I can see the light . . .

It's official, I'm scheduled to finish my Masters of Divinity this fall!!!
Thanks to a very generous professor who has allowed me to take an independent study. I will be completing my degree and hopefully done with school for the rest of my natural life. Not done with learning obviously, just done with taking classes for a piece of paper.

Here is the catch. I have to take Intro. to Greek, Advanced Hebrew(which I haven't looked at in 9 months) along with an on-line history course. So, your prayers for much discipline would be greatly appreciated!

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK'EM IS HERE

Sign up now! I have included the link and information below:

Group ID#: 2281
Password: auburntigers

COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICK'EM

WAR EAGLE!

LET's GO AUBURN!

Lady in the Water

Ok so if you know anything about this movie you know that it is getting crushed in the media. Don't believe the hype. This is a good flick. I saw it this afternoon and sat there for about 2 hours completely engrossed in the picture. I didn't catch everything, but I caught enough.

I didn't care for the directors role in the movie, he's a better director then an actor. And I thought that Bryce Dallas Howard (Opies daughter) could have been a little better. But overall my experience watching the film was a 4 (out of 5) star experience.


2 things you should know before you watch:

1. It's a bed time story , treat it as such and I promise you'll have a smashing good time.
2. It's not that scary. My wife had no desire to see this movie (because it looks scary), but I'm vowing to make her watch it now. I promise it's ok for kids over 10 years old easy.

just in case...

Just in case some of you are checking this site & trying to figure out how to get to our student blog, here is the address:

www.discoverystudents.blogspot.com

Have Fun! Oh, and check out some of the pics from camp!

CAMP!

Well, there is just nothing in this life quite like summer camp...it may be the closest we can get to heaven on earth. Anyway, this week, Buck and I took five middle school girls to camp...Janessa, Aubrey, Jumah, Tairra, and Breauna...it really was a blast!!! Even though we were kinda the outsiders b/c we were a "church group" at a Campus Life camp, we were still able to get to know each other & enjoy the week. We were in Cedar Village #11. We were a part of the greatest team at camp...the "MOGEY MAN MARTYRS". There are always loads of fun memories from camp: the bugs, tubing (some for the first time), getting mail, fun games, KPOO News, "Where's Gina?", and games in the cabin. But, my favorite times at camp are and will always be the unique opportunity for each person present to encounter God...some to be refreshed, some to be renewed, and some to begin their "God-Story". I was able to watch two of our girls begin their journey with Christ; Janessa & Tairra...two girls who didn't know each other this week...who had no clue where the other was on the journey of life...were able to make a decision that unites them for eternity. I am so thankful for the faithfulness of God...he comes through even when we cannot. I was able to watch the other girls struggle with God, struggle with belief, and surrender to His greatness. I will not forget this experience. It is one of those days where you sit back and stand in awe because of the wonderful God we serve, that we cannot understand why a God so big, that doesn't need me, allows us to be a part of BIG stuff...of life-changing, eternal decisions. GO GOD!

COUNTDOWN...

www.auburntigers.com

Friends

Well, I of all people should know that moving, leaving, changing, new beginnings are constantly a part of life. And, although I consider myself a change-agent...someone who likes change just for the sake of change sometimes...that doesn't make it always easy.

Our friends, David, Farah, Dax, Cole, (and Faithy) Isbell just left. While it was one of the quickest goodbyes ever, it was one of the hardest. They were the people "like us". We were completely ourselves with them...no performing...no "coolness"...no perfect life...just real. They knew everything about us as a couple and had cared for each of us as individuals before we were married. They were the friends who asked us about our last fight, who kept us accountable for the struggles in marriage, who stood beside us on the day we were married.
They are the friends we hope to model our parenting after b/c of their commitment to be parents following Christ first!

They truly are friends I do not know if we will ever be able to replace. Part of that refers to the life experience part of friendship. We have done so much together. I lived with David & Farah when I was nineteen...our first year in Washington..the "non-Reeves"...our adventure he;ping with RiverChase. We watched students give their lives to Christ & share Christ with their friends. Buck & David worked together for camps, retreats, and whatever else they came up with. Those experiences are what will keep them close to my heart forever.

I am excited about their new life, their CHANGE...b/c I know that they are chasing hard after God. I am excited for the letters I am going to get in the mail from Dax....he promised. I am excited for my kids (one day) to visit Aunt Farah for speech lessons:)...I am excited to hear the stories of the people impacted through their lives.

I am sure there will be a day when EVERYTHING does not remind us of them anymore. But, right now we are sad. We miss our friends.

My Trip to the South...

Well, I went home this past week & it was quite exciting...although I am very glad to be home. On Saturday, my brother Adam graduated from the University of West Florida and was commissioned into the United States Air Force as a 2nd Lieutenant. He will now be attending flight navigation school. I am so proud of him.

I also went to Auburn for about 24 hours to throw a bridal shower for Janet, my roomie from college. She is getting married in August. I also got to meet Foster...her absolutely wonderful fiance. I am excited for the two of them.

New Address

1014-B South Woodlawn Street
Tacoma, Washington 98465

What a week!

Well, the first day of a very busy week is winding down. We got some good news today though; our duplexes in Alabama are not closing until May 15...so, nothing we have to do with that this week.

Okay, so we are moving on Sunday...which isn't awful because I have been packing for a month...but, which isn't great because we have a student event, UPRISING, all weekend. I am super pumped about the weekend, just not that it is this weekend. I do wish we had more students coming because it is going to be unbelievable, but I MUST trust that God's presence will abound whether there are four students or four hundred students. Lord, please teach my heart to trust you more. Do amazing things in front of my face. Do things that are bigger than me in the lives of these students.

