received a special honor. Bethany was featured on the front page of the Cherokee Tribune newspaper in an article titled “Motherhood is ultimate responsibility, mom says”. The article is still available online at this link: http://cherokeetribune.com/view/full_story/22552728/article-Motherhood-is-ultimate-responsibility–mom-says. Bethany was recommended for the article by the real-estate agent that helped us purchase our land and who is also in the process of helping us sell our current home. The article is based on a five minute conversation she had with a reporter from the Cherokee Tribune and is brief and to the point but overall did a good job of describing Bethany and our family. I thought it was cool that the Cherokee Tribune thought to do an article like this. Moms so frequently perform the hardest job on the planet day after day with no recognition from anyone. I really enjoyed seeing my wife honored this way and hope it helped her to know how much who she is and what she does is appreciated! Continue reading Cherokee Tribune – Front Page Story Mother’s Day 2013
Organized Baking Station
Milling your own flour is not much more time consuming than scooping a cup out of a store bought bag of flour IF you have everything you need organized and ready to go each time you need flour for a recipe. You can learn all about milling your own grain HERE but if you would like to streamline the milling process as well as other baking activities you need to have an organized baking station first. I have tried many approaches and through trial and error I have come up with an organized baking station that works perfectly for me. It enables me to prepare bread dough for the bread machine
Martin Luther – The movie, some background and the 95 Theses
