Happy Halloween!

It's a happy Halloween for us not because of all the candy, ghouls and goblins and non-stop scary movies, but because it was the very first holiday for me and Erica!

I still remember it as if it was just yesterday. I went to her apartment and we carved our first ever pumpkins. We had to get two (one for each of us) because we wanted to see who had the artistic talent between the two of us (since we was still finding out about each other). Turns out she did the best job (although she would tell you otherwise) and we lit the candles inside and stepped back to enjoy our first "big event".

At that time we had no idea we would be sitting here on this Halloween with a 16 month old baby girl reminiscing and thinking about those early days. We fell head-over-heels in love for each other and as we think about it today we realize we had no idea how deep our love would really grow from then until now. It is truly amazing when I stop to think about it.

Halloween is a special holiday for us because it was our first holiday together and each year that Halloween comes from that first day on, we get excited just thinking about it.

So even though Halloween is mostly about scary movies, candy and trick-or-treaters it is totally more than that to us. For us, Halloween marks the beginning of something great, something "magical".

Happy Halloween Erica. I LOVE YOU!!

And Happy 2nd Halloween to you Emily!!

Be Blessed,
Joe

Never Give Up and Don't Lose Focus!

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NLT)
16 That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.

Why should we never give up?

2 Corinthians 4:15 (NLT)
15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory.

Our spirits are being renewed every day even though our bodies are dying. Have you ever stopped to think about that statement?

What else in this world can you think of where as one thing is dying it also has something that is renewing at the same time?

It's funny how we can so easily recognize our "bodies that are dying everyday" and not even notice that our spirits are being renewed at the same time. Could that be because of our culture? And if so does it mean we are allowing our culture or this world to have a greater influence on us than we should?

Verse 15 says that all of this is "for our benefit" and then later it also says that "God will receive more and more glory" from it. Never giving up is a win win situation!! We win and God also receives the glory for it.

So never give up! No matter what you are going through. Focus on the part of you that is being renewed daily and quit focusing on the part of you that is only temporary and dying! This is for your benefit and it also brings God glory!

Now which will you choose to focus on?

The Rainbow

How great is our God?

VERY!!!

We came home from the hospital yesterday with Emily and just a couple of hours after being home we look out the back window and this is what we see...

Beautiful huh?

I think there are many times in our walk with Christ that God likes to show up in a big way. I even believe that there are times that God likes to, well, show off! :^)

God showing off has been needed in our little family recently. We've just been through so much with Emily's battle with Infantile Spasms. Many hospital stays and just a really hard time. We have been caught in a hurricane lately it seems with all that we've gone through but God has always been there.

Only God can provide a rainbow in the middle of a Hurricane!!!!

And that is exactly what He did for us, LITERALLY!!

I think back to the flood in the Old Testament. How after all the destruction and devastation was over with God made a promise to man that He would never flood the earth again and to sort of "seal the deal" he put a rainbow in the sky as a reminder that He would always keep His promise. And centuries later we see that God has upheld that promise. The earth hasn't been totally flooded and we still sometimes see rainbows afer the storms.

So whatever you are going through today, whatever storm you find yourself in the middle of, take comfort in knowing that God is still providing the rainbows. He is still on the throne and He is still keeping His promise. He is always with you!

"I will never leave you nor forsake you" - Joshua 1:5

Hallelujah Square

I just remembered this song we used to sing at the old time baptist church I used to attend back in Eastern Kentucky. I used to LOVE this song and every time I heard it I would tear up and rejoice.

But now that we've been going through all that we have with Emily this song means even more to me. And now it strikes the heart strings much harder than ever before!

If you've heard it sung before then I'm sure you will sing it as you read the lyrics. In fact, I invite you to.

If it's new to you, then take in every word and really let it sink in.

This is what I look forward to. This is what Hallelujah Square is.

What a wonderful time we'll all have up there!!

Hallelujah Square

Lyrics

Verse:

I saw a blind man tapping along, losing his way, as he passed through the throng

Tears filled my eyes, I said, "Friend you can't see," but, with a smile on his face, he replied to me

Chorus:

I'll see all my friends in Hallelujah Square, what a wonderful time we'll all have up there

We'll sing and praise Jesus, His glory to share, and you'll not see one blind man in Hallelujah Square

(key change)

Verse:

Now, I saw a cripple dragging his feet, he couldn't walk like we do down the street

I said, "My friend, I feel sorry for you," but he said, "Up in Heaven, I'm gonna walk just like you."