So, we are moving to a tiny little apartment. Why I am bummed: we can't have seven04 at our home each week...not enough space...we have to pack some things away (not the end of the world)...we won't have a kitchen table to eat on (no space)...Why it is good...we can continue to do some of the things we are called to do without the stress of finances...Buck & I get to do this together...another opportunity God gives us to trust in His plan, purposes, and goodness.

So, I am trying to remember that everyday is glorious, because I am a child of my God, because I speak daily with the creator of everything around me:

Everything Glorious, David Crowder Band

The day is brighter here with You
The night is lighter is than its hue
Would lead me to believe
Which leads me to believe

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And, I am Yours,
What does that make me?

My eyes are small, but they have seen
the beauty of enormous things
Which leads me to believe
There's life enough to see, that

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And, I am Yours,
What does that make me?

From glory to glory, You are glorious, You are glorious
From glory to glory, You are glorious, You are glorious

Which leads me to believe
Why I can believe

You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
You make everything glorious
And, I am Yours,
What does that make me?

Lucas Update

This from Farah

Today the doctors reported amazing news! Lucas is in remission!!!!!!!!! After 3 weeks!!!Friday before last he was at 50 percent leulemia ridden bone marrow. Today the results from this past Friday show one percent. As of right now, he will continue chemo, but he has not had to receive a transfusion since he came home from the hospital. God is hearing your prayers. Please continue to lift up the Tigers and add praises!!!!

Pray for Lucas Tiger

Lucas is the seven year old son of our very good friends, David and Tanya. For those of you who do not yet know, he was diagnosed with leukemia on Friday, March 31st and received his first chemo treatment on Saturday morning. He is scheduled to be in the hospital at Mary Bridge Children's Hospital for the next several weeks. This mornings update was that he was having extreme head pain and convulsing and required morphine at 9pm yesterday. We are praying for Dr. Irwin that he will have the wisdom to know if this is from the leukemia or from the chemo and he will be able to help Lucas. Please continue to pray for Lucas and the entire Tiger family.

My latest claim to fame!

This is awsome (except for the tejas part)!

http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail147.html


This is pretty funny and I'm involved!

TODAY!

Well, I guess today is the day. I will have to make my move in the brackets. If my picks fail me today, I could be done. I have already taken way too much smack from everyone else about the quality of my picks...or I guess the fact that I am sitting very close to the bottom. Today IS THE DAY! Watch out everyone! So, thanks for the encouragement the last few days. I am excited about winning!

Hard words make soft hearts

I was listening to Mark Driscoll talk to his congregation (Mars Hill in Seattle) via podcast tonight. His message was about Preaching Jesus, using Paul and the Corinthian Church as an example he showed that it was Jesus that has to be the focus of our preaching. Now I know that most of you reading this understand this truth and so it was with me not a great revelation.

However, one phrase caught my attention. "Hard words make soft people and soft words make hard people." It just hit me on a personal level that I need to speak more truth into the lives of those around me, and I need to listen to more Hard words as well.

Just a thought.

It begins slowly . . .

Campus Life at Mason Middle school was officially launched! We had about 40-50 students show up for free pizza and some crazy games after school. The school has been extremely co-operative and very helpful in getting the club started. The fact that we meet in the teachers lounge I think says it all!

I'm excited that we have the opportunity to be a part of students lives on their turf. I love the fact that we have been given the opportunity to share Christ in a place that is familiar to students and easy to get too even though I've been working with students for 10 years I still feel like I have no clue what I'm doing.

It's not that I don't know how to do the programming. It's just that when you sit in a meeting and try to get 45 Middle Schoolers to calm down for 90 seconds. It feels like your losing the battle. BUT! When you get to sit down and have pizza with 3 of them at a table and you begin to hear their stories (usually of their latest X-box game), your reminded of the slow process of building meaningful relationships.

I've always known that you reach students through meaningful relationships, but today I was reminded of it again. It's just a slow process that has to start somewhere. So today I met some students for the first time and hopefully began the slow process that will produce meaningful.

I HATE LOSING...SO, why am I a loser?

Well, I had to wait until today to post this or else I might say something I shouldn't. But, I truly despise losing. I have never admitted to being a "good loser". Last night our basketball team, the Varsity Curtis High girls team I coach, should have won. I know we played better than last time against them, but I was not satisfied with that. We should have won! And, if we had played to win, I think we would have. I mean, we only lost by six. And, that was with us deciding to run our offense very little, deciding to forget the success we can have and have already experienced with our teammates. I cannot figure out how a team can watch something work and then so quickly revert back to doing what was not working...playing for individual stats...playing for "me".

So, if I hate losing in games that don't matter like basketball. Why don't I mind to continually fail and lose in my relationship with Christ. I mean I constantly watch Him do something amazing in my life, only to question His direction later. I can sit down and write out the times He has so graciously delivered me, the times He gives me more than I deserve, the times He welcomes me back into His arms. And, then the next moment I am out "playing for me" again. I am living life my way. I am making the decisions. My selfishness leads to blindness. I am unable to look at what has worked...trusting God to lead...and fall into what has continually failed..."playing for my individual stats".

So, see, basketball does have something to do with real life. I hope it continues to teach me every day. I also hope that we don't lose again...I HATE LOSING!

Snow in Tacoma

This was the picture we took
trying to make it look like Narnia!


Buck & me


Snow the following morning!

Thanksgiving Photos

Buck & Josh


"the kids" before we flew out


Uncle Rick & "Fancy" Aunt Kay


Adam, Stephen (my cousin) & Daniel


Grandad & Mom at Thanksgiving Dinner


I just thought I would post a few pictures...first, a few from when we were home in Florida for Thanksgiving...