Chorus:

I'll see all my friends in Hallelujah Square, what a wonderful time we'll all have up there

We'll sing and praise Jesus, His glory to share, and you'll not see one cripple in Hallelujah Square

(key change)

Verse:

And I saw an old man, gasping for breath, soon he'd be gone, as his eyes closed in death

He looked at me and said, "Friend don't look so blue, for I'm going up to Heaven, now how about you?"

Chorus:

I'll see all my friends in Hallelujah Square, what a wonderful time we'll all have up there

We'll sing and praise Jesus, His glory to share, and we'll all live forever in Hallelujah Square!

Fear Of The Dark?

A light in the black,

OR 

just a fear of the dark?

It's crazy but sometimes when I'm really frustrated or just needing to unload I listen to some hard rock. It's my tool for self-therapy. I was listening to Iron Maiden recently (yeah, I know, that's pretty hard hard rock) when the song fear of the dark came on.

The first two lines of the song are written above. And as soon as I heard those lines spoken it got me thinking...

As Christians, are we really in it to be a light in the black OR do we have just a fear of the dark???

That floored me!!

Immediately I felt guilty for listening to something as hard or "unchristian" as Iron Maiden, but yet at the same time I was thankful because I felt like God was teaching me something in this. I'm a person who believes that God can use anything to teach us lessons so I let the guilty feelings melt away. After all, doesn't the Bible say something about Satan being the "accuser".

I wasn't going to let this teachable moment get lost in feelings of guilt.

Sometimes I've found myself wondering if I'm fully devoted to the Lord or do I do it because I'm afraid of the consequences. And if you're honest I bet you've wondered the same thing to.

Maybe you've thought of it and instantly let it slide. My hope in this post is that you think of it a little more because I really do think it is a legit question. I by no means want to "accuse" or bring guilt to anyone reading this I just think our Lord deserves for us to be honest with ourselves.

Those two lines really got my attention, do they do the same for you?

And do you learn things from unusual places too? If so, I would love to hear about it.

- Joe

Hospitals

I hate hospitals.

I hate them even more when someone I love is in one.

But I can't even begin to describe how much I hate them while my daughter is in one.

My daughter has a rare disorder called Infantile Spasms. It is one of the most rare and devastating types of epilepsy anyone can have. She was diagnosed with this disorder back in December and we've been battling it ever since. My wife does a much better job blogging about our journey with I.S. so please visit her blog here for more about that. I want to talk about hospitals.

Who in their right mind would actually like a hospital? Maybe you like that there is healing and help in a hospital but I'm not talking about the good things about a hospital. I'm talking about all the bad things that a hospital represents.

But does facing all the bad things a hospital represents turn into good things?

Does being FORCED into staying in a hospital for weeks at a time make you think about things you never would have thought about before?

Like how lucky we truly have it here in America and how awesome it is to know that proper help is being provided to you when you need it most. And what about all the other people you encounter in the hallways of a hospital? You can't help it when you pass by a stranger but to wonder what their issue is, what their reason for being in the hospital could be.

One of the crazy things about being in a hospital is the fact that you tend to run into unselfish instances.

For example, I was on the elevator going back to our room yesterday when an army vet (revealed by his hat) jumped on with me. He was an emotional wreck and cursing about his car breaking down on the way to see his baby. He didn't know his way around, perhaps it was because he was so distraught, so I asked him where his room was and what room number he was trying to find. He appreciated my help and it turns out that he was only two doors away from our room. Maybe he's going through the same thing. His child is on the neuro unit like mine. But for a few minutes I wasn't thinking about what my family was going through, instead I was focused on helping the army vet find his way to his precious family whom I'm sure cares about just as much as I care about mine.

Unselfish moments like these help you deal with the pain you are facing when you are in the hospital.

Why is it that it seems to help the most to pour out to someone else when we are so emotionally "empty"  ourselves? I get that it would make sense if we were at our strongest but how does it make sense when we are at our weakest??

It's like saying, "empty yourself so you can give more!"

It baffles the mind.

I hate hospitals. Probably because I am forced to face the facts. And the fact of the matter is that LIFE IS MORE PRECIOUS THAN I REALIZE AND IT'S NOT ABOUT ME!!!!!!

Hospitals are the perfect place to learn all about "unselfish moments". It's crazy how that works isn't it??

Jeremiah's Prayer

In my daily devotional this morning I was reading Jeremiah's Prayer and it really got my attention. Maybe it's because of all that I've been going through lately but I honestly feel like God is trying to tell me something with this scripture.

Jeremiah 10:23-24

23 I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own;
it is not for man to direct his steps.

24 Correct me, LORD, but only with justice—
not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.

I know, O Lord, that my life is not my own; it is not for me to direct my own steps.

Correct me, LORD, but only with your good and perfect will - don't be angry with me because you are all I have left. If I were to make you angry with me I would have nothing left to hold on to.

Amen

Reflections

A few things I learned this week include...

• The power of prayer! In a powerful way members of the church came together at Round 2 on Wednesday night for a time of nothing but prayer and worship. And what an inspiring and powerful experience it was! I've been looking deeper into my own personal prayer life here lately and this helped me in ways that I desperately needed.

• Feeling your entire house shake for a few minutes can wake you up and make you take notice of the awesome and mighty power that God has. A small earthquake that took place this morning gave us a small scare as we was trying to figure out what was causing the house to shake. We couldn't believe it when we heard that it was a 5.4 measured earthquake.

After hearing last week about how the early church prayed so hard that the earth shook I wondered what I would have thought if this would have happened while I was praying this morning?

• It's good to see someone has finally took a stand and faced the opposing views of the Creation, I'm excited to see Ben Stein's new movie "Expelled". (For more information on that see my previous blog post).

• Spring and warmer weather does more for the soul and spirit than we sometimes realize. It's amazing how spending time outdoors in warm weather can improve and lift your spirits.

Anyone have any thoughts or comments on the earthquake this morning?

Reflections

There are a lot of reflections to speak of this week...

• An overnight youth retreat without any sleep still takes it out of me. I would have thought that only being 25 I would still have it in me to be able to stay up the whole night but I thought wrong. I was wore out the next day.

• Dodge ball at any age is still tons of fun! Especially when you have your wife on the other side to throw at! :)

• Playing basketball inside on carpet is not a good idea. We wasn't at the youth retreat for 5 minutes when Ryan ended up hurting himself pretty bad. To see what I mean click here.

• A 4 hour event at a fun park is fun but can take it out of you when you've not had any sleep. The best part about it was the mini-golf and the laser tag.

• What do you mean I wore a black dress for Deal or No Deal? I have no idea what you're talking about!

• There is a power that the early church had that our church is craving to grab ahold of. I pray that we will get on that spiritual level and allow God to work in us the way He did through the early church.

• Prayer is something that must become a top priority in my life. I thought I did it enough and was consistent with it, that is until I heard Sunday's message. I pray that my prayer life reaches a whole new level.

• Perseverance is a word that took on a whole new meaning in my life this week. For more on that see my post labeled Perseverance.

• Mowing the lawn for the first time this year is a little slice of heaven. Yeah I'm weird like that!

• Ghost Recon... Need I say more? If you don't know what that is it is a really fun video game to play in which you have to go on a mission to "save the world". It wouldn't be half as fun as it is without the right friends to play with. Play it once and you're addicted, no joke!

Reflections

This has been a pretty rough week for me with my grandmother's illness and all so I will try to stay positive but forgive me if I'm not.

• Thanks to the sermon given by Bob Russell I have made a decision to stay positive no matter what the circumstances may be. I might add that it was perfect timing for me to hear this message just before I was to go and see my sick grandma. Isn't it funny how God provides the things that will help us carry on?

• To spend time with family during a family members illness makes you realize that we take our time here on earth for granted. Why don't families get together more often to enjoy each other? Why does it have to take an illness for everyone to realize they should be spending time together when things are good and people are healthy?

• Sometimes we just don't realize how hard a loved one has tried to show their love for us. Even though we know they were the best person in the world to us they still want to let us know that they did the best they could. It seems like it's so important for them to make that clear. It is important for us to not take for granted the little things.

• Priorities change when we are confronted with the possibility of a loss. It seems like all those things that were so "important" in our daily lives are not as big a deal as we sometimes make them. Sometimes we need to rethink our priorities.

• We don't realize how much we depend on our vehicle until we are without it for a couple of days. This leads back to the sermon by Bob Russell on being thankful for what we have. I'm a lot more thankful for the minivan that I sometimes complained about in the past. It seems a lot more valuable to me now.

• I sometimes wish I was at the age again when a simple kids meal toy would make me smile and make my day. Especially if it would have been something cool like SPONGEBOB! :)

• Good friends are hard to come by, and when you have the kind that would give you the shirt off their backs to help you it touches your heart in ways no one will know. (You know who you are, thanks).

• A relationship with the Lord that helps us carry on throughout any type of storm is the most valuable thing a person could ever have. Seek that relationship if you don't have it and you will find that it is the best thing you could ever do.

Is their anything in your life that you've taken for granted or not been thankful for?

Reflections

Let's see, what did I learn this week?...

• Easter is a time to reflect on what great things the Lord has done for us but it can easily get you down if you aren't totally focused. Thinking about friends and family who don't know the Lord is an easy distraction on Easter.

• We never know when someone we love and cherish can one minute be doing fine and then the next minute have their life threatened by an unexpected or unseen illness. It is for this reason why we should never take our relationships for granted, no matter who it is.

• It's never over even when we think it is. There is always something to look forward to if you have a relationship with the Lord.

• One kind word unspoken can lead to a sleepless night.

• Focusing too much on our regrets causes us to miss the opportunities that are right in front of our faces.

• Sharing your thoughts and concerns with someone who cares really does help.

• And because the reflections of this week seem to be depressing I will end on this positive note... The Cards are on Fire!!! Go CARDS!

Shoot To Thrill!

Reflections

Although this has been an eventful week that was filled with things worthy of sharing with my readers, I feel it completely necessary to devote this weeks reflections post to the sacrifice Jesus made for our salvation. After all, we know that should be the reflection that we concentrate on the most. Let's take some time to think about the things He did for us on Good Friday and then Easter Sunday.

• He left a perfect Heaven with the Father to come to this world and take on the life of a human being. One in which temptation was present and still he was without sin. He came and lived a life like ours so that we would have a perfect example and still we sometimes forget that.

• He was mocked and ridiculed and even spit upon so that we could handle persecution. He took the punishment that we really deserve for our sins. And yet he did it gladly and we were on His mind the entire time.

• He was beaten and scourged for our benefit. By His stripes we are healed and with every blow our image was on His mind. He thought of how we would spend forever with Him and the Father as he was beaten for a crime he did not commit.

• As he carried the cross He thought of the bridge that must be built. A bridge in which no one would be able to come to the father unless he built it. That bridge was the cross he carried on his beaten and broken body. The sacrifice he made on that cross is what connects us to the Father. Without the cross and His sacrifice our sins keep us separated from Him and it is through the cross that we have a bridge to get to eternal paradise.

• As he was being nailed to that cross not one ill word did he utter against those who did this to him. His humbleness and obedience makes up for our lack of it. He thought of those people who crucified him the same as us. And for us his body was the perfect sacrifice. He told the father to, "forgive them for they know not what they do". And sometimes, as hard as it is for us to admit, we don't realize that he is saying that to the Father about us now. When we sin he is making intercession for us because sometimes "we know not what we do".

• He was buried in a tomb and three days later he rose again. He rose for us and defeated Satan because sometimes, maybe even most of the time, we find it hard to rise again. When sin and trouble come our way we feel defeated and we sometimes give up and stay down. Jesus rose for us so that we would have encouragement to keep fighting the spiritual battle that he already won for us. He rose again so that we would keep on rising up and fighting for Him.

• Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He went through the things that he did so that we could have hope for a future with Him and the Father. Without these things that he went through we would be lost forever. This is why we are thankful everyday for what He did for us and for that we make Him the ultimate reflection.

May God bless you and your family this Easter.

Reflections

First off I need to thank Rebecca for giving me this idea. "Reflections" is going to be a weekly post in which I will explain some of the things I've learned or experienced in a given week. So here goes...

• God is STILL blessing the Jr. High ministry in a HUGE way! It never ceases to amaze me how great our God really is. Our students have been proposed with a "Call to Action" and I can't wait to see where their obedience leads them. Praise God!

• That Satan attacks us even harder after we've laid our hearts out and taught a group of people that is seeking the Lord. Thank goodness we have great friends to lean upon when those attacks start coming!

• That "good" purified water can sometimes still not be the best. And that when you drink a certain type of water that is said to come from 6 million year old glacier's but still has an expiration date on the bottle then something is kind of fishy with that. (Thanks Dave Ramsey)

• It is truly a blessing to see my brother and sister worship and pray to a mighty God!

• That growing out a beard for an upcoming lesson can be a blessing and a form of torture at the same time.

• That sometimes I've got to be the sacrifice!

• That God gives us unexpected surprises just when we think that our supply is about to run out. He takes care of us when we don't know what to do next.

• And last but definitely not least, realizing that on this Sunday, March 16, I will have been married to the most wonderful woman in the world for 4 wonderful years. Erica means more to me than words could ever describe and for such a wonderful wife I am forever blessed and grateful. I have no idea what I ever could have done to deserve such a gift from God but I thank him daily, and sometimes even hourly, for bringing me such joy. Erica, I love you more than you will ever know and when I think about the last 4 years we've spent together that is truly the greatest reflection of all! I Love You